Abstract:

The aim of this study is to elaborate a benchmarking visit of a Finnish higher education institute, as part of Capacity Building Higher Education (CBHE) Erasmus funded project namely ‘Modernization of training in Biotechnology with a view to better employability of graduates in Tunisia’ also called Bio-tech Tunisia. The benchmarking visit was held from 25th to 29th September 2023, where 24 delegated from Tunisia participated in it. The members of delegations were senior researcher, member of university management and representative of the Ministry of Higher Education in Tunisia. The Finnish host institute arranged several academic sessions related to teaching and learning of students as well as arranged visits to various learning environment including highly equipped advanced laboratories, work-spaces and purpose-build campus areas. In order to achieve the main objective of the benchmarking visit, the host institute prepared the program of the event to cover all the work packages mentioned in the project plan. The objective of this benchmarking visit was clear to all stakeholders involved. The respondents stated that this visit provided them with a good proportion of theoretical input through arranged session, which would be useful for educational reform in general. Besides, the visit provided Tunisian delegates with a good proportion of practical learning, which would in turn enable them to modernize the current level of Biotechnology training. During this benchmarking visit, the members improved their competence in the field of good practices in higher education. Finally, the delegated confirmed that they developed skills in the context of the modernization of biotechnology training for better employability of graduates in Tunisia.

Keywords:

Modernization, biotechnology, benchmarking, training, employability, higher education institutes.