• Morocco, Portugal launch academic forum to boost university ties, student mobility

• Event supports 2023 pledge to deepen “Global Strategic Partnership” across sectors

• Morocco's student population rose 5.3% to 1.3 million in 2024–2025
  

Morocco and Portugal held the first edition of the “Morocco-Portugal Academic Meetings: Horizon 2030” on Saturday, Nov. 8, at Mohammed V University’s Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences in Rabat. The event coincided with celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Green March.

The meeting brought together researchers, academics, and institutional representatives to explore new opportunities for cooperation in higher education and student mobility. Discussions focused on university partnerships, economic links, and future collaboration.

Dean Mustapha Machrafi said the gathering aimed to build strong, long-term ties between Moroccan and Portuguese universities and strengthen dialogue between the two academic communities.

Expanding a “Global Strategic Partnership”

The initiative builds on an already strong partnership between Morocco and Portugal, which cooperate across political, economic, education, and security fields. Recent agreements include the creation of a Joint Economic Council in 2021 to boost trade and investment in key sectors such as digital technology, aeronautics, and energy.

Following the 14th High-Level Meeting in Lisbon in May 2023, the two countries issued a joint declaration pledging to upgrade their relationship to a “Global Strategic Partnership.”

The initiative also comes as both governments seek to broaden academic and scientific cooperation. Morocco’s Higher Education Minister Azzedine El Midaoui said the country had nearly 1.3 million students in the 2024–2025 academic year, a 5.3% increase from the previous year. Data from Portugal’s Higher Education Ministry, cited by specialized outlets, show more than 446,000 students enrolled in 2022-2023, 17% of them foreign nationals.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou