Doctoral education in Morocco

Abstract

Education in general and higher education in particular are key factors in development. Recently, Morocco has put great emphasis on higher education as a major sector for its development. However, the Moroccan doctoral education system has not received much attention as it was initially not considered a priority. Following the French model, 2008 witnessed the adoption of the concept of doctoral centres and doctoral programmes in Moroccan universities. A new reform of the doctoral education system is underway to improve the quality of training and education and strengthen the research capacities of the young researchers to prepare them for the succession of the faculty members and the country’s intellectual elite. The aim of this chapter is to assess and evaluate doctoral education in Morocco within Cross and Backhouse’s framework based on the interrelationship between six elements that help to evaluate and design doctoral programmes. These elements answer six key questions, namely why, what, when, where, who, the resources and how. The study also examines the evolution of Moroccan doctoral programmes, with the focus on Mohammed V University (M5UR) in Rabat. The main objective of this chapter is to highlight the legal, academic and institutional perspectives and the practices that govern doctoral education in Morocco. This chapter discusses the specificities of different programmes, their contexts and the national scenario of doctoral education. An analysis of the data available on doctoral education is provided with the aim of revealing the current situation and to determine its perspectives and future prospects.