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This paper investigates the impact of extracurricular activities (ECA) on developing employability skills of higher education graduates in Tunisia. In this regard, we use a quantitative survey that has been distributed to 451 graduates. The results of the logistic regression model show that participation in extracurricular activities (ECA) is the main determinant of soft skills development. In addition, Spearman's correlation analysis demonstrates a positive one between the acquisition of soft skills and participation in extracurricular activities. Each of the activities develops specific skills. We found that participation in social groups helps to develop more soft skills. Keywords: soft skills, employability skills, graduates, ECA, Tunisia.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the changing relationship between technology and economic activity in MENA countries.Design/methodology/approachThe generalized method of moments (GMM) was applied to explore the presence of dynamic causality between technology, inflation, unemployment, foreign direct investment, trade opening, gross fixed capital formation and economic growth for 14 MENA countries before and after COVID-19.FindingsEmpirical evidence shows that the economic predictor variables change signs and impact negatively the economic growth as a result of the adverse consequences of the MENA health crisis. More interestingly, there is a unique, positive, meaningful relationship between ICT and economic growth.Originality/valueThe results show that economic resilience in MENA is significantly affected by digital infrastructure during the epidemic crisis. The authors conclude that macroeconomic adjustment and innovation improve the predictive performance of the health news model. Countries could take strong measures to support new strategies to strengthen their innovation competitiveness.

This study investigates the links between digital infrastructures (DI); transportation services (TS) and economic growth using simultaneous-equation panel data models for a panel of 62 countries for the period 2000-2018. The results indicate that there is evidence of bidirectional relationship between DI and economic process. Economic growth and TS are interrelated bidirectional relationship. Bidirectional link is validated between DI and TS for high-income and middle-income countries. Unidirectional causality is running from TS to DI for low incomes countries. These empirical insights are of particular interest to policymakers, working in low incomes countries. They help them to develop modern DI and TS to sustain economic development and to push substantial changes within the way of life and productivity. This has led to enormous technological advancement which is in line with but at a faster pace than the technological advancement of previous revolutions.