VZCZCXYZ0003
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0054 0250901
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 250901Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7192
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS TUNIS 000054 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR ECA, NEA/PPD, AND NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPAO OEXC SCUL TS
SUBJECT: TUNISIAN OFFICIALS APPARENTLY FLEXIBLE ON FULBRIGHT 
PROGRAM:  NEA DAS WITTES'S VISIT 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The newly-appointed Minister of Higher Education 
and the Secretary of State for the Americas told NEA DAS Wittes (in 
separate meetings on January 21) that the GOT views the Fulbright 
program as being extremely important to Tunisia's development.  We 
noted an apparent new willingness to see the problems resolved soon; 
in particular the officials seemed to recognize the need to expedite 
GOT approval for doctoral dissertation research.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) DAS Wittes raised the Fulbright program during her meeting 
with new Minister of Education Bechir Tekkari and his senior 
advisors, focusing on the need for expedited coordination between 
the American and Tunisian application/approval cycles.  Tekkari 
remarked that he had no objection to a nine-month application 
process.  One of the Minister's advisors interjected that American 
doctoral candidates should prepare better and not simply send their 
applications to Fulbright.  He claimed that much of the delay has 
been because the Ministry of Higher Education has had to identify 
which departments and universities were appropriate for supervising 
the research of each applicant.  "If students could be in touch with 
a Tunisian professor and institution prior to submitting their 
application, and if Fulbright were to communicate that to us, we 
would be able to save time and meet your deadlines.  Let's cooperate 
on this; we can both do better," he said. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) DAS Wittes noted that if Embassy officers had easier 
access to university campuses and did not have to apply in advance 
by diplomatic note for permission to meet with professors, we could 
further streamline this process.  Minister Tekkari insisted that 
diplomatic formalities still needed to be observed, but said that he 
would look into ways to alleviate this problem. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In addition to being positive about resolving the 
Fulbright problem, Bechir Tekkari and his staff were uniformly 
enthusiastic about expanding general educational cooperation between 
the two countries, adding that they see U.S. educational models for 
connecting government, research institutions, and the private sector 
as particularly relevant for Tunisia.  It was clear that they 
welcomed expanded university linkages, more English language 
programs - particularly in the sciences - and assistance in 
upgrading the quality of higher education to enable young Tunisians 
to be more competitive in the international arena. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Saida Chtoui, Secretary of State for Asia and the Americas 
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the GOT placed a premium on 
educational exchanges as part of its strategy to develop and 
modernize its economy.  The GOT would welcome more U.S. students 
studying in Tunisia and wanted to see many more Tunisians studying 
in the U.S. on exchange programs.  Studies in technical fields like 
scientific research and medicine were particularly promising, Chtoui 
thought.  She lamented that "only two or three Tunisians" were 
currently studying in the U.S. under the Fulbright program.  The DCM 
noted that Fulbright exchanges were reciprocal, and DAS Wittes 
emphasized that the USG would like to see Fulbright numbers increase 
significantly. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Chtoui allowed that there had recently been technical 
problems challenging the bilateral Fulbright program and added that 
the "U.S. is providing us with names too late for us to process." 
DAS Wittes explained the application process cycle within the U.S. 
academic calendar and thought that U.S. universities and Fulbright 
administrators ought to be allowed to provide student applications 
by January of a given academic year, but not have to submit them 18 
months ahead of the commencement of studies, as the GOT had 
requested in recent correspondence.  Chtoui denied that the GOT was 
asking for 18 months but underlined that at least six months advance 
processing time would be needed. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment:  We read Tekkari's and Chtoui's remarks to 
indicate new flexibility and pragmatism on Fulbrights.  It remains 
to be seen whether this more flexible position will become policy. 
End comment. 
¶8.  (U) DAS Wittes has cleared this message. 
 
GRAY