cmi2011

Towards a Tunisian Towards a Tunisian Sustainable Knowledge Society:Sustainable Knowledge Society:

Away from piecemeal actions and further coordination Away from piecemeal actions and further coordination with development institutionswith development institutions

Pr. Jelel EzzineDG of International Cooperation

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

CMI, Marseille Nov. 12-13, 2011

The Unemployment Connundrum! The Unemployment Connundrum!

• 20.5 % among individuals without secondary education.

• Among university graduates:– 24.5% for Engineers– 47.1% Econ. Mangt & Law,– 43.2 Social Sciences.

• Self-Employment:– 16% secondary education– 22.3% less than secondary education– 20.3% grads in medecine and pharmacy.

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…established wisdom!

“Over the next ten years, 26 of the top 30 fastest growing jobs require some post-secondary education or training … The demand for skilled workers is outpacing supply, resulting in attractive, high-paying jobs going unfilled.”

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training

Innovate America, Dec. 2004

Human capital plays a decisive role, and the capacity to learn matters more than the level of knowledge. While secondary school certificates were the trump cards of industrialization, higher degrees are those of the knowledge economy. Lifelong training is essential.

Lundvalle, 1998

Knowledge Economies in MENA, WBI, 2003

12/11/2011

…!!!


A Closer Look at HE



Major Trends:University Enrolment Evolution

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212212 706706

357357 472472


Major Trends:University Enrolment Rate

for 19-24 Age Group

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Major Trends:S&E Enrolment Evolution

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60 18160 181

145 652145 652


Major Trends:University Graduates Evolution

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86 035

24 543


Grads by Field of Study (2010)

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New S&E Grads (2007)

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The Coming 5 years: Enhancing Relevance and Quality

• Swiftly bestow autonomy to the Universities, enable differentiation, and unleash HE as a profit making service,

• Bring HE’s quality up to international standards by creating the National Instance of Evaluation, Quality and Accreditation,

• Finalize the adoption of a National Qualification Framework (most advanced Southern Mediterranean country, Tempus Report 2010),

• Increase the time allocated to IT, Entrepreneurship & English,• Consolidate the Bologna Process (LMD) by 2014,• Promote the system of certification,• Increase the number of joint-degrees with renowned

international institutions,12/11/2011


The Coming 5 years: Accelerate S&E throughput

• Increase the number of Engineering grads to 9000 by 2014, while keeping/enhancing the students to faculty ratio,

• Encourage the adoption of English as a teaching/learning means,

• Boost the certification of Eng. Grads to 50% by 2014,• Create four new Engineering schools by 2014,• Reduce skills mismatch, while conferring the required

flexibility to swiftly respond to planned/new needs …

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What About R&D?

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Research Productivity in Africa


International Cooperation(Key partners)


Network of collaboration in Africa


Among smaller countries, the Royal Society report singles out Tunisia, where R&D spending rose from 0.03 per cent of GDP in 1996 to 1.25 per cent in 2009. Its priority is life sciences and medicine – with an official aim to increase pharmaceutical exports five-fold within five years.Although the study does not cover the impact of the recent overthrow of Arab autocrats, such as … of Tunisia, Sir Chris said: “I would expect it to have a good influence on science.”


“A number of countries are challenging the traditional scientific superpowers,” said Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith of Oxford university, who chaired the study team.

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What? Industry! …

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5 831 SMEs having 10 or more employees, of which 2 800 are totally exporting ones,

1 975 SMEs with foreign participation,

1 221 are 100% foreign owned,

1 679 are totally exporting SMEs

Exports (millions of dinars)

23CMI-Villa Valmer, Marseille

A Glimps to Tunisia’s Industry(key data)

12/11/2011

International companies in Tunisia

ALCATEL – LUCENT CISCO MICROSOFT LEONI PHILIPS SAGEM SIEMENS …

24CMI-Villa Valmer, Marseille

A Glimps to Tunisia’s Industry(International firms)

12/11/2011

… « counterintuitives »!• … the results show the positive impact of R&D

activities, human capital quality, past experience in innovation and public subsidies on probability of firms to innovate; whereas, ownership structure has a negative impact. Innovation and R&D Investment of Tunisian Firms: A Two-Regime Model with Selectivity Correction, MOHAMED KRIAA and ZOUHOUR KARRAY, The Journal of Business Inquiry 2010,

• They also suggest that firms with high export intensity and significant foreign capital participation are found to be less innovating than partially exporting firms with low foreign capital share. Innovation in Tunisia, Empirical Analysis for Industrial Sector, Moez El Elj, Décembre 2010.


Back tBack too Basics! Basics!


The Four Pillars The Four Pillars of The Knowledge Economyof The Knowledge Economy

1. Education & Training2. Information Infrastructure3. Economic Incentive & Institutional Regime4. Innovation Systems


… … Visibility!Visibility!

University Government Industry

Cal Tech (1) NSF Apple

KAIST (94) KISTI Samsung

Univ. of Helsinki (91) TEKES Nokia

… does it make sense!?

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Why is it so?

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Knowledge Flow DiagramKnowledge Flow Diagram(Pasteur’s Quadrant)(Pasteur’s Quadrant)

Basic Research

Use Inspired Research

Applied Research

Improved Basic Improved Basic UnderstandingUnderstanding

Improved/New Improved/New TechnologyTechnology

Existing Existing theoretical theoretical

UnderstandingUnderstanding

Existing Existing TechnologyTechnologySocio-Economic NeedsSocio-Economic Needs

t+1t+1

tt

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The Innovation ChainThe Innovation Chain


““Systemic” approach to understanding Systemic” approach to understanding Innovation’s impact on developmentInnovation’s impact on development

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Back to Tunisia


Finnish NISFinnish NIS


Tunisian NISTunisian NIS

v.s.

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Tunisia’s Research and InnovationTunisia’s Research and InnovationWeaknessesWeaknesses

• Lack of a global mutually shared vision• Despite the isolated successes, the “system” didn’t

deliver• Lack of global coherence led to a systemic failure• Despite industrial modernization programs, the

innovation dimension remains weak• Even with the necessary cooperation projects, the

synergies still missing


The problems of the world cannot be solved with The problems of the world cannot be solved with the same kind of thinking that created them. the same kind of thinking that created them.

Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein


LessonsLessons & Vision & VisionLessons:

• Long term process requires engagement and continuity

• Dialogue and coordination is of fundamental importance

• Priorities setting aligned with a holistic approach are key to success

• Further networking of all subsystems

• Thinking out of the Box is a must,• …

Vision• The vision is to establish the

National Innovation System (NIS) with an internationally competitive position in a number of strategically-prioritized areas. The NIS will be globally-recognized for its multi-disciplinary research and education, attractive business conditions, open and internationally-collaborative innovation environments, and high quality of life.


NIS Framework: NIS Framework: Increased Coherence & EfficiencyIncreased Coherence & Efficiency

Emergenceof Novelty

& Variety Growth

Info Out

Info In

Coo

per

atio

nC

oop

erat

ion

Coo

rdin

atio

nC

oord

inat

ion

Hol

isti

c M

anag

emen

tH

olis

tic

Man

agem

ent

Prioritization

Prioritization

Need

s/Results

Need

s/Results

Orien

ted Policy

Orien

ted Policy

Mix

Mix

Resources

Info In

Disturbances/Uncertainties

Innovation(Goods/Services/Well being)

Info Out“Heterogeneous” Components

Tunisia’s Innovation System

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This is Still NOT Enough!


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Gerschenkron and catch up:extending the framework

• O'Brien, 1998: The key insight from Gerschenkron’s thesis is of a systemic nature, which is the necessity to integrate and simultaneously coordinate all components of the

targeted economic activity.

– “industrialization process begins only if the industrialization can proceed, as it were, along a broad front, starting simultaneously

along many lines of economic activities.”

– “Fruits of industrial progress in certain lines are received as external economies by other branches of industry whose progress

in turn accords benefit to the former.”


ExtendingExtending & reverse engineeringreverse engineeringGerschenkron catch up strategyGerschenkron catch up strategy

• Restructuring our industry through new technological niches(work in progress!):

– Strategic and dynamic “Low Cost” technology,– High value added technology and large spectrum industries/services spillover,– Requires highly skilled manpower,– Motivating and inspiring pilot project,– Bestows National and international visibility,– Sufficiently available training infrastructure and know how,– Largely available potential manpower,– Strong and enduring political back up,– ???


Integrated Integrated Capabilities AccumulationCapabilities Accumulation

Higher Edu. Spin-Offs Ind. Niche R&D H. Edu.

Tightly coordinated and managed targeted projects

Gerschenkron

Extended Gerschenkron


Education is a social process; education is growth; education

is not a preparation for life

but is life itself. John Dewey

The skill a student acquires in a craft, and the habit he attains, correspond to the quality of instruction and the habit of the teacher. A. Ibnou Khaldoun

…back to modern wisdom!

12/11/2011

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johndewey387519.html