University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene
The University of Science and Technology – Houari Boumediene is a university located in the town of Bab-Ezzouar from Algiers, Algeria. The university was designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and was inaugurated in 1974. Courses offered include Computing, Pure and Applied Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geology, Civil Engineering, Electronics, Information Technology, Process Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. USTHB was the largest university in Algeria until 2013; it has over 20,000 students. The government five-year plan aiming at raising the number of university students in Algeria from 1.2 million in 2010 to 2 million students in 2014 has led to the construction of new universities and faculties in almost every Algerian town; some universities are now larger than the USTHB in the number of enrolled student. USTHB collaborates with western universities. Agreements exist between the faculties and their counterpart in France, Quebec Canada and other countries for the purpose of training and research. A number of Arab and African student receive grants to study in the USTHB. Tutoring language in the university is the French language, except for the Geography curriculum that is provided in Arabic language.
Sports
USTHB has a martial arts club run by volunteers, and an agreement with the Olympic complex for the use of the Olympic swimming pool by the university students. It has a football team, and the USTHB basketball team participated in the National Collegiate Athletic competition.
Student life
USTHB provides art clubs and scientific clubs, sports tournaments, martial art exhibitions, art expositions and music festivals.
The Student Unions represent the students when it comes to negotiating student rights with the rectorate or with the government.
Canteens provide hot meals at lunch time for a very low price.
Four student dormitories - two are for female students and two are for male students. Every student dormitory has a subsidised canteen that offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The student housing excludes couples, and student with parents house located within a 20 km radius of the USTHB campus. The student accommodation is offered for a subsidised fee of around 2000 Algerian dinars the academic year.
Students receive a student allowance paid four times a year, once every three months.
Transportation
A student buses network runs between 06h00 and 20h00, linking all student dorms, faculties and universities in Algiers and beyond to universities in nearby towns.
The Algiers suburb train and the Algiers tramway system have stops at the USTHB. The transportation is subsidised for students.
Privately owned buses have stops near the university campus. They are not subsidised.
