Launch in Tunis of the first School of Political Studies outside the European Continent
Strasbourg, 5 March 2013
Supported by the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the Norwegian Government, the Tunisian School of Political Studies was inaugurated on 8 January 2013, thereby becoming the first School to be established outside the European Continent. Its Director, Ahmed Driss, gave an interview to Yulia Kochneva of the European Association of Schools of Political Studies.
What is the origin of the Tunisian School of Political Studies?
The idea crossed my mind long before the revolution in Tunisia but remained a dream in an environment without freedom. With the fall of the former regime the School of Political Studies became possible, and indeed even more necessary, in order to respond to the needs of a new generation of politicians.
How were the first links with the Council of Europe established?
I first suggested the project when the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe came to Tunisia immediately after the revolution. Several months later, following informal discussions with the Bulgarian School of Political Studies and contacts with representatives of the Council of Europe, our organisation (Centre of Mediterranean and International Studies - CEMI) won the call to establish a Council of Europe School of Political Studies in Tunis.
How did the different political actors in the country welcome the project? Have you encountered any obstacles to the creation of the School?
The project was enthusiastically welcomed by all political actors and civil society in Tunisia. We did not encounter any obstacles.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Tunisia today? How could the School help to overcome this?
The biggest challenge, and it is the case for all the political actors, is the lack of democratic culture. The contribution of the School will be, among others, to mitigate this deficit.
What does your School hope to receive from the Council of Europe?
The Council of Europe label provides strong institutional support for the School. This will help us to better fulfill our mission and will provide access to a network of qualified experts for the seminars we will be organising.
Have you already been able to develop links with other Schools of Political Studies? Do you think the network dimension is important?
The Network of Schools of Political Studies encourages learning from good practices and will open up various opportunities through the exchange of experience. Our partnership with the Bulgarian School of Politics led us to quickly integrate their training methods, to discover team work, to develop a training manual and to familiarise ourselves with evaluation methods.
How do you envisage the future development of the School of Political Studies in Tunisia?
The Tunisian School of Political Studies is becoming a crucial pathway for future politicians and civil society actors. Its development will create a major center for training, research and support for democracy.
If the Network of Schools of Political Studies was to widen out, it would be to which countries?
North Africa, which is Europe’s direct southern neighbour, is experiencing a period of intense transformation. The need for other Schools in this region is urgent.
