France remains the top destination for Tunisian scholarship and non-scholarship students, Director of Scholarships and Study Abroad Loans at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Maha Hammami said on Friday.

Tunisia granted 782 long-term scholarships in 2021/ 2022, including 525 for studies in France, 170 for studies in Germany, 80 for Canada and 7 for other countries, the official told TAP on the sidelines of the “Mobility Forum, Studying in France,” held by Campus France Tunisia.

During the same period, 1,026 short-term scholarships were granted, including 658 for studies in France and 128 for studies in Spain.

France is also a destination for non-scholarship students, Hammami further said. 6,962 Tunisian students during the 2022-2023 academic year out of a total of 17,268 opted for France while 3,185 left for Germany, 1,090 for Spain, 858 for Canada and 800 for Russia.

About 23 scholarships for study in France and 24 in Germany are granted each year, Hammami said, as part of the scholarship programme for brilliant bachelor’s degree holders.

In 2022, fifty-two scholarships were made available for students from the Preparatory Institute for Scientific and Technical Studies (Frence: IPEST) who passed the entrance examination to enrol in higher education establishments in France.

Nineteen scholarships for study in France and a further five in European Union countries are scheduled for the 2023/2024 academic year, as part of the scholarship programme for training higher education trainers ( Masters and PhD scholarships). in various subjects, namely design, musicology , transport and logistics, languages, etc…

Thirty-four more scholarships for study in Canada are provided for under this same programme in different subjects, including data science, artificial intelligence, computing quantum, cybersecurity, health sciences, agricultural sciences, etc…

As part of the scholarship programme for medical residents, 35 scholarships are offered each year to medical, pharmacy and dental medicine residents.

“More than 90% of these scholarships are granted to medical residents for internships in French hospitals,” she said.

Additionally, 242 scholarships were granted to student engineers in 2022/23 as part of preparation for Tunisian-French combined degrees.

The official added that 201 student loans were granted to Tunisian non-scholarship students abroad in 2022 compared to 203 loans in 2021.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse