The Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to Sierra Leone, H.E. Hachem Abdelhafid, has paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, with a view to providing 12 scholarships (10 undergraduate and two vocational training scholarships) to Sierra Leonean students.
Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Wurie expressed appreciation for the Ambassador’s visit and described the renewed scholarship offer as a timely opportunity aligned with the Government of Sierra Leone’s human capital development (HCD) agenda.
She emphasized the value of educational and cultural exchanges and affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to facilitating the process.
Ambassador Abdelhafid, who noted that the Algerian Embassy in Freetown had only recently opened four months ago, explained that Algeria is reviving its scholarship program for Sierra Leonean students, which had been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that Algeria is offering 10 undergraduate university scholarships and two vocational training scholarships for Sierra Leonean students.
To facilitate the selection process, the Ambassador requested that the Ministry nominate at least 15 candidates, from which the 12 would be selected based on established academic criteria.
He also presented a table of scholarship fields available at Algerian universities, including science, technology, medicine, mathematics, architecture, and others.
Most courses, according to him, are delivered in English, but some fields require French. For those, Algeria offers free French language courses ranging from 6 months to one year.
Dr. Wurie inquired about provisions for students with disabilities, to which the Ambassador confirmed Algeria’s universities are generally accessible and such students are welcome as long as they meet the academic requirements.
The Minister of Technical and Higher Education thanked the Algerian delegation for the swift engagement and affirmed the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate closely on the scholarship nomination process.
She also expressed interest in exploring long-term academic partnerships, such as staff exchanges, joint research, and institutional collaborations between Sierra Leonean and Algerian universities and training institutions.
