Morocco and UNESCO promote laboratories for young researchers
Morocco and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have launched a laboratory project for young people with the aim of supporting them in the field of science and research.
The North African country is the first in the world to adopt this UNESCO initiative with official support from the Moroccan state.
Morocco's Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication has been tasked with launching this programme in collaboration with UNESCO with a view to transforming youth centres into spaces for scientific development and research, as confirmed by the Ministry itself in an official statement.
The proposal is designed ‘by young people and for young people’ and encourages young people to explore the challenges facing their communities and develop creative solutions through participatory research, according to the official statement.
Morocco is the first country in the world to adhere to UNESCO's proposal for young researchers with clear and official national institutional support.
The North African country is aware that the future of the nation lies with its young people and the state's objective is to give young people all the tools possible to develop to their full potential and to maximise their capabilities for the future. The Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication pointed out that this attitude shows the nation's firm commitment to its young people and their future.
In the first phase of the project, 20 PhD students will be selected and trained to advise young people in youth centres in different regions of Morocco. These PhD students will be trained by UNESCO staff and will play an important role as tutors to these young people and advisors in their research work. These students will guide the participants in learning research methods, identifying community problems and proposing solutions.
The interconnection between these youth centres will also be strengthened with a view to cooperation and the sharing of knowledge and research procedures.
The aim is for young people to be able to put ideas and research techniques into practice and test various methods to solve real problems.
UNESCO is dedicated to promoting education, science, culture and communication and provides tools and disseminates knowledge with a view to creating solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our time, fostering a more equal and peaceful world.
Protecting biodiversity, responding to the challenges of Artificial Intelligence, promoting quality education, safeguarding heritage and guaranteeing access to reliable information are some examples of the work that UNESCO carries out with its 194 Member States around the world.
The collaboration between UNESCO and Morocco is total in the cultural and scientific fields. Furthermore, the Moroccan kingdom has a long history of cooperation and recognition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, as, for example, it has many properties inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List with six sites named Intangible Heritage of Humanity recognised by UNESCO itself, such as the medinas of Fez, Marrakech, Tetouan, Rabat and Essaouira. In addition to having the honour of having other intangible assets recognised, such as Moroccan handicrafts.