We are entering the eighth academic year since the official opening of the National Polytechnic School of Constantine (ENPC) – Malek BENNABI – in September 2014. Five (05) classes of engineers have already graduated since that date. Like other Algerian and foreign universities, our school is still experiencing an exceptional situation due to the coronavirus pandemic. We had to change our teaching methods which is done in a hybrid way, at a distance by internet via teaching platforms and social networks and in the classroom. The faculty have made enormous efforts to present and improve their courses, tutorials and practical work online and by exchanging with the students to answer their questions. When they returned to school, starting on December 15, 2020, virtually everything was done face-to-face and in one sequence. We have established a health protocol in accordance with the guidelines of our Ministry and the Ministry of Health to ensure the health safety of our students, faculty and staff. We have begun vaccinating faculty, ATS staff and students to protect them from this terrible virus. The online courses started on October 03, 2021 and well before the arrival of the students on October 10, 2021, the school was cleaned, disinfected, hydroalcoholic gel dispensers installed. Our engineers are manufacturing hydro-alcoholic gel. Posters insisting on the respect of barrier gestures to avoid the spread of this dangerous virus have been put up all over the school. At the same time, various information, detailed schedules for the resumption of classes, exams, catch-up and the beginning of the new academic year 2021/2022 in the classroom, notes to students and the health protocol have been put on the school’s website.

I know that this method of study is new and a bit difficult for our students as well as for our faculty, but we have no other choice, we have been obliged to do it and to continue doing it if the health situation does not improve. We hope to improve it even more if necessary. Cependant je demande à nos étudiants, à nos enseignants et à notre personnel ATS de respecter scrupuleusement les gestes barrières et le protocole sanitaire (se laver régulièrement les mains, garder une distance de 1,5 m, éviter les regroupements et de ne pas enlever la bavette), et surtout se faire vacciner car il ne faut surtout pas sous-estimer ce virus mortel et éviter sa propagation pour le bien de tout le monde

In scientific research and technological development The school’s fundamental mission in its vocational areas is to:

– contribute to the national scientific research and technological development effort,

– promote the development of science and technology,

– strengthen the national capacity building,

– promote the results of scientific research and to disseminate scientific and technical information,

– participate within the international scientific community in the exchange of knowledge and its enrichment.

We have listed all the large companies and SMEs of the public and private industrial sectors of eastern Algeria (and even beyond) and identified their needs (especially in human resources). We have witnessed, among others, the emergence of cluster in mechanical, electrical (electronics, electrical engineering and automation), energy, pharmaceutical and materials (ceramics, …), without forgetting the problems of pollution and waste treatment of all kinds. It is on this basis, and after having met the necessary conditions (recruitment of highly qualified and young faculty for these specialties, ordering the necessary laboratory and research materials, receiving and equipping the teaching premises,…), that we proposed to our ministry the opening from September 2014 of four departments with the following program areas:

1- Mechanical Engineering:

1.1. Mechanical engineering and manufacturing

1.2. Energetics

2- Materials Engineering:

Advanced materials

3- Process Engineering :

Process Engineering

4- Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Automation (E.E.A) :

4.1. Electrical engineering

4.2. Automation

If for the third year the courses the medium of instruction is French, for the fourth and fifth years we hope that the majority of the courses will be given in English. For this purpose, intensive English courses are provided during the third year with two modern language laboratories and experienced teachers. However, we have found that students are not interested in these courses even though everything is done in English on a global scale.

The technological platform “Elaboration of Materials and Manufacturing” created by interministerial decree corresponding to August 31, 2019 on the creation of a joint research service within the ENP Constantine, is already partially functional. It has seven (07) academic institutions and a research center as partners and includes three (03) sections: Materials Development Section, Prototype Manufacturing Section, Analysis, Evaluation and Maintenance Section. Several equipements have already been received, installed and commisionned, others delivered and not installed because of the pandemic of covid-19 and the suspension of flights and the closure of borders. The services for the benefit of doctoral students and Algerian faculty-researchers of all academic institutions as well as engineers and specialists of the public and private industrial sector will begin on October 03, 2021.

In addition, the researchers of the ENPC will now be grouped into four (4) laboratories: the laboratory of” Electrical Engineering Polytech Constantine” of the department of EEA and the laboratory of “Process Engineering for Sustainable Development and Health Products” of the department of Process Engineering created by order No. 309 of March 31, 2019, the laboratory “Mechanics and advanced energy systems” of the department of Mechanical Engineering and the laboratory of “Technologies of advanced materials” of the department of Materials Engineering created by decree N° 205 of April 27, 2021, to carry out their various research projects (CNEPRU, PNR and others) and to supervise effectively the doctoral students while considering the opening of a future Doctoral School for post-graduate training.

In addition, by interministerial decree No. 112 of October 8, 2020, a joint research service ”an incubator” has been created within the ENPConstantine with as partners :

• The National Agency for the Valorization of Research and Development Results (ENVREDET)
• Socio-economic partners

It includes two (2) sections:

• The management engineering section which is responsible for:
• welcoming and supporting innovative projects with a link to research;
• helping the project leader to formalize his idea;
• selecting and validating the long-term project idea;
• offering the project holder support in terms of training, advice, financing and accommodation until the creation of the company;
• following the evolution of the companies created by the incubator.
• The Scientific Equipment Safety and Maintenance Section which is responsible for:
• the maintenance of the scientific equipment made available to the incubator;
• ensuring the security of the site and the scientific equipment.

In addition, several scientific cooperation agreements have been signed or are in the process of being signed with various foreign institutions to allow fruitful exchanges between students and researchers and the realization of joint research projects.

The ambition of our school is to train engineers of very high level who can easily integrate the productive industrial sector or create their own companies to contribute to its development and its blooming, can now be concretized thanks to all these means that we have just acquired and of course to the will of our faculty and the support staff.

Finally, I would like to inform our new students in the first year of the preparatory class that 50 to 70% (a rate that will be set annually by the Minister) of the total number of these students admitted and classified according to their averages, will automatically be admitted to the third year, without taking the national competitive examination to be admitted to the second cycle of higher education. However, if they wish to go to another school, they must take the competition organized by that school. On the other hand, the students admitted and not retained according to their rank in this percentage will take this competition (with possibly the students admitted in other schools, and who want to join the ENPC). Therefore, these new students must perform well in the first and second year to obtain a good rank.

I would like to welcome our new students, with our former students, our faculty and our ATS staff and wish all a good start, a lot of success and above all a good health to all of us so that God will preserve us from this virus and any other disease.

I cannot end this word without recalling once again that the ENPC intends to impose itself as a pole of excellence in the bosom of higher education and scientific research in Algeria to train women and men able to take up the challenge of development and to meet the requirements of the rapid and challenging technological developments.

The Director

(Prof. Djamel Hamana