Algerian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Kamel Baddari, officially launched the 2026-2027 academic year on September 22, 2026, at the University of Jijel. Nearly two million students are returning to campus with an enriched educational offering that includes artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, space, and new health sciences. Baddari emphasized that the modern university must provide students with knowledge, skills, and initiative to propose solutions.
Baddari highlighted that students remain at the heart of various reforms in the sector, focusing on quality education, scientific research, digitalization, and entrepreneurship. The minister stressed that the university should enable students to undertake, create, and transform ideas into projects, citing start-up creation and research result valorization as key drivers of this evolution. This approach aims to accompany technological changes and future economic needs.
The minister identified areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, renewable energies, and biotechnology as crucial for preparing future competencies. Baddari also emphasized the importance of the university environment's quality, announcing the continuation of university residence rehabilitation and improvements in catering, accommodation, hygiene, security, and sports and cultural spaces. He called for a favorable environment for learning, creativity, and excellence.
To enhance services, Baddari requested increased digitalization to simplify procedures and improve student care. He also advocated for strengthening ties between the university and its economic and social environment, ensuring that knowledge and research contribute to local and national development. The minister encouraged students to make the university a space for science, research, and initiative.
Thirteen new specialties related to emerging professions are being introduced, including an engineering program in artificial intelligence, a master's degree in quantum technologies, and a master's in spatial system mechanics. New health-related programs have also been added in coordination with the Ministry of Health, such as a license in dental health and hygiene and master's degrees in genetic counseling and medical bioinformatics.
The academic offer is expanding to include information and communication sciences in the Amazigh language and a specialization in audiovisual production. Algerian history, citizenship, and civics are being generalized across different fields of study. A new master's program in press agency journalism, the first of its kind in Algeria, has been launched in partnership between the University of Algiers 3 and its partners.
A total of 1,884,839 students are joining university establishments and research centers nationwide, including 2,600 international students from 36 nationalities under the "Study in Algeria" program. The choice of Jijel for the ceremony was significant, given the recent fires in the region, and the minister's presence conveyed a message of solidarity and proximity to the local population.
