Taha Hedi

Tunisian educator who modernized North African education systems through Arabic-language scientific curricula

Taha Hedi (1912-1985) was a Tunisian polymath who transformed education across the Maghreb by developing the first comprehensive Arabic-language science curriculum. His 1939 Science in Our Tongue textbook series made advanced physics and mathematics accessible to Arabic-speaking students, countering colonial education systems. As founder of Tunis University's Science Faculty (1956), he established the region's first PhD programs in STEM fields taught entirely in Arabic. Hedi's 1953 Pan-Arab Education Initiative trained 1,200 teachers across 7 countries, creating a network of schools that produced 23 Nobel laureates' descendants. His advocacy led to the 1961 Arabic Scientific Terminology project, standardizing technical vocabulary still used today. Hedi's 1970 manifesto Knowledge Without Borders inspired the African Union's education policies. His legacy includes the Taha Hedi Prize for innovative pedagogy, awarded annually since 1990 at the Carthage International Conference.