Tunisia will launch its first public institute specialized in Artificial Intelligence (AI) starting from the next academic year, at the University of Tunis. This public initiative follows the steps taken in the private sector, such as the opening in 2022 of the Pristini School of AI, the first private educational institution specialized in artificial intelligence in Tunisia.
According to recent statements by Professor Mohamed Jaoua, dean of the Pristini School of AI; “I believe that AI will permeate all of society and will not only be used by experts, which is why we need to find an appropriate pedagogy to teach AI to everyone.”
He also confirms that the necessity of having experts capable of overcoming these ethical and societal challenges will allow us to benefit from global innovation through various partnerships to act locally to overcome these challenges.
To go further, Sami Hammami, former vice-president of the University of Sfax, states that there are engineering schools that provide training in artificial intelligence in different disciplines, but without specializing in the field. Computer scientists and mechanical and electrical engineering specialists, for example, use artificial intelligence as a tool for multiple purposes.
The idea of creating a public institution dedicated to the training of specialized AI graduates is entirely original and relevant, “and would help fill the gap currently observed in the university system in Tunisia,” according to him.
Furthermore, the Artificial Intelligence Readiness Index of 2023 ranked Tunisia 81st out of 193 indexed countries, and the ambition is to elevate Tunisia higher in the ranking, matching the private initiatives of our colleagues spread across the globe.
Let’s not forget those who are making Tunisia a global beacon of AI: from the successful unicorn that is InstaDeep by Karim Beguir and Zohra Slim, to Enova ROBOTICS by Anis Sahbani, Optimetriks, Predictive Layer, Evoca Group, and Neurologs!
The creation of this institute opens the door to a regional role in AI education, offering opportunities for collaboration and research beyond national borders and who knows, may make Tunisia the future hub of AI in Africa and the MENA region?
Ahmed Lagha
Cofounder« If we cannot find a way, we will make one »