BME Expands Its Partnership Network in Algeria

Leaders of BME and USTHB signed the partnership agreement at BME. Representatives of the Algerian Embassy also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the Algerian delegation presented the current state of higher education in the country and outlined its strategic priorities. Algeria has approximately two million prospective university students, and its higher education institutions actively participate in international mobility programmes, including Erasmus+. USTHB currently hosts around 500 international students.

The delegation expressed particular interest in cooperation in the field of civil engineering.

BME's leadership presented the evolving funding environment of Hungarian higher education, which provides universities with greater flexibility and autonomy. They also highlighted the university's strong industry partnerships, particularly its joint laboratories with Ericsson, which host a significant number of PhD students, as well as BME's opportunities for visiting professors.

USTHB presented Algeria's new vision for higher education, which aims to create a system that is more flexible, market-oriented, and industry-focused. Key elements of this vision include supporting start-ups, strengthening technology transfer, expanding university-industry partnerships, and building a sustainable innovation ecosystem. It also places a strong emphasis on the role of microenterprises and business development in driving innovation.

The discussion also covered research and development collaboration, including the dual-supervisor model used in PhD programmes, in which a faculty member and an industry expert jointly supervise doctoral students. This approach strengthens the practical application of research and fosters closer collaboration between academia and industry.

At the end of the meeting, the parties identified several concrete next steps. The Algerian partner institution invited BME's leadership to visit Algeria, and the two universities will begin exploring opportunities for cooperation under the Erasmus+ programme. They also agreed to establish direct contacts between experts working in the fields of innovation and technology transfer.

In the opening photo, from left to right: Nóra Schreiberné Seres, international coordinator; Bíbor Klekner, head of BME's Directorate of International Relations; Rector Hassan Charaf of BME; Rector  Akretche Djamal Eddine of USTHB; Toufik Belaid, vice rector of USTHB; Abdelkrim Kadourli, first secretary of the Algerian Embassy; and András Nemeslaki, vice rector for international affairs at BME.

Rector's Office, Directorate of Communications