ABSTRACT
The research policies in Morocco's private and public sectors illustrate the uneven progress made during the past 65 years or so, ever since its independence in 1956. Initially placed on the backburner as the nation struggled to train cadres capable of managing the challenges of nationhood, research picked up as the new universities strove to become internationally competitive. In fact, in spite of the efforts of the state during the last two decades to restructure, coordinate and mobilize national research initiatives, this domain today remains fragmented, and in need of an appropriate governance policy. Essential human and material resources are still lacking, even as the new Moroccan constitution of 2011 specifically mentions research as a national priority. Like most other countries, Moroccan research today faces three immediate challenges: the health crisis resulting from the pandemic spread of COVID-19, the transition to a green economy, and the fourth digital revolution and its impact on industry. Morocco boasts a number of research facilities, mostly placed within the 12 public universities, in addition to several laboratories in private and public/private partnership institutions. Autonomous national research structures, such as the Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research (MAScIR), also contribute to scientific production. Public universities thus continue to dominate research output, whether as measured in indexed publications or in number of registered patents. In spite of its favorable position when compared to African francophone countries, Moroccan research production remains modest and its socio-economic impact (eg. employment opportunities) remains limited. The strategic research plan for 2025 sets policy measures meant to improve research governance, to integrate research activity and innovation with the needs of the economy, to reinforce technology innovation, especially in the automotive and aeronautical industries, and to further research in energy efficiency and alternative energy sources. In addition, the recent research initiatives launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRST) and the Ministry of Higher Education have already started producing tangible results in pharmaceutical, biomedical and related industries. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted in one way or another all sectors of activity, rapidly moving from a sanitary crisis to become a socio-economic one. Higher education has been particularly affected, due to social distancing imperatives and the need to develop alternate ways of delivery relying on technology and distance learning. When the pandemic hit, it highlighted the digital unpreparedness of North African (NA) universities, as they responded quickly so as not to lose what remained of the academic year. They needed to provide resources for distance learning, ensure that faculty and staff were committed and dedicated to the success of the endeavor, and develop student support mechanisms. But the pedagogical challenges faced by all NA universities also pointed to opportunities for improvements in teaching and research. As many were to point out, COVID-19 did not introduce distance learning, it simply accelerated an ongoing process. Leading world universities were already on a trajectory towards the incorporation of technology into pedagogy, for the advantages it offers in terms of data access and processing, wider access to resources, cost of education, shared coursework and competencies, collaborative research, and interactivity at all levels. On a strategic plan, the pandemic also drew the attention of NA universities to the larger question of preparedness for the fourth industrial revolution, digitalization, and digital transformation. As international higher education shifts toward science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and data science programs in order to face the ever-increasing mass of data now available, NA universities and educational decision makers are now also realizing the eventual costs of being left behind. Digitalizing course offerings is but a small part of the role universities have to play in promoting innovation and socio-economic development, through upskilling the current workforce, appropriately training that of tomorrow, and orienting research towards artificial intelligence. Recent initiatives taken in the region may be good indicators of what life after COVID-19 will look like in NA universities. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.