Tunisian university students enter Global Exchange program at KPU
The program will give a select few international students the opportunity to study at KPU through funding from Global Affairs Canada
The 2026 spring semester at KPU will see its first influx of students from Tunisia. (Submitted)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University will welcome students from Université Ibn Khaldoun (UIK) in Tunisia to study at the Wilson School of Design (WSD) and Melville School of Business in collaboration with Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) and UIK.
The partnership between the three institutions is part of the four-year Global Exchange, Local Impact: Tunisia-Canada Scholar Program. Funded by Global Affairs Canada, the program hopes to enhance international engagement and education at KPU.
Twenty-five students from Tunisia will be able to study at KPU for a semester, with tuition fees and accommodations covered.
The scholarship provided through the program will waive the cost of health insurance and visa processing fees for Tunisian students, says Zainab Al-koubaisi, director of global engagement at KPU.
Students will also get the opportunity to focus on gaining educational skills in an international setting — skills they will be able to utilize for years to come.
“Our hope … is that [it will] add a diverse dynamic into our classrooms, offering networking opportunities [and] expanding our students’ potential,” Al-koubaisi says. “Opportunities for cultural immersion are a very rewarding experience for both our students and the students coming.”
The partnership will last until the 2029 school year, averaging one to four students each semester, she says.
The 2026 spring semester at KPU will see its first batch of students from Tunisia studying at the WSD or Melville School of Business.
She hopes students coming into the program can take educational, leadership, and networking experiences and skills and utilize them to move forward in their future endeavours.
“The aim of the overall program is to equip students with market-driven skills, whether it be in business, technology, and design,” Al-koubaisi says. “It’s an avenue for us to also support women and marginalized student groups through the scholarship.”
Al-koubaisi also hopes that students will be able to connect and create relationships that will last far beyond their time at the university, taking the opportunity to diversify their knowledge and connections with others.
Similar initiatives like this will be coming in the future, Al-koubaisi says.
“Our team is continuously scoping out different projects and different initiatives, so we’re always on the lookout. We are continuously reviewing different requests for proposals and opportunities, so this will be one of many to come.”
Al-koubaisi says that initiatives like this bring the KPU community closer together.
“[This program] showcases that KPU has the expertise, the international resources, and experts to be able to bid on these types of projects and administer them successfully,” Al-koubaisi adds. “We do see a lot of value these projects bring to our KPU community.”
