Mounir Khélifa, PhD

Dr. Mounir Khélifa is a native of Tunisia. He studied English at Tunis University, the Sorbonne, and Yale, where he received his MA and PhD. A professor of English language and literature for more than two decades, he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in poetry, poetics, and comparative literature at Tunis University. He has held several academic administrative positions, including director of English graduate studies at the University of Manouba from 1998 to 2002, and was senior advisor in the cabinet of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research (2002–2006), where he was responsible for cooperation with foreign institutions and curricular reform. Dr. Khélifa has recently been made a lifetime member of the Tunisian Academy for the Arts, Letters, and Sciences.

As academic director, Dr. Khélifa oversees all aspects of the SIT Study Abroad Tunisia program. In addition to designing the program’s academic and field-based components, he advises students and ensures that their academic needs are met. In this role, Dr. Khélifa draws on his understanding of both American and Tunisian higher education systems, his intimate knowledge of Tunisian culture, and his wide range of contacts in the area.