Malaysia brings university roadshow to Tunisia and Algeria to tap growing demand for English-language degrees
Tunis / Algiers — Malaysian universities are set to promote their academic programmes across Tunisia and Algeria as part of the “Study in Malaysia Education Fair”, scheduled to run from July 17 to 25, 2026. The fair will span four cities: Sousse and Tunis in Tunisia, and Oran and Algiers in Algeria, targeting North African students and their families who are increasingly seeking internationally recognised degrees outside traditional European destinations.
The event is organised by Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), an agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education responsible for marketing Malaysia as a student destination. Nine universities are taking part in the North Africa roadshow: Universiti Malaya (UM), Asia Pacific University (APU), UCSI University, University of Cyberjaya (UoC), Xiamen University Malaysia, Universiti Selangor (UNISEL), Multimedia University (MMU), Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM), Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), in addition to Brittania Language Centre.
Malaysia’s pitch to North African families rests on several pillars — strong academic infrastructure, competitive tuition fees, easy accessibility, and a multicultural environment with shared Islamic values. The Malaysian Ambassador to Algeria, Rizany Irwan Muhamad Mazlan, told the Malaysian National News Agency that universities attending the fair are aware of the significant family investment that studying abroad represents in the Maghreb context, and will work to demonstrate why Malaysia should be a preferred destination. He also stressed that prospective students can expect a culturally comfortable environment, free from apprehensions and safety concerns.
The ambassador pointed to surging demand for high-value degrees in STEM fields — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — as well as information technology and business studies, as key drivers of North African student interest in Malaysia.
The initiative taps into a structural shift underway in Maghreb student mobility. Outbound students from Algeria and Tunisia have long been oriented toward Francophone destinations, particularly France — but high visa rejection rates and escalating costs of living in Europe are pushing middle-class families to look elsewhere. Malaysia offers quality English-medium education at a fraction of European or North American costs, with none of the bureaucratic hurdles that have made France increasingly inaccessible. As the ambassador noted, this paradigm shift in North Africa represents a real opportunity for Malaysian institutions to grow their student intake from the region.
For Tunisia and Algeria, the trend also reflects a broader strategic interest in English-language higher education as a gateway to better integration in the global job market — a concern that resonates strongly in two countries where graduate unemployment remains a significant policy challenge.