• Universities

The University of Sfax is located in Sfax, Tunisia. It was founded in 1986, named the University of the South. Now it is divided into three separate public universities: the University of Sfax, the University of Gabes, which joined in 2003 and the University of Gafsa, which joined in 2004.The University of Sfax is organised into 21 higher education institutions, five research faculties, three colleges, twelve institutes and a research centre. The institute offers the best knowledge and expertise in the major areas of the social sciences. It is highly selective, with only 10 per cent of applicants being offered places to study there.It has 2,495 administrative staff and 48,514 students.The University of Sfax has several partnerships with large corporations and cooperates academically in research and exchange programmes with foreign universities in several countries like France, Canada, Belgium and Morocco.Sfax is a Tunisian city 270km southeast of the capital city of Tunis. It was founded in AD 849 on the ruins of Taparura and Thaenae and is the capital of the Sfax Governorate. Sfax is a Mediterranean port city with a population of around 330,440 and its main economic activities are phosphate processings, olive and nut production, fishing and trade. It is the largest fishing port in Tunisia and is often described as Tunisia’s second city, as it is the most populous after the capital Tunis.Notable people who were born or originate from Sfax include interiors designer Tom Dixon, fashion designer Max Azria and writer Georges Perec.