What are the variant appellations for Morocco? Officially, the Kingdom of Morocco, but the term Morocco is by far the most common.

What is the geographical location of Morocco? Morocco is located on the northwestern tip of Africa.

What are the borders of Morocco? Morocco is bordered by Algeria in the west, Mauritania in the south, the Mediterranean Sea in the north and overlooks Spain and Portugal across the Gibraltar straits (Worth mentioning here the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in the north of Morocco) and the Atlantic Ocean in the west.

Higher Education is considered to be one of the key strategic sectors Morocco is relying upon to achieve its political stability, economic prosperity and cultural renaissance.

The Higher Education sector in Morocco is run by Driss Ouaouicha, Minister delegate for Higher Education.  

Higher Education in Morocco includes private institutions,  privately-run institutions and public institutions.  Public Higher education institutions can be broken down into two types: Open-access and limited-access.

On completion of the secondary school program (baccalaureate/higher secondary certificate), students can pursue their studies in many open-access ( ) higher education institutions. They are, however, required to have high baccalaureate grades and take a competitive entrance exam to attend limited-access () institutions. As for private and privately-run () higher education institutions, students may be required to sit for an entrance exam/interview, as well as pay registration and scholarship fees. 

[7 octobre 2021] Abdellatif Miraoui appointed Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.

[7 mai 2021] Signing of a partnership agreement concerning the creation of a research chair to promote scientific research on women’s economic empowerment at the University of Legal, Economic and social Sciences of Aïn Chock in Casablanca, by the Minister of Solidarity, Social Development, Equality and Family Affairs, the President of Hassan II University, Aawatef Hayar, and Abderrahim Khaldi,  Vice-President of the «Green TIC» Project.  “This chair will allow academics to come up with the necessary tools to insure women’s empowerment and reinforce their role in the consolidation of development.  More than half of the students in our university are female students, the majority of whom distinguish themselves in their studies.  And yet,  only [13%] of women are project holders and less than [2%] hold decision-making jobs” (Aawatef Hayar’s Statement at a press conference).

[December 16, 2020] The British Council in Morocco in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education & Research at the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education & Scientific Research, installed the first Digital Library Wall at Al Akhawayn Mohammed VI Library.  The launch ceremony was attended virtually by Dr. Driss Ouaouicha, Minister Delegate in charge of Higher Education and Research, Mr. Tony Reilly, British Council Director in Morocco, Mr. Simon Martin, British Ambassador to Morocco, President Amine Bensaid, and AUI faculty, staff, and students.  The Digital Library Wall gives access to learning resources to develop skills and to a uniquely curated range of English-medium resources.

[6,81 millios euros] The amount of funding from the “Horizon 2020” program for Morocco till the end 2020, with [69 projects] involving [82] public as well as private reserach teams . [39] teams are from public universities : Mohammed V [9], Cadi Ayyad [7], Al Akhawayen [7], Moulay Ismail [4], Hassan II [3], Ibn Zohr [3], Sidi Mohammed ben Abdellah [2], Chouaib Doukkali [2], Abdelmalek Essaâdi [1] Ibn Tofail [1]. Are equaly concerned [29] teams from higher education institutions not affiliated to public universities or research institutions: Private business firms [9] Public administrations [5] (European Commission Report).

[23,000] Number of students from sub-Saharan Africa who have graduated from Moroccan universities in the last [20] years. [12,000] students from [47] African countries are currently pursuing their higher studies in Morocco (Mohamed Methqal, President of AMCI, the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, announced October 24, 2019, during a conference in Sochi, Russia, under the theme “Russia-Africa: Science, Education, Training, and Innovation for Economic Development).

[40 years] The time span of the last Arabization experience.  A clause in the new Education Framework Law (# 51.27) stipulates that Arabic be dropped as a the language of instruction for science subjects.  “The language that does not serve as a medium for research and lacks appropriate technical terminology cannot succeed in pre-university education.” (Khalid Samadi, State Secretary for Higher Education, August 23, 2019). Until now, students take Science subjects in Arabic during their pre-university schooling, but once at university, where science subjects are taught in French, they find it difficult to cope.

“Why do some public universities have to take the brunt of overcrowding? A case in point is Ibn Zohr University which accepts students from 4 southern regions and has a student population nearing [120,000].  The question is how do we tackle the problem of overcrowding?”  

“New Universities are to be built. Adding new classrooms here and there and soliciting the help of teaching assistants from outside the university are make-shift, short-term approaches and would not solve the problem of overcrowding.”

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