Professor Tahar Ben Lakhdar, known as “the academic militant”, has been involved in the reforms of public higher education in Tunisia for nearly four decades. The founding father of public engineering institutions, and owner of ESPRIT, a top-ranked private school of engineering in Tunisia. Today, he employs his prominent advocacy position to prepare engineering students for the work-force, helping them become operational, highly employable engineers who are ready to tackle the challenges of the 21st century. In 2003, Professor Ben Lakhdar founded ESPRIT, and, under his leadership, the ESPRIT student population soared from 40 students in 2003 to a massive 5500 students today. Prior to founding ESPRIT, Ben Lakhdar contributed to the establishment of the ISET network: the first higher institute of technology in Tunisia, IPEIN: the first preparatory institute for entrance to engineering schools in Tunisia, and ESPTT: the Tunisian School of Posts and Telecommunications. The reorganization of which he initiated to become what is today known as Sup’Com engineering school. He served as a consultant for various Ministries in Tunisia and for many international agencies on projects pertaining to vocational training and educational reforms and restructuring. Professor Ben Lakhdar is originally a graduate of University Paris XIII, France, where he earned a Ph.D. degree in Physics in 1978.