Why I believe Tunisian engineers are special ?
Tunisian engineers are survivalist by nature across the world. Why? Paradoxically, because they are hardly recognized and appreciated in their own country. Faced with very limited options and a strong sense of adventure, they look elsewhere.
Tunisians grow up with a moral principle and a firm belief that doing well in school is a unique premise of success. Doing anything else is revealing of failure.
Since childhood, a typical Tunisian child must obey his parents and that is a non-negotiable social and cultural obligation. He is convinced from the beginning that his country is not the most prosperous, and that he had to perpetuate the commercial and survivalist talents of his ancestors.
To do so, he assumes that his Tunisian dialect and his Arabic (because the two should not be confused, above all) will be of no use to him, unless he plans a career in politics. Otherwise, his mother tongue would not be useful for anything else except to exchange with the people of his neighborhood. Or perhaps to cry over the so-called Muslim advances of more than 1000 years ago and of which only faded memories remain.
It takes a little extra shine to project beyond that. Our ancestors are known for their commercial and business skills. It is believed to be a duty to perpetuate these genes. To do so, one needs to master at least two other languages to communicate and master the undoubted art of negotiation with people abroad.
One must also have a minimum amount of English and French even before entering high school. This is essential to move on to higher education and to offer certainty and reassurance to your parents and yourself. You must be good at scientific subjects, otherwise the engineering component of this article would not be relevant.
The first two years of high school, there is not too much pressure. It’s only at the third year where things start to get tight and you have to decide what your future holds.
Absolute dilemma: Medical studies or engineering, which one to choose to claim a future like Jeff Bezos?
The marathon of stress and doubt begins two years before the baccalaureate, which is a very limited set of national exams where failure or success marks you until the end of your days.
Personal life becomes more and more distant. Vacations and days off are punctured by hours of out-of-class study. There is no room for error.
Then comes the fateful month before taking the baccalaureate. Each candidate is enthroned in his illusory armchair within his family. All his wishes are fulfilled. Every desired dish is prepared, every whim becomes a family priority. This is the only time in his life when the young Tunisian is king in his house.
After having sat for this famous exam, the Tunisian lives two weeks of total emptiness. Accustomed to the stress and the accelerated rhythm of studies, he is invaded by a serenity that he never thought he could feel again. But it will only last two weeks, one must not forget it.
Then the results come out. The young man is eligible for a preparatory school for engineering studies. If he did not have the required grades, any dream of being an engineer would be shattered.
It is important to know that in Tunisia, eligibility for an engineering program in most of public engineering schools must first go through a two-year preparatory program. This is a purely francophone system that typically has its pros and cons.
It can also be seen as an equivalent of a military training which is spread over 2 years, sometimes even 3 (as was my case). First month, first shock. I remember once, at the beginning of a math class, a professor who enters the room, puts his suitcase on his table and announces before even introducing himself: “ Forget the good grades of your childhood ”.
And so is written the experience of the future Tunisian engineer who, faced with an infinite amount of knowledge and professors who expect him/her to throw in the towel and make him/her reconsider his career before the end of the first term, does not shy away from anything even with the constant doubt that he/she may not really be up to it.
Two years later, seasoned by experience and countless hours of revision, they are ready to take the national exam.
Like the French system which offers several contests to its students leading to multiple curriculum choices, the Tunisian students have only one chance. Pass or fail. In case of success, only his rank gives him the luxury of choosing the institution he would like to join.
The number of engineering schools accessible only by competitive exams is between 10 and on the 15 in the whole territory. There is on average less than one engineering school per region
These schools are scattered throughout the Tunisian territory. Mathematically, we have an average of one engineering school for 1 million people.
Believing that once you join an institution, the hardest part is over, other challenges arise. You still have to invest yourself in the courses. There is no time to give yourself to your dreams of entrepreneurship and innovation if you have barely solved your problems of accommodation and income to survive.
For two and a half years, the days go by between rigorous attendance of classes, a disgust towards the educational system, a misunderstood neglect of the state and a desire to succeed at all costs.
Graduation internships in Tunisia are a comical form of gambling. Either you find the perfect environment, or you suffer in silence for months to finally earn your diploma, the only document that can reassure you that everything you have sacrificed has not been in vain.
I can tell you that the lucky ones who went abroad to finish their internships did not necessarily live better through their experiences.
One more thing, if the Tunisian engineer does not have the a minimum expected level in English at least, he must inevitably prove himself to obtain his diploma, even if it means sitting for English tests multiple times.
No matter what path they follow, whether they wish to continue their studies, change careers, or start working, Tunisian engineers find themselves highly qualified in a market that does not necessarily want them.
To keep up with the latest technologies and achievements, an alternative would be to dive into modern IT and to take advantage of the opportunities that are offered in the market.
There is a huge need to be filled, especially by foreign companies operating locally. Expectations are huge and competition is tough, but the salary is ridiculous at best. It is the Tunisian job market we talk about. We cannot expect more.
Anyway, the Tunisian engineer sets his/her sights abroad, hoping to find some dignity in companies that would revalue him upwards. Forced to detach himself from his family and a large part of his heart, he/she leaves in search of a better world in the hope of returning later to recover the remaining part.
Evolving and adaptable on the fly, the Tunisian engineer is a product of Tunisian history and culture; surprising, complete, and fascinating. They are the pure product of a whole cultural and historical scene of moderation, tolerance, pride, agility and sheer will.
If you come across one, please consider all the experiences he/she has gone through. You would be amazed.
