The Tunisian Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (l’Agence Tunisienne d’Evaluation et d’Accréditation, or ATEA) has unveiled the Tunisian accreditation framework for higher education and scientific research institutions. It is designed to strengthen university education quality, align academic programmes with labour market needs, develop future-proof graduates, and enhance universities’ role in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Senior expert in quality assurance in higher education, Béchir Allouch, a technology professor at the Virtual University of Tunis said, “At present, the ATEA plans to prepare the communication process of implementation of the institutional accreditation. The ATEA in Tunisia is the first to establish a comprehensive institutional accreditation framework, while the other Maghreb agencies remain focused on quality assurance, institutional and programmatic evaluation and programme accreditation. Its difference in scope and formalisation justifies considering it the first comprehensive Maghreb institutional accreditation system.”
The Maghreb Context
The five Maghreb countries located in western and central North Africa are Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.
Quality Assurance Agencies Across the Region
The Maghreb agencies for quality assurance include The National Centre for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Educational and Training Institutions in Libya; the National Agency for the Evaluation and Quality Assurance of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Morocco; the Mauritanian Authority for Quality Assurance of Higher Education and Scientific Research; and the Commission for the Implementation of a Quality Assurance System in Higher Education Institutions in Algeria.
The Tunisian Accreditation Framework for Higher Education and Scientific Research Institutions was presented at a workshop on 14 February 2026, organised by the ATEA.
The ATEA was prepared with the support of the European Union through the integrated programme to support the education sector led by the German development agency, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (the German Society for International Cooperation), or GIZ.
Tunisia is a moderate performer in terms of its knowledge infrastructure, as it ranks 79th out of 195 countries in the Global Knowledge Index (GKI 2025), which measures knowledge performance worldwide using seven main sectoral indices, including higher education research, development and innovation.
“The accreditation framework seeks to improve the quality of academic programmes, optimise the international positioning of universities, strengthen recognition of Tunisian degrees, and support graduates’ employability”.
Dr Salma Damak, Director General of ATEA
Damak added that the accreditation framework covers all aspects of university life, including governance, programme design, alignment with employment prospects, exam organisation, and student living conditions and housing. It will also cover institutional strategy, teaching quality, programme compliance, research and scientific publication, support services, and social responsibility.
Damak said that, “to strengthen Tunisia’s higher education and scientific research quality assurance system, we are following a participatory approach, by bringing together the ATEA stakeholders to ensure collective ownership of the framework and enhance its relevance to the Tunisian context”.
She explained: “Initially, participation in the process will remain voluntary and will be undertaken at the request of the higher education institutions concerned. Once an application is submitted, the ATEA will conduct an external audit, which will result, either in the awarding of the quality label, or in recommendations for improvement before re-evaluation.”
Damak pointed out that, “this process distinguishes high-performing institutions, enhances the value of their degrees, facilitates international partnerships (such as European accreditation for engineering schools), boosts student mobility and employability, and encourages better mastery of learning processes, greater openness to the socio-economic world, and monitoring of labour market needs”.
International Alignment and Impact
She noted that the pilot phase will be conducted at a limited number of HE institutions, with a view to later generalisation.
“The introduction of a national accreditation framework will drive Tunisian higher education institutions to systematically invest in internal quality assurance, including better data systems, stronger assessment literacy, and more coherent curriculum design. This shift is aligned with international quality assurance principles that emphasise internal quality assurance capacity and evidence-based improvement. By embedding dimensions such as employability, labour market relevance and social responsibility, the framework ensures that institutional missions are more strongly connected to national socioeconomic priorities and contribute to development goals.”
Béchir Allouch, a Technology Professor at the Virtual University of Tunis
“Tunisian institutions have already begun transitioning from input-based logic to outcomes-based accountability,” he pointed out. “Accreditation grounded in this new framework will reinforce this transition by emphasising student learning, assessment integrity and graduate outcomes, in line with widely adopted standards.
“Furthermore, by establishing national common expectations and comparable evidence standards while ensuring alignment with internationally recognised frameworks, the accreditation system enhances the credibility of Tunisian degrees. This will improve mutual recognition, international mobility, and cross-border cooperation,” he added.
An Accreditation System Beyond Paperwork
Allouch continued: “To prevent the accreditation process from devolving into an administrative burden, it is essential to adopt a proportional and risk-based approach. For high-performing institutions, longer accreditation cycles and lighter touch evaluations reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and maintain engagement.”
All Tunisian faculties of medicine have already achieved reputable international institutional accreditations, he noted. All engineering schools are well experienced in getting their programmes accredited at an international level, which makes them prepared for national institutional accreditation.
“For such institutions, the national process should recognise these achievements and provide fast-track or extended institutional accreditation periods, allowing the ATEA to concentrate its limited resources on institutions requiring more support,” Allouch urged.
Probing Outcomes and Building Trust
“A first challenge is the risk of indicator gaming or excessive document production,” he warned. “Reviewers should be trained to probe outcomes rather than documentation, ensuring that evidence reflects actual educational quality rather than administrative volume.”
Reviewers should focus on the effectiveness of internal quality assurance processes, not their form, he said. A second challenge is ensuring legitimacy and trust. Without visible involvement of students, employers, and professional bodies, the system risks losing credibility, according to Allouch.
“Fortunately, the ATEA already appears to be aware of the importance of including diverse stakeholders on review panels; publishing methodologies, criteria and appeals procedures; and aligning with international recognition bodies. It will be crucial to maintain stable accreditation standards over long periods, while updating operational guidance documents or explanatory notes as contexts evolve. Frequent rewriting of the framework could create instability and reduce institutional confidence,” he cautioned.
“A stable framework with adaptive guidance ensures both predictability for institutions and flexibility for the national agency.”
