The Moroccan government proposes a reform to boost and modernise the higher education system

The Prime Minister of Morocco, Aziz Akhannouch, has declared the importance of the country having a modern system of higher education, scientific research and innovation in order to face the challenges of today's society in the short and medium term. To this end, the aim is to make the Moroccan university a space for innovation and cognitive development through a new pedagogical model that seeks to strengthen the system of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees (LMD system).  

For the development of the higher education system, scientific research and innovation, 13 meetings-debates were held involving around 35,000 people, including economic and civil society actors, local authorities and representatives of the academic world. The final outcome of these meetings were recommendations and more than 127 partnership agreements between regional actors in important areas for the development of this reform such as university accommodation, training courses for productive sectors and vouchers linked to the movement. 

The government will adopt a broader participatory approach with the aim of mobilising social intelligence through specific and transversal competences in learning processes to strengthen links with Moroccan identity (historical, cultural and artistic heritage) and consolidate social ties, integrate certifications in linguistic and digital competences and develop opportunities for alternative education between the university and its socio-economic environment. In addition, there is a new generation of doctoral graduates capable of conducting innovative research in priority areas for national policy, which will also allow for the renewal of the corps of teacher-researchers whose retirement is near, with a target of 1,000 trained doctoral graduates per year for the renewal of staff.  

The Prime Minister also announced the investment of 600 million dirhams to launch the National Programme of calls for research projects on issues related to national sovereignty. He will also offer 1,300 scholarships to doctoral students for international, inter-university and university-industry study trips; increase funding for international research programmes such as Prima or Horizon Europe; add more than 50 projects to the National Innovation Programme; and present around 40 invention patents from national universities by the end of the year.  

The reform of the higher education system is based on four steering plans that not only aim to incorporate students into the labour market, but at the same time turn universities into a space for knowledge production and skills development:  

• Master Plan for Higher Education: aims to rethink the priority areas of training and engineering in public and private higher education institutions, in the same way as in foreign institutions.  
• The Directorate's Scientific Research Scheme: aims to prioritise research proposals, improve laboratories and review the patent system.  
• Digital transformation plan: it will review and improve the trajectory of students and research professors, thus stimulating the birth of projects and investors.  
• Innovation management plan: seeks to reorganise innovation issues while developing a new architecture for the actors involved, boosting the work of the technology transformation centres.  

This will create a new model for the Moroccan university that seeks to respond to the aspirations of young people, integrating the university into its territory and socio-economic environment and creating value. According to Aziz Akhannouch, all these changes in the higher education system will enable students to possess the necessary skills for self-realisation and integration in the economic and social environment, as well as to discover important opportunities that will make them successful socially and professionally.