Official Launch of ANESRS Operations

This Friday, February 27, 2026, marks a turning point for Haitian higher education. During an official ceremony, the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training proceeded with the transfer of files from the Directorate of Higher Education and Scientific Research (DESRS) to the new National Agency for Higher Education and Scientific Research (ANESRS), established in 2020 but now operational.

Minister Augustin Antoine recalled the context that motivated this creation: Haitian higher education suffers from the absence of a genuine national research policy, a lack of autonomy for public universities constrained by limited budgetary resources, and insufficient regulation of private institutions proliferating across the territory.

“The development of a nation is no longer the fortuitous product of its natural resources, but that of its human capital, its scientific capital,” declared the minister, emphasizing the fundamental stakes of this reform.

The president of ANESRS, Dr. Hérold Toussaint, emphasized the agency's mission: to consolidate the recognition, quality, and level of Haitian diplomas.

“Scientific rigor is not a bureaucratic constraint; it is the very foundation of institutional credibility, responsible innovation, and a nation's intellectual fertility,” he affirmed.

The agency, composed of nine members including Dr. Jean Fénol Métellus (vice-president) and Dr. Jacques Abraham (high commissioner), will be tasked with working with all public and private universities to encourage youth towards academic excellence. A project titled “Science in Celebration” is already announced to place intelligence and research at the heart of the country's development vision.

Mr. Eric Voli Bi, UNESCO representative in Haiti, issued a clear warning:

“In a crisis economy, we no longer have the luxury of training graduates for a non-existent market. The relevance of training must respond to the urgency of reconstruction.”

This new structure, whose council was installed on January 14, 2026, in the presence of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, benefits from the support of international partners such as UNESCO. It reflects the authorities' desire to sustainably structure higher education, supervise research, and place academic rigor at the heart of national recovery, while offering youth real prospects for integration and international mobility.

Jean Wesley Pierre / Le Relief