Latest news with #AzzedineElMidaoui
Morocco World
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
AAU Conference Champions Higher Education as Key to Africa's Future at UM6P
Rabat – The 16th Quadrennial General Conference of the Association of African Universities (AAU) opened today, July 21, 2025, at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University ( UM6P ) in Rabat. Held every four years, this flagship event serves as the AAU's highest decision-making forum, bringing together key stakeholders in African higher education to confront critical challenges and shape collaborative strategies towards the continent's future development and education. AAU General Conference Under the theme 'Shaping the Future of Higher Education for Innovation and Sustainable Development in Africa,' the conference convenes university leaders, researchers, policymakers, students, and industry partners for plenary sessions, thematic panels, strategic workshops, and exhibitions. Discussions focus on pressing issues such as water scarcity, renewable energy, digitalization, cybersecurity, and the humanities. The official opening ceremony featured a speech by Azzedine El Midaoui, Morocco's Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, who expressed pride in opening the conference. In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), El Midaoui said the conference reflects King Mohammed VI's vision to bolster Morocco's leadership and foster closer collaboration with African countries in higher education . 'This conference will address and discuss a range of themes and topics across education, research, and innovation. The main subjects include water scarcity, fertilizers, renewable energy, digitalization, cybersecurity, the humanities, and many others. I believe it is a great opportunity to strengthen these areas further,' he stated to MWN. 16th AAU General Conference Rachid Serraj, Director of the Africa Initiative at UM6P, highlighted the university's steadfast commitment to Africa, guided by the vision of King Mohammed VI, which calls for advancing development in both Morocco and the wider continent. ' Africa today is facing many challenges, including demographic growth, climate change, poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. If we look at the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, Africa still lags behind in achieving them. Our work focuses on finding solutions to address these challenges, and this conference includes discussions on all these themes,' Serraj told MWN. He also touched upon the historic significance of the AAU, noting that it was founded in Rabat in 1967 with just 34 member universities. Today, the association has grown to encompass over 450 universities across the continent. Olusola Bandele Oyewole, Secretary General of the AAU, praised Morocco's historic role as the birthplace of the association and expressed deep appreciation for King Mohammed VI's unwavering support of higher education and innovation in Africa. 'We are very grateful to the King of Morocco for his great support and motivation for higher education and innovation in Africa,' he said, emphasizing the crucial role of universities in empowering Africa's growing youth population to contribute to the continent's development. The conference brings together a diverse group of participants — including university leaders, researchers, youth organizations, development partners, and private-sector actors — for a rich program of discussions aimed at advancing innovation and sustainable development through higher education across Africa. Tags: AAU conferenceEl MidaouiHigher EducationUM6P
Maroc
14-05-2025
- Business
- Maroc
Moroccan Gaming Industry Expands with Two Partnership Agreements
Two partnership agreements aimed at promoting the gaming industry were signed on Tuesday in Rabat between the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication (Culture Department), the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation and the Office for Professional Training and Work Promotion (OFPPT). These two agreements, which are part of the national strategy to stimulate the digital economy 'Digital Morocco 2030', aim to pave the way for a video game industry in Morocco and enable young people to invest in this promising sector. Signed by Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mehdi Bensaid and Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation Azzedine El Midaoui, the first agreement covers the creation of Game Labs in public university spaces and the introduction of gaming training courses at Moroccan public universities. The courses will be given to students at technical university diploma level, bachelor's degree and master's programs. The second agreement, inked by Bensaïd and OFPPT's Director General Loubna Tricha, aims to develop training programs in vocational training establishments. Three qualifying training courses will be launched, namely e-sport caster, e-sport streamer and video game laboratory. In a statement to the press, Bensaid stressed that these two agreements are part of the Ministry's strategy to promote the gaming industry in Morocco, recalling that the video game market has exceeded $300 billion in revenues worldwide. The Ministry, he continued, is working to attract foreign direct investors, encourage the creation of national companies and start-ups, and support Moroccan skills in this field. For his part, El Midaoui detailed that the new training courses will begin in September 2025 at universities in the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region, before being expanded nationwide starting the 2026-2027 academic year. This initiative focuses on adapting university training to the needs of the gaming industry job market as well as promoting employment opportunities, he added. In turn, Tricha expressed OFPPT's commitment to providing infrastructure and equipment needed to guarantee the success of this initiative. MAP: 13 mai 2025
Morocco World
25-04-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Moroccan, Huawei Sign New Agreement to Boost Digital Skills, Innovation
Rabat – The Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation and Huawei Morocco signed a new partnership agreement in Marrakech on the sidelines of GITEX Africa 2025. The agreement seeks to modernize higher education, strengthen digital skills, and improve national technology infrastructure. The goal is to make the digital sector a powerful tool for inclusion, competitiveness, and cooperation. The signing ceremony was attended by Azzedine El Midaoui, Minister of Higher Education, and David Li, CEO of Huawei Morocco. Shen Li, President of Huawei Northern Africa, also attended the event along with other distinguished guests. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to prepare Moroccan youth for the digital future, said Huawei in a press release. It added that the partnership serves as a strong example of collaboration between the public and private sectors, with the aim of boosting development and innovation in the country. The new agreement focuses on training university professors and regularly updating educational content to reflect the latest technological advancements. It also aims to build stronger links between Moroccan researchers and Huawei's international research centers, offering opportunities for PhD students to learn and collaborate globally. Innovation is another key part of the partnership, with plans to support student entrepreneurship and promote new digital projects. In addition, the agreement emphasizes the importance of bridging the gap between universities and the job market to help students transition into employment more smoothly. David Li welcomed this new phase of cooperation, saying that it is a 'result of mutual trust and collaboration between our Ministry and Huawei.' 'It marks a big step in our growing partnership. This new phase of our partnership reflects our commitment to supporting the training of tomorrow's technology leaders,' he added. The statement noted that the new agreement builds on a successful partnership that began in 2021. Since then, the ministry and Huawei have trained over 16,000 students, awarded 1,400 HCIA certifications, hosted 100 webinars, and engaged nearly 5,000 students in national ICT competitions. The ICT Job Fair alone helped generate 1,800 job opportunities for young people. This renewed collaboration is expected to open new doors for students, researchers, and the entire digital ecosystem in Morocco.
Morocco World
25-04-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
French Diplomas Now Automatically Recognized in Morocco
Doha – Morocco's Ministry of Higher Education has announced that diplomas from French public universities will now receive automatic recognition in Morocco, ending a bureaucratic process that often delayed graduates' entry into the job market. According to an announcement published in the Official Bulletin No. 7392 of February 10, degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels from French public universities will be automatically equivalent to their Moroccan counterparts, provided they are validated by competent French authorities. 'It was time to end administrative complications that unjustifiably harmed our graduates from foreign universities,' said Azzedine El Midaoui, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. 'This decision represents a step toward a more fair and efficient public administration that better understands the transformations in international academic pathways.' The new measure eliminates what was previously a complex administrative procedure requiring document submission, review by specialized committees, and publication of decisions in the Official Bulletin – a process that could take at least six months and sometimes stretch to three years. The automatic recognition applies to degrees in various fields, including legal, economic, social and management sciences, as well as exact sciences and humanities. French diplomas represent more than 60% of equivalence requests processed annually by the ministry. In 2024, the ministry received nearly 4,000 requests for university degree equivalence across different higher education fields, with approximately 3,700 cases examined by sectoral committees. The previous equivalence process was not only time-consuming but also costly. Candidates had to provide numerous certified documents, including diplomas, transcripts, school certificates, and sworn translations into Arabic or French. Each translated page could cost more than MAD 250 ($25), creating a significant financial burden. This reform comes as Moroccan students continue to represent the largest foreign student community in France. According to Campus France's 2024 report, 45,162 Moroccan students were enrolled in French institutions during the 2022-2023 academic year, accounting for 11% of the international student population. This marked a 13% increase between 2017 and 2022. Moroccan students also dominate French engineering schools with 6,110 students in 2022-2023, a 26% increase over five years, and have a strong presence in business schools, representing 14% of international students in these institutions. The ministry had already made efforts to modernize the system by launching a digital platform in November 2023 to manage foreign diploma equivalence applications. This platform enables continuous interaction with users, faster response times, and allows applicants to submit equivalence requests and track their status online without visiting ministry offices. Ministry sources suggest that similar decisions may be made for diplomas from other countries as part of a comprehensive review of equivalence mechanisms, aimed at improving services for Moroccan graduates from foreign higher education institutions. Tags: French diplomasministry of higher educationMorocco
Ya Biladi
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Morocco considers monthly scholarship disbursements to boost student support
The Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, Azzedine El Midaoui, announced on Tuesday in Rabat that his department is considering switching to monthly scholarship disbursements for students, replacing the current system. Responding to an oral question from the Haraki group in the House of Councillors regarding the generalization of university scholarships for students from underprivileged families, El Midaoui explained that the number of scholarships awarded annually is determined by a joint decision between the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Higher Education, based on the available budget. He noted that the ministry uses the Unified Social Registry as the sole national criterion to ensure fairness and equal opportunity in scholarship distribution. For the current academic year, 174,000 out of 187,000 scholarship applications submitted within the legal deadline were approved, yielding a national satisfaction rate of 93%. The minister highlighted that all applications were approved in 15 prefectures and provinces. In 62 others, the approval rate exceeded 90%, while in 15 it ranged between 80% and 90%, and dropped below 80% in only five. El Midaoui added that the ministry, through the National Office of University Social and Cultural Works, is currently working to distribute scholarships to eligible students enrolled in higher education institutions. Acknowledging budgetary constraints, the minister emphasized the need to explore sustainable funding solutions—particularly through partnerships with the private sector, local governments, and elected officials—to expand and strengthen the scholarship system.
