U.S. Under Secretary of State Judith McHale has traveled to Tunisia in a bid to expand America's public diplomacy effort in the North African country, the State Department said in a statement on Friday.

McHale, responsible for public diplomacy and public affairs, arrived in the Tunisian capital Tunis on Thursday, and will be in Tunisia until Sunday.

During her visit in Tunis, McHale attended a dinner with members of Tunisia's civil society and met with officials from the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education, said the statement.

McHale is also participating in a workshop with a wide range of Tunisians to discuss current U.S.-sponsored programs in Tunisia and new opportunities for collaboration, said the State Department, adding that she will also meet with Tunisian youth there.

In Sfax, a city southeast of Tunis, McHale will meet with university professors and students. She will also hear the " students' vision for their futures," according to the statement.