Algeria and Italy have signed a series of university cooperation agreements aimed at strengthening research collaboration, entrepreneurship training and academic mobility, as Algeria seeks to address high youth unemployment and a persistent skills mismatch in its labour market.
The agreements were signed on Wednesday in Algiers under the supervision of Algeria’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Kamel Baddari. They link several Algerian universities with Italy’s University of Genoa and the Liguria Regional Agency for Economic and Financial Development.
Participating Algerian institutions include universities in Médéa, Ouargla, Tlemcen, Oran 1 and Constantine 3, as well as the University of Science and Technology Houari-Boumediene (USTHB) and the National Polytechnic School of El Harrach.
Baddari said the partnerships were designed to expand cooperation in research and innovation, support start-ups and business incubators, and promote the exchange of students, academics and technical expertise between the two countries.
“These agreements strengthen cooperation and exchanges in research, technology transfer and entrepreneurship, while encouraging mobility across the university community,” the minister said.
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Federico Delfino, rector of the University of Genoa, said the initiative would help integrate joint innovation and creativity programmes, linking academic training more closely to labour-market needs in both countries.
The move comes as Algeria grapples with elevated unemployment, particularly among young people and university graduates. Data from Algeria’s National Statistics Office show overall unemployment stood at 12.7% at the end of 2024. Among those aged 16 to 24, the jobless rate reached 29.3%, while more than 31% of unemployed individuals held higher education qualifications.
Officials say the partnerships are intended to help narrow the gap between university training and employer demand by strengthening applied research, entrepreneurship education and industry-oriented curricula.
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Italy has emerged as a key partner in Algeria’s broader efforts to deepen cooperation in education, energy and industrial development, as the North African country looks to improve workforce productivity and support private-sector growth.
The University of Genoa, which has more than 32,000 students and extensive international mobility programmes, is ranked among the world’s top universities by several global rankings. Algerian officials said its experience in innovation, technology transfer and international cooperation would support Algeria’s push to modernise higher education and improve graduate employability.
