Italy-Tunisia agreement for education: interview with professor emeritus Rawdha Zaouchi Razgallah

Following the recent Memorandum of Understanding between the Italian and Tunisian education ministers, we asked the teacher to illustrate and comment on the agreement Rawdha Zaouchi Razgallahprofessor emeritus of the University of Carthage, Knight of Merit of the Italian Republic.

The recent agreement between the Tunisian and Italian Ministries of Education marks an important step in cultural cooperation between the two countries. Based on your long experience as a professor of Italian Literature at the University of Carthage, can you give us your first comment on the initiative?

Alessandro Prunas, Italian ambassador to Tunisia, certifies to us in his cooperation speech the excellent Tunisian-Italian partnership which is the solid basis for creating a true Mediterranean and bilateral common development. The strategic initiative of the Mattei Plan in which higher education also represents a pillar for the ambitious objective of providing Tunisians and Africans, as also reiterated by the Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, who signed a Memorandum of understanding (Mou) with his Tunisian counterpart, Moncef Boukthir. It is certainly a stimulus to build a new era in the continuity of the excellent relations between the two countries with a focus on neighboring European and African countries. A bridge of progressive solidarity in this world broken by wars and murderous powers.

The Tunisian university, also at the level of scientific exchanges, is one of the best for research and for the competence of its graduates. It’s just that it’s needed reciprocity in visa policy which is extremely limiting (it is enough just to talk about teachers who spread Italian culture).

An Italian enters Tunisia without a visa. A Tunisian teacher who has trained pupils and students in Italian culture, spreading it throughout Tunisia and who has established agreements, research and exchanges with Italian universities for new and positive horizons, finds himself humiliated with a visa painfully received for the duration of a few months when the Italian consulate gives it to you. A real constraint on the continuity of every cultural project. Here we need more attention to this acute problem.

The Mou encourages the exchange of information between higher education institutions and research bodies; promotes the teaching of the languages, literatures, cultures and histories of both countries; facilitates two-way access to research infrastructures. Particular emphasis is dedicated to mobility between students but not only. Hearing this speech, we think of a perfect partnership, a win win. But actually, for the moment it is one-way from Italy to Tunisia. The training of different specialties for a better future of development at all levels will be useful above all to Italian companies in Tunisia and to the spread of Italian-European supremacy over North Africa and this at the beginning of the four-year period 2026-30.

As Professor Emeritus of the University of Carthage, I have experienced moments of high cooperation between our two countries for workshops at the Manùba faculty and the Higher Institute of Languages ​​of Tunis, for the enrichment of libraries in various institutes such as that of heritage, of the Bardo museum, language institutes and sponsorship of Sicilian-Tunisian culture with the Orestiadi Foundation directed by Angelo Corrao. The Tunisian scholarship holders went to Italy as four-year students and returned disseminating their education in Tunisia. I had support thanks to the agreements made with Italian universities (Pescara, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Palermo, Catania, Naples) to create The Italian campus in Mahdia for 5 years. With exchange of teachers from both countries. Doctorates and multidisciplinary theses of Italian culture.

Now, with the intervention of Italy and the excellent relations with the presidency of the Italian Council and the presidency of the European Union, Tunisia hopes for a stable situation to untie the almost insoluble problems of the scourge of sub-Saharan emigration imposed by neighboring countries and European Mediterraneans.

The recent agreement focuses not only on the teaching of the Italian language – already widespread and used in various areas of Tunisia – but above all intends to contribute to industrial innovation and economic development, through the training of highly specialized technicians and professionals to be employed on site , in Tunisian or Italian companies, or in Italy. Do you see this specific objective as an effective collaboration and a harbinger of proactive exchanges between the two countries?

Absolutely yes! As said before, I confirm the positive nature of the specific objective of pro-active collaboration between the two countries on the two countries with the hope that the Zionist war in Palestine does not end in total genocide. It will be an unfortunately inextricable situation.

This attention also to exchange of technical-administrative staff with the aim of strengthening skills in human resources management in Tunisian universities and technological companies such as the large aeronautical factory in Mghira for example or automobile as well as other factories is a very important initiative for the two countries in industrial innovation and in economic development which will once again open new horizons in the fight against unemployment and the continuous search for growth in bilateral but also trilateral relations between the Maghreb countries and Italy: a real bridge of well-being thanks to the submarine electric and gas cables between the Tunisia and Italy and other key products. Another qualifying point is the promotion of joint collaboration in multilateral programs such as PRIMA-Partnership for research and innovation in the Mediterranean area and Horizon Europe to implement the African country’s ability to access funding dedicated to research.

The presence of Italians in Tunisia is historically ancient; Strengthening the ties between the two countries overlooking the Mediterranean starting from the promotion of events especially promoting the teaching of the Italian language in Tunisia takes on a broader meaning in her opinion to create the conditions for effective collaboration between Italy and Tunisia, starting from the language and from culture?

I confirm that the presence of Italians in Tunisia strengthens the ties between Italy and Tunisia and above all with events promoting the Italian language such as the existence of Radio Tunisi Internazionale for the promotion and diffusion of Italian culture, the Euro-African newspaper “Il Corriere di Tunisi”, conferences and conventions on Italy, exchanges of teachers and of students between the two countries, the schools that teach Italian culture, the concerts and like this year the book fair where Italy is the guest of honor so that at the end of June 2024 there will be the Italian cultural week. Last November, there was the Italian cuisine week. Every year, the week of the Italian language exists in the third week of October. Let’s not forget that Tunisia is increasingly hosting Italian pensioners who have become almost permanent residents of Tunisia. Personally, during my culture department at the Marsa municipal council, I was a civil registry officer and many mixed Italian-Tunisian couples were married by me. Another good sign of coexistence.

Do you consider the timing appropriate and ripe for this agreement or do you think it could have been brought forward or rather delayed?

I would say that it would have been better to bring it forward to consolidate the projects and see them completed before this international crisis. But everything now rests on many hopes of peace and international or at least Mediterranean solidarity.