Country Director for Algeria | STAR Scholars Network Cross-Border Initiatives
Oussama Boukhelkhal joined the STAR Scholars Network this year as Algeria’s Country Director. A university English teacher and newly minted doctor of educational assessment, he brings to the role a conviction that Algerian scholarship grows strongest when it crosses borders. He spoke with W. James Jacob, Vice President for Cross-Border Initiatives, about his path into academia, his work with student writers, and what he hopes to build in Algeria.
At a Glance
- Country: Algeria
- Field: English language teaching, educational assessment, and AI in language learning
- Degrees: PhD, University of Tlemcen; BA and MA, University of Blida
- Service: Writing consultant, Algerian Online Writing Lab (INAS)
- Joined STAR: 2026
Background and Role
Can you share a brief overview of your academic and professional journey, and what led you to serve as a Country Director?
I have been interested in teaching English for a long time and have taught in both private and public institutions. About seven years ago, I joined the university as a part-time teacher, working with MA students and helping them build their research skills. At the same time, I was working on my doctorate. I earned my BA and MA at the University of Blida, in north-central Algeria, and I recently completed my PhD at the University of Tlemcen, in the far west of the country. My PhD advisor was Professor Djebbari Zakia. My research sits at the intersection of educational assessment and English language teaching; my dissertation examined how learner autonomy develops through self- and peer-assessment in the writing of research proposals. I have published three papers so far, and I am increasingly drawn to the role of artificial intelligence in English language teaching and learning. I am now working toward a full-time university post where I can advance my career and help students develop both their language skills and the skills that sit alongside them, such as autonomy and leadership.
What do you find most fulfilling about your work in academia and in the profession?
In academia, it is that I keep learning. It is a lifelong process, and a demanding one. I am still working to publish in more reputable journals, and I know that takes years. Academia pushes me to be the best version of myself as a writer and as a researcher, and it opens a door to collaboration. That is precisely why I joined the STAR Scholars Network: the chance to meet professors from across the globe, to publish together, and to learn from their work. There is always something new, whether a teaching method, a research methodology, or a new area of enquiry.
In the profession, it is the people. I like working with people and helping them develop their skills. Being a university teacher gives you access to students from a wide variety of backgrounds, and you learn as much from them as they do from you. There is also considerable room for English teachers in Algeria right now. The country is moving toward English as a medium of instruction, and the infrastructure for English language learning is still being built, for teachers as well as students. That gives me the opportunity to work across faculties on academic English and research skills.
“What makes research visible is collaborating with researchers from different countries.”
Impact and Achievements
Can you highlight a recent project, publication, or achievement that you are particularly proud of?
The article I am proudest of is my most recent one, on students’ perceptions and practices around the use of AI in learning English. I published it a year ago and it has already been cited eight times, which I take as a good sign. It was not an easy journal to place, and I learned a great deal writing it, about AI and about how students are actually using it.
The other is the Algerian Online Writing Lab, run under a nonprofit called the International Network of Algerian Scientists. Writing centres are scarce in Algeria, and the lab helps writers develop their writing and research skills. I have reviewed a good number of papers there as a volunteer, and several of those writers went on to publish. Often the manuscripts are well outside my field — biology, engineering — but I can still help with the English and the research craft. I expect the project to have a real effect at the local level.
How has your work contributed to advancements in your field and impacted students and colleagues?
I am a believer in the learner-centred approach, which still makes me something of a rarity here. I give students a voice and help them think for themselves, and in my classes I run workshops and use collaborative activities and games, which were new in my community. Many of the students I taught have since become teachers themselves, and I see some of them using those same techniques with their own students. I learned much of this through online scholarship programmes from the U.S. Embassy in Algiers and through World Learning. I hope to contribute further by running workshops for teachers on learner autonomy.
Vision and Engagement
What is your vision as Country Director for Algeria and for the cross-border initiatives?
I see the role as a link between the international and the national context. Learning from professors in adjacent fields opens publication opportunities abroad that I can carry home. When you shared a publication call recently, I passed it to colleagues in Algeria and they were interested straight away. I would also like to keep developing as a trainer and as a professor.
How can students, practitioners, and scholars get involved in Algeria’s cross-border initiatives?
My first step is to join a university in a formal capacity, which puts me in close contact with deans and heads of department. That is the opening to share the network’s mission and to propose joint trainings with STAR colleagues. I am also keen to introduce the AI specialist who joined one of our recent meetings to students and faculty here, because curiosity about AI runs high. Being part of this work lets me serve as a stepping stone across both bridges.
Advice and Insights
What advice would you give to those wanting to get involved in the STAR Scholars Network?
Seize the opportunity. The Ministry of Higher Education values publishing in reputable international journals, but many teachers still work alone, or only with national colleagues, which limits their reach. What makes research visible is collaborating across countries, and it opens doors well beyond publication: training and conferences among them.
Beyond the Desk
Outside of work, what helps you maintain a balanced life?
Two things: CrossFit, which I have kept up for five or six years, and simple 1990s video games.