As part of the process of co-construction of the National Plan for Accelerating the Transformation of the Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation Ecosystem (ESRI Pact 2030), the Ministry of Higher Education , in collaboration with the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME) and the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST), organized this Saturday, October 29 in Rabat, the Assize of the 13th Region, dedicated to Moroccan skills of the world.
This initiative comes as an activation of the high royal directives appearing in the speech of King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the commemoration of the revolution of the King and the People, in which the Sovereign underlined the need to work for the effective integration of skills abroad in the country’s priority development projects, given the accumulated experience in several areas, said Abdellatif Miraoui, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, during the session opening of the event.
In particular, the Minister stressed that “Morocco is one of the countries that have been able to maintain strong links with their community abroad, thanks to a public policy approach for the benefit of these communities who aspire to strengthen social ties and to discover the cultural heritage that characterizes Morocco. Moroccan identity, rich in its multicultural tributaries, especially for the generations born in the country of the diaspora“.
He explains that these policies have helped to strengthen the economic and social role of the Moroccan community abroad, which has demonstrated its importance, especially during the difficult situation experienced by the national economy, like the other countries, due to the pandemic crisis.
Miraoui then adds that “if the attachment of Moroccans around the world to their homeland and their pride in their Moroccan identity is an indisputable fact, increasing their contribution to development projects that are part of national priorities is one of the major bets that our country must win in view of the promising opportunities available in this field“.
As a result, the Minister specifies that “the sector of higher education, scientific research and innovation is at the heart of these priorities given the important role it plays in the development and enhancement of our country’s human capital. It represents the lever of global and sustainable development and the essential pillar to raise our country to the rank of leading countries under the insightful leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.“.
As for the ESRI Pact, Miraoui indicates that the ambitious approach adopted aims to establish a new model for the Moroccan university which enshrines academic and scientific excellence and contributes to the advancement of the role of the university as a lever for development. economic, social and environmental and strengthens its openness at the continental and international levels.
“Mobilizing Moroccan skills abroad for the success of the transformation projects on which the national acceleration plan is based is an essential option, whether it is a question of strengthening the capacities of educational supervision within university institutions and to support the mobility of students and researchers at the international level or to involve these skills in scientific research programs and innovation activities, in particular those related to health, food, energy and water security, as well as that areas related to digitization and modern technologies“, insists the minister.
However, Miraoui emphasizes that this requires the creation of a motivational framework that will attract these skills and provide the appropriate conditions for them to contribute effectively to accelerating the pace of transformation of the education system. higher education, scientific research, innovation as well as the improvement of its quality and performance in accordance with the best international standards.
“Aware of the need to win this important challenge, the Ministry has launched a set of reforms concerning the legal and regulatory framework aimed at increasing the attractiveness of the teaching profession in universities, by reviewing the status of teacher-researchers for the make it more stimulating and attractive”he adds, specifying that the new approach includes a set of measures targeting all departments of his ministry in addition to strengthening partnerships with universities and research centers at the national level.