Global Immersion: Business and Entrepreneurship in Tunisia

Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, was a crossroads of many civilizations from its indigenous Berber population to the Phoenicians who founded Carthage in 814 BC, to the Romans who destroyed Carthage in 146 BC after three Punic wars, to the Arabs introducing Islam and Arabic in the 7th century, to the Turkish Ottomans who ruled Tunisia from 1574 to 1881, and more recently to the French who occupied Tunisia from 1881 to 1956. This melting pot of more than 3000-year history is what distinguishes Tunisia from other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Because of its free trade agreements with Europe and several countries in Africa and the Middle East, Tunisia can potentially become a gateway to a market of more than a billion people. As Tunisia is still going through profound political changes following the initial upheaval of the Arab Spring in 2011, there are many questions that await. Will it be able to create a business environment that is attractive to investors? If so, what investment opportunities exist in Tunisia? What are the risks involved and the future challenges? And, how best to enter such a market? The course will explore these questions with a focus on the entrepreneurship ecosystem and doing business in Tunisia. The course project involves working closely with start-ups from the region. The project provides a truly immersive, multicultural experience where students will partner, mentor, coach, and interact with young entrepreneurs, both online and offline. Travel to Tunis will take place prior to the class meetings, January 14-20, 2024. A predeparture meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 5th, 12:30-2:00pm to prepare students for the pre-travel assignment and week of travel. For this course, the add/drop period will close on December 15th to allow for travel bookings to be finalized. No program fee refunds will be given after the add/drop period has closed. Students who require a visa to visit Tunisia will be assisted with this application given the tight timeframe so long as materials are received by the deadline; passports must have 6 months of validity beyond the travel date to apply for a visa. Students will need to submit requested visa backup materials to Chazen by December 5th. Citizens of the US, Canada and many European countries may travel without a visa; the full list of those who do not need visas can be found here https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a830dfd692ebe2c2963c329/t/5a985c6c9140b714127792f0/1519934573636/Visa%2BFor%2BTunisia_.pdf. Reach out to [email protected] with questions. During the first week of January students will have the opportunity to rank their project preferences, so you should plan to have access to email and internet. Upon return from Tunisia, the class will meet for 6 weeks during the spring A term; students will continue to work on their projects during this time as well. Global Immersion Program classes bridge classroom lessons and business practices in another country. These three credit classes combine half a term in New York with a one week visit to the country of focus where students will meet with business executives and government officials while working on team projects. The 2023-2024 Global Immersion Program fee for all classes is $1950 and provides students with double occupancy lodging, ground transportation and some meals. It does not cover roundtrip international airfare. Attendance both in New York and in-country and regular participation are a crucial part of the learning experience and as such attendance is mandatory. Please visit the Chazen Institute website to learn more about the Global Immersion Program and visit the Global Immersion Policies page to review policies affecting these courses.