École Supérieure des Sciences de l'Aliment et des Industries Agroalimentaires

École Supérieure des Sciences de l’Aliment et des Industries Agroalimentaires (ESSAIA) was created in 2017, growing out of the Preparatory School in Natural and Life Sciences. Its primary mission is to train technicians and managers for Algeria’s agricultural and food sectors, which are large but underperforming.

The student body comes from across Algeria and from other countries.

In the first years of study, undergraduates follow a core programme. In the third year, they specialise in fields such as food quality control and analysis; science and technology of functional foods; food preservation and packaging sciences; quality management in the food industry; formulation and innovation in the agri-food industries; nutrition and dietetics; and supply chain management.

All students undertake work placements in companies or laboratories. They also complete modules on management, to acquire managerial and entrepreneurial skills that complement their engineering expertise. 

ESSAIA encourages innovation, especially by providing incubators and supporting students to develop start-ups. It expects to have fostered more than 30 start-ups and micro-enterprises by the end of the current year.

A number of student clubs and associations operate at ESSAIA.