10,000 Students, 1,000 Jobs for a 25 MDT Investment.
9 June 2014
Read by 1802 persons
A City of Knowledge in Tunisia, specifically in Tunis. The Mabrouk Group is no longer satisfied with Dauphine-Tunis. Today, it aims to surround this jewel of French universities with other precious stones, the essence of which is knowledge and the origin is the Universe.
Investing in knowledge, what could be more useful in a country where knowledge is losing its importance, its leadership, and where studies are demystified because they are no longer rewarding or valued...?
To bring knowledge back to the city, to create a center where knowledge will flourish nationally, in the Maghreb, and in Africa. This is the ambition of Mohamed Ali Mabrouk, founder and chairman of the Board of Directors of Dauphine-Tunis.
Interview
WMC: Why invest in a City of Knowledge, you already founded Dauphine-Tunis...?
Mohamed Ali Mabrouk: As a reminder, this university was founded in Tunisia in 2009. We believe that the best way for human development in all its dimensions is knowledge. Access to knowledge is a sine qua non condition for ensuring growth and improving the quality of life of individuals. It is our duty as investors to push for research, innovation, and the improvement of technological and industrial infrastructures. We aim to build, with the support of the State, a smart city, innovative and oriented towards sustainable development.
The Tunisian City of Knowledge will bring together leading universities, with the University of Dauphine at its core. We want to train students in various disciplines and develop numerous courses, including business management, high technologies, media, electrical and mechanical engineering, and the arts.
Many people think that your group always invests in services, which is the most promising sector. Would the City of Knowledge confirm this orientation?
That's not true, since we invest in agri-food, which is an industry if I'm not mistaken... No, it's rather a new positioning that benefits the whole country. Since 2004, we have invested in the creation of Dauphine Tunisia. We are not content to offer quality education to well-off students, but we also offer scholarships to those who are brilliant and cannot afford to enroll in prestigious universities.
I would like to point out that 300 students are enrolled at Tunis-Dauphine. A number that is expected to grow, these young people benefit the country with their quality training, and those who go abroad return to develop the expertise acquired elsewhere. I think that's important.
Through the City of Knowledge, we are investing in a new economy, the most promising one. We aim to provide the country with a high-level university and research framework that is integrated into a national strategy for the development of research and innovation.
Tunisia, which has always been a pioneer in quality education and teaching, must now be able to meet the challenges of knowledge, whether technological or societal.
We hope to be able to establish partnerships with national and international organizations for the development of human resources. We want not only to set up courses that are open to the national labor market and adapted to the needs of the professional world, but also to offer foreign students, mainly African and Maghrebian, the chance to pursue quality studies not far from home, benefiting from all the amenities and in renowned universities.
What kind of amenities do you plan to offer your future students, and what impact could this have on Tunisia?
We plan, initially, to build the City on a 40-hectare site that will include a university campus for students who are not located in Tunis or who come from abroad. We also plan to integrate sports activities into the campus and equip it with tennis courts, basketball courts, a golf course, and others.
We believe that the return on our country will be very positive, because it is those who will study with us who will then constitute the economic and political leadership in their countries and the ambassadors of Tunisia in their home countries.
Do you plan to develop the Research component in the City of Knowledge, or is this not even a question?
What could be more obvious than introducing a scientific research component into a city dedicated to dispensing knowledge? We are determined to set up a research center dedicated to scientific and technological research in cooperation with international institutions recognized for their achievements in this field.
We also plan to sponsor research projects and work to disseminate the culture of knowledge and research by organizing major events in the presence of leading international figures (scientists and researchers) from all disciplines.
Moreover, we plan to found the Tunisian Center for Studies and Research, whose mission will be to conduct studies, evaluations, and surveys relating to all socio-economic, political activities, or regional and international issues.
It will offer an ideal framework for the training of skills nationally and internationally.
What support do you expect from the Tunisian state for the launch of such a project? And how many jobs do you plan to create?
First of all, that it approves it, and we think that's only natural. Because a country that dedicated 1/3 of its budget to education at the dawn of its independence can only support a City of Knowledge in 2014.
What we would ask the State is that it be our shareholder partner. It could do so by granting the land, which will initially be 40 hectares and then expand to 100 hectares. 2,000 students are expected initially and 10,000 in the long term. 1,000 jobs will be created thanks to the City of Knowledge, whose initial investment will be 25 MDT.
Webmanagercenter.com
Published May 13, 2014.
Posted online June 9, 2014.
Investing in knowledge, what could be more useful in a country where knowledge is losing its importance, its leadership, and where studies are demystified because they are no longer rewarding or valued...?
To bring knowledge back to the city, to create a center where knowledge will flourish nationally, in the Maghreb, and in Africa. This is the ambition of Mohamed Ali Mabrouk, founder and chairman of the Board of Directors of Dauphine-Tunis.
Interview
WMC: Why invest in a City of Knowledge, you already founded Dauphine-Tunis...?
Mohamed Ali Mabrouk: As a reminder, this university was founded in Tunisia in 2009. We believe that the best way for human development in all its dimensions is knowledge. Access to knowledge is a sine qua non condition for ensuring growth and improving the quality of life of individuals. It is our duty as investors to push for research, innovation, and the improvement of technological and industrial infrastructures. We aim to build, with the support of the State, a smart city, innovative and oriented towards sustainable development.
The Tunisian City of Knowledge will bring together leading universities, with the University of Dauphine at its core. We want to train students in various disciplines and develop numerous courses, including business management, high technologies, media, electrical and mechanical engineering, and the arts.
Many people think that your group always invests in services, which is the most promising sector. Would the City of Knowledge confirm this orientation?
That's not true, since we invest in agri-food, which is an industry if I'm not mistaken... No, it's rather a new positioning that benefits the whole country. Since 2004, we have invested in the creation of Dauphine Tunisia. We are not content to offer quality education to well-off students, but we also offer scholarships to those who are brilliant and cannot afford to enroll in prestigious universities.
I would like to point out that 300 students are enrolled at Tunis-Dauphine. A number that is expected to grow, these young people benefit the country with their quality training, and those who go abroad return to develop the expertise acquired elsewhere. I think that's important.
Through the City of Knowledge, we are investing in a new economy, the most promising one. We aim to provide the country with a high-level university and research framework that is integrated into a national strategy for the development of research and innovation.
Tunisia, which has always been a pioneer in quality education and teaching, must now be able to meet the challenges of knowledge, whether technological or societal.
We hope to be able to establish partnerships with national and international organizations for the development of human resources. We want not only to set up courses that are open to the national labor market and adapted to the needs of the professional world, but also to offer foreign students, mainly African and Maghrebian, the chance to pursue quality studies not far from home, benefiting from all the amenities and in renowned universities.
What kind of amenities do you plan to offer your future students, and what impact could this have on Tunisia?
We plan, initially, to build the City on a 40-hectare site that will include a university campus for students who are not located in Tunis or who come from abroad. We also plan to integrate sports activities into the campus and equip it with tennis courts, basketball courts, a golf course, and others.
We believe that the return on our country will be very positive, because it is those who will study with us who will then constitute the economic and political leadership in their countries and the ambassadors of Tunisia in their home countries.
Do you plan to develop the Research component in the City of Knowledge, or is this not even a question?
What could be more obvious than introducing a scientific research component into a city dedicated to dispensing knowledge? We are determined to set up a research center dedicated to scientific and technological research in cooperation with international institutions recognized for their achievements in this field.
We also plan to sponsor research projects and work to disseminate the culture of knowledge and research by organizing major events in the presence of leading international figures (scientists and researchers) from all disciplines.
Moreover, we plan to found the Tunisian Center for Studies and Research, whose mission will be to conduct studies, evaluations, and surveys relating to all socio-economic, political activities, or regional and international issues.
It will offer an ideal framework for the training of skills nationally and internationally.
What support do you expect from the Tunisian state for the launch of such a project? And how many jobs do you plan to create?
First of all, that it approves it, and we think that's only natural. Because a country that dedicated 1/3 of its budget to education at the dawn of its independence can only support a City of Knowledge in 2014.
What we would ask the State is that it be our shareholder partner. It could do so by granting the land, which will initially be 40 hectares and then expand to 100 hectares. 2,000 students are expected initially and 10,000 in the long term. 1,000 jobs will be created thanks to the City of Knowledge, whose initial investment will be 25 MDT.
Webmanagercenter.com
Published May 13, 2014.
Posted online June 9, 2014.
