For nearly three decades Algeria pursued a close educational cooperation with the Eastern bloc. While the Soviet Union established important centers of technical education in Algeria, thousands of Algerians received training in prestigious universities across the Eastern bloc.
Back home, they held high offices, served in educational institutions and played a prominent role in the fields of arts and culture. The article retraces Algeria's educational relations with the East from the years of the Algerian independence war to the collapse of socialism in both Algeria and the East.
It examines the forms, dimensions, evolution, and legacies of these relations. In light of the projects that were materialized and of the careers of graduates, the article argues that Algeria's educational cooperation with the East was particularly effective.