ITES study warns against mass migration of Tunisian engineers

Tunis: A new study entitled "Brain Drain of Engineers in Tunisia: Causes, Consequences and Solutions," drawn up by the Tunisian Institute for Strategic Studies (French: ITES) under the aegis of the Presidency of the Republic, has warned against the mass migration of Tunisian engineers. The migration of engineers is seriously affecting Tunisia's stability, its level of growth and the sustainability of economic and social development, and is reducing our country's ability to ensure its digital, energy and environmental transition, the study reads. The study further revealed that the migration of engineers abroad has made it difficult to fill teaching and research positions, hampered research initiatives, increased technological dependence and reduced Tunisia's ability to attract foreign investment. Over the last two decades, the number of engineers leaving Tunisia for foreign countries has risen from 972 in 2000 to 1,936 in 2010, reaching 3,000 engineers per year after 2014. To this end, the study proposed several solutions to help keep Tunisian engineers, including improving working conditions, simplifying remote working procedures, reviewing salaries, upgrading vocational training courses and adapting the education system to the needs of the job market, as well as strengthening infrastructure, installing high-speed internet access in research establishments and providing long-term support for scientific research. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse