After three years of intensive international cooperation, the DIRASA project has come to an end, marking a significant milestone in the process of renewing research governance within Tunisian universities. Implemented under the Erasmus+ programme, Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) action, the project brought together major Tunisian public universities, national institutions and European partners in a shared process of analysis, experimentation and institutional capacity building.
Throughout its implementation, DIRASA fostered in-depth reflection on the functioning of the university research system through research activities, data collection and benchmarking of European and Tunisian experiences. This analytical work provided the foundation for targeted capacity-building actions for academic and administrative staff, delivered through local training workshops and a dedicated training week focused on European research programmes. Study visits to partner universities in Europe further supported the exchange of good practices and direct dialogue on governance models, management tools and mechanisms for research valorisation.
Particular attention was given to research visibility and valorisation. The training week dedicated to enhancing science visibility and links with the socio-economic environment represented a key moment in promoting a more open research culture, capable of engaging with society and responding to its needs. This pathway was symbolically concluded on 19 January 2026 with the organisation of a national workshop bringing together universities, institutions, researchers and civil society actors to jointly reflect on the future of research in Tunisia. The DIRASA project concluded with a final conference on 20 January 2026 at the Cité de la Culture in Tunis, which served as a moment of synthesis and presentation of the project’s main results, as well as an opportunity for dialogue on the future of the reforms initiated and their long-term sustainability.
Results and resources for the future
The activities carried out within DIRASA led to the development of strategic resources designed to support the continuity of the reforms initiated. These include the state-of-art report on research governance in Tunisia, institutional action plans for strategic monitoring and performance units, as well as a performance contract model between supervisory authorities, universities and research structures.
These tools are complemented by a roadmap to operationalise the transition towards Public Scientific and Technological Establishments (EPST) status, and a policy paper on the future of research in Tunisia, which synthesises the main recommendations emerging from the project and projects its results into a medium- to long-term perspective.
The contribution of CESIE ETS
As a project partner, CESIE ETS contributed to strengthening the link between activities, results and impact by supporting a communication strategy aimed at enhancing the DIRASA pathway and making its outputs accessible to university governance bodies, academic and administrative staff, as well as researchers and doctoral candidates.
The dissemination of project contents and resources accompanied research and training activities, fostering ownership of results and their reuse beyond the project’s duration. CESIE ETS also played an active role in training activities, bringing its expertise on cross-cutting themes such as Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), engagement of research and societal stakeholders, open access to research results, and copyright-related issues. These contributions helped reinforce a vision of research as an open, ethical process oriented towards dialogue with society.
Beyond the end of the project
The conclusion of DIRASA does not represent an endpoint, but rather a transition towards a new phase of consolidation. The competencies developed, tools produced and networks built constitute a shared asset that can continue to support the renewal of research governance in Tunisia.
Building on the work carried out, the project partners are already collaborating in view of the upcoming Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education deadline, with the aim of submitting a new proposal that capitalises on the results of SAGESSE and DIRASA and further extends their impact.
This commitment confirms the shared willingness to continue the reforms initiated and to further strengthen Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in the fields of research and higher education, with a long-term perspective.
For further information and access to project resources, please visit https://dirasa.eu/. DIRASA’s Facebook, X and LinkedIn channels remain available for consulting project content.
About the project
DIRASA – Définition d’un renouvellement de la gouvernance de la recherche en Tunisie is a project funded within the Erasmus+, Capacity Building in the field of higher education. Capacity-building projects in the field of higher education are transnational cooperation projects based on multilateral partnerships, between Higher Education Institutions and organisations from EU Member states or countries associated to the Programme and third countries not associated to the Programme.
Partners
- Sfax University (Tunisia, coordinator)
- Université de Tunis (Tunisia)
- Université de Tunis El Manar (Tunisia)
- Carthage University (Tunisia)
- University of Sousse (Tunisia)
- Université de Gabes (Tunisia)
- Université de la Manouba (Tunisia)
- University of Monastir (Tunisia)
- Université Virtuelle de Tunis (Tunisia)
- University of Kairouan (Tunisia)
- Université de Gafsa (Tunisia)
- Université of Jendouba (Tunisia)
- Université Ez-Zitouna (Tunisia)
- Ministry of Higher Education And Scientific Research (Tunisia)
- Agence Nationale de la Promotion de la Recherche Scientifique (Tunisia)
- UNIMED – Unione delle Università del Mediterraneo (Italy)
- Università di Pisa (Italy)
- Università degli Studi di Pavia (Italy)
- CESIE ETS (Italy)
- Université de Rouen Normandie (France)
For further information
Read more about DIRASA,visit https://dirasa.eu/. DIRASA’s Facebook, X and LinkedIn channels remain available for consulting project content.
Contact Alessia Valenti: alessia.valenti@cesie.org
