Institutional Schemes for Lower-Middle Income Countries (LLMICs)

The University of El Oued maintains active, institutionally mandated schemes to support students and researchers originating from countries classified by the World Bank as Low or Lower-Middle Income Economies (LLMICs). These established programs are designed to eliminate economic barriers to education by providing essential services such as free tuition or training, subsidized accommodation, and comprehensive welfare support. The existence and implementation of these schemes are formalized through official agreements and actively managed by the Directorate of University Services.

Uzbekistan serves as a clear example of this commitment, as it is classified by the World Bank as a Lower-Middle Income Country (L-MIC), and the university actively supports its students and faculty through structured schemes.

Scheme Formalization and Educational Support

The foundation of this institutional support lies in formalized bilateral agreements. The university has a standing institutional agreement with a university in Uzbekistan which explicitly governs the exchange of students and faculty. This agreement confirms that the support provided is a coordinated, body-wide scheme and not an isolated occurrence. Furthermore, the scheme demonstrated its direct educational impact by providing a fully subsidized four-month intensive Arabic language training program to 11 Uzbek students.

In the ceremony held on January 29, 2024, honoring the completion of this program, the students specifically acknowledged receiving “all the facilities and distinguished training,” and the presence of the Director of University Services affirmed that the scheme included comprehensive institutional support beyond just the academic program.

Coordinated Accommodation and Welfare Support in 2024

The provision of subsidized accommodation and welfare is integral to the scheme’s operation. The university actively hosted and provided accommodation for a visiting delegation of faculty and researchers from the partner Uzbek university on April 15, 2024, confirming the free provision of university residence facilities as part of the established exchange agreement.

More recently, in June 2024, the university demonstrated its commitment to sustained welfare support. Specifically, on June 16, 2024, the University Services Directorate ensured “optimal care” for international students at one of its residences during the Eid al-Adha holiday by providing the traditional holiday sacrifice and celebration.

This action, following the explicit recommendations of the Director of University Services, confirms that a high level of subsidized welfare is actively managed and provided to international students, many of whom originate from LLMICs, well into the current reporting year.