University Centre of Nour Bachir El-Bayadh was established in 2010, as part of the Algerian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s drive to expand universities into regions short of provision.
Its campus is on the edge of El-Bayadh, capital of the sparsely populated western province of the same name, with 250,000 people spread across 30,000 square miles.
El-Bayadh occupies an altitude of around 1,200 metres, with the Saharan Atlas range to the south. Historically a major centre for Alfa esparto grass, its economy is now based on sheep farming and carpet manufacturing.
University Centre of Nour Bachir El-Bayadh is one of seven university centres – an initial stage often leading on to full university status – in the west of the country.
It is divided into faculties of economics, commerce and management, human and social sciences, law and political science, natural science, and science and technology. Average Baccalaureate scores for admission in 2021 varied from 8.05 for science and technology to 10.65 for law and 12.24 for physical education.
Research groups include the Sustainable Development in Highland and Desert Areas Laboratory, whose recent output includes a study of the impact of oil-price fluctuations on the Algerian economy. Admission to doctoral programmes is highly competitive, with only six applicants out of 31 admitted by the department of technology in 2023.
