Tunisia’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research established the country’s first public institute specialising in artificial intelligence at the University of Tunis, with the institution becoming operational from the 2024–2025 academic year. The institute covers all training fields within AI and is intended to advance AI education and support delivery on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It is part of a broader AI ecosystem that includes a new NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute-backed innovation hub in Novation City (Sousse), focused on developer training and AI adoption. Tunisia ranked among Africa’s top five countries in the AI Readiness Index, and by 2025 the country had over 300 technology programs and a 25% increase in tech graduates since 2020. The Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education has also used AI tools to draft the 2026–2030 national development plan, signalling institutional integration of AI in governance.
Who it affects: University students and higher education researchers in Tunisia who now have access to a dedicated public AI institution. Private-sector workers and developers are also reached through the Novation City innovation hub. The broader student population at primary and secondary level is not directly covered by this initiative.
What is notably missing: The AI institute and innovation hub focus on higher education and professional training; there is no national AI curriculum mandate for primary or secondary schools. The initiative is driven by higher education ministry investment rather than legislation. No obligation exists for employers to provide AI training, and no enforcement mechanism ensures AI literacy reaches workers outside the higher education system.