4.3.1 – Does your university as a body provide free access to educational resources for those not studying at the university, e.g. computers, library, online courses, access to lectures, etc?
The University of El Oued (UEO) demonstrates a robust institutional commitment to open knowledge sharing and lifelong learning by providing significant educational resources free of charge to the general public and non-affiliated learners. This commitment is fulfilled through both extensive digital platforms and direct physical access via lectures and facilities.
1. Direct Access: Free Specialized Lectures and Workshops
The university actively engages with its educational environment by providing specialized, high-demand content free of charge to non-affiliated students in the local community:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy for High School Students: On January 30, 2024, UEO hosted a large group of secondary school students from multiple local municipalities (Hassi Khalifa, Debila, etc.). The purpose was to allow them to learn about the applications of Artificial Intelligence.
- Educational Outreach: This initiative, delivered by the University’s AI House, included a detailed lecture by Dr. Boucharite Ammar, who covered AI’s uses in physics and mathematics, programming languages, and AI-assisted design. The project directly contributes to the students’ development of knowledge and skills, particularly those preparing for the baccalaureate exams, fulfilling the university’s role in supporting its educational and social environment. This confirms the free provision of specialized lectures to the local, non-affiliated high school population.
2. Comprehensive Digital and Physical Access
The university supplements its direct outreach with a wide infrastructure for resource sharing:
- Open Library and Physical Access: The UEO Central Library maintains an official policy allowing beneficiaries from outside the university (students, professors, and researchers from other institutions) formalized access to use its extensive collections for internal reading and study.
- Digital Resources: UEO leverages digital platforms to provide global access to education. It participates in national e-learning initiatives, offering numerous resources on the D-space, and maintains an open research repository, ensuring that academic outputs are freely available worldwide.
Through this combination of targeted free lectures, open library policies, and digital resource platforms, the University of El Oued systematically provides free educational resources to those not formally studying at the institution.