• Tunisia partners with China to boost student training, jobs
• Huawei-led programs target AI, renewables, healthcare
• Youth jobless rate at 39.2% highlights urgency of reforms

Tunisia is leveraging its partnership with China to expand opportunities for students and boost job creation, as the North African nation struggles with a youth unemployment rate nearing 40%.

Speaking at the China–Arab States Expo on Aug. 29, Anis Touati, a diplomat at Tunisia’s embassy in Beijing, said initiatives such as Huawei’s ICT Academy and Seeds for the Future program are helping Tunisian students secure international certifications and awards. A new science and technology agreement also aims to enhance research and innovation capacity.

The programs focus on digital skills, artificial intelligence, renewable energy and healthcare, sectors where demand is rising. Officials say the cooperation has already fostered start-ups and attracted foreign investment, strengthening the link between training and economic development.

Tunisia’s demographic challenge is acute: 60.3% of the population was aged 15–59 in 2024, according to the national statistics institute, while the ILO estimated youth unemployment at 39.2%. The government hopes technology transfer and improved infrastructure from Chinese-backed initiatives will create more qualified jobs and increase competitiveness.

The approach mirrors moves elsewhere in Africa. Morocco has launched Sino-Moroccan programs in e-commerce and AI with the Tianjin College of Commerce, while Benin has expanded technical training through Akassato Sino-Beninese Friendship Technical School and plans four new training centers.

Sustaining progress will depend on Tunisia’s ability to translate these initiatives into long-term employment and innovation, while diversifying partnerships beyond China to regional and global players.

This article was initially published in French by Félicien Houindo Lokossou

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum