Civic Engagement Overview

The UGA-Tunisia Educational Partnership is currently working to strengthen the links between the higher education system, K-12 education, and civil society in Tunisia. The UNESCO report by the Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States (Higher Education in the Arab Region, UNESCO 2003), indicates that one of the main roads to sustainable human and social development is the creation of strong partnerships between the educational system and civil society.

The direct involvement of the university in solving societal problems and providing nontraditional learning opportunities for the community is a well established concept in the US. Many American universities including the University of Georgia have a formal third mission in addition to teaching and research called public service and outreach. Through workshops and community based projects, the Partnership is working to promote civic engagement and its importance in the Tunisian higher education community as well as the community at large.

The Partnership also aims to engage Tunisian Americans with expertise in various domains in outreach efforts to Tunisia to contribute to the country's development and strengthen community ties and promote civic engagement both within the US and Tunisia.

So far, our efforts in this area included multiple workshops and initiatives in collaboration with the University of Sousse and building ties with the Tunisian American community through the Tunisian Community Center.