A significant milestone in international educational collaboration between Tunisia and Germany was achieved in December 2022, as the Tunis Business School (TBS) and Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences formalized the first double degree between a German and a Tunisian institution of higher education. This momentous occasion is not only the outcome of a rapidly growing, close partnership between the two institutions but also the product of dedicated efforts by Prof. Salah Ben Abdallah, PhD, the founding dean of TBS, and Prof. Dr. Lars Gaiser, the director of the Orient Institute at Heilbronn University.
Over the past nine years, the collaboration between the Orient Institute and TBS has evolved into an extremely fruitful partnership. Leaders of both institutions, along with selected colleagues, have taught at each other’s campuses multiple times, excursions have been organized, and since 2017, regular telecollaborations have taken place, serving as inspiration for additional Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The concept of a double degree emerged following a joint telecollaboration in which Prof. Gaiser and Prof. Ben Abdallah played crucial roles. They received support from the International and Diversity Vice-Rectorate of Heilbronn University, the adjunct International Office, and the School Management of TBS. Financial support was generously provided through the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) HAW International funding program, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and administrated by Simone von Boddien and Elli Pantze. The Memorandum of Understanding was formulated during Prof. Gaiser’s visit to Tunis in the spring and Prof. Ben Abdallah’s reciprocal visit to Heilbronn in November, culminating in the signing ceremony in December. The final step, scheduled for next spring, involves fine-tuning the equivalence list, enabling the start of the exchange of Double Degree Students in the upcoming September.
The agreement between both universities not only offers future generations of students the opportunity to attain the first double degree between Germany and Tunisia but also immerses them in two cultures. These intercultural experiences will make them sought-after professionals in both countries, particularly in German-Arab cooperation in the private sector and international collaboration. This historic double degree symbolizes a success story in the educational collaboration between Tunisia and Germany.