Closing Seminar on the JICA Grassroots Technical Cooperation Project “Building a Business Model for ICT Startup Human Resource Development Targeting Youth and Women” Held in Tunisia

On September 18, 2025, a closing seminar was held at the Cité des Sciences conference hall in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, to present the achievements of the above-mentioned project, which has been implemented over three years since FY2022.

On the day, distinguished guests included Mr. Malek Kolchef, Director General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Prof. Nadia Mzoughi, President of the University of Carthage; Prof. Lazhar Manai, Director of the Institut Supérieur des Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication (ISTIC) of the University of Carthage; H.E. Ambassador Ōsuga of Japan to Tunisia; and Ms. Miyata, Chief Representative of the JICA Tunisia Office. From our university, Prof. Ben Abdallah, Dean, and Prof. Asano, Director of the Office for Planning and Promotion, attended, together with Mr. Kumagai, CEO of Technology Seed Incubation Co., Ltd., as a Japanese expert. With an audience of about 50 participants, the project's outcomes were shared.

The main achievements of the project include strengthening the startup human resource development program at ISTIC of the University of Carthage (such as the development of a teaching manual), the implementation of joint research with our university, and the establishment of new graduate-level courses. Furthermore, 29 participants completed the entrepreneurship education program jointly implemented by ISTIC and the project team during the project period, and three of them have launched businesses.

Going forward, ISTIC is expected to serve as a hub for entrepreneurship education in Tunisia, nurturing personnel involved in incubation at other universities and institutions, thereby further expanding the outcomes of this project.

In addition, the event was widely covered by local media. Articles and reports are available below (in French or Arabic).

JICA Tunisia Office Facebook
News program of TV Tunisia

Articles of local media
L'Economiste Maghrébin
Espace Manager
Universnews

The details of the project
JICA
Technology Seed Incubation Co., Ltd.

At the opening of this project（from our university's web site）

Cité des Sciences Conférence Hall	In the Auditorium
Speech by our Dean, Dr. Ben Abdallah	Presentation by the participant of the program
Certificate Delivery to the ISTIC faculty by Prof. Asano	Teaching Manual elaborated during the project
Group photo of the stakeholders (Tunisian and Japanese governements, University of Carthage, UoA)