Morocco Unveils Major University Reforms to Boost Transparency and English Education

Morocco is taking bold steps to modernize its universities. Minister of Higher Education Azzedine El Midaoui has announced a comprehensive plan to improve transparency, enhance academic standards, and expand the use of English across higher education institutions.
Speaking before the Education, Culture, and Communication Committee, El Midaoui said the ministry has introduced strict pedagogical controls for master’s programs. The reforms empower department heads and university leaders to oversee selection, reducing the influence of individual coordinators.
Morocco currently has around 45,000 master’s students, compared to 540,000 in France, highlighting the need for both regulation and expansion. The ministry is also revising the process for appointing university presidents, setting clear eligibility and selection criteria to ensure merit-based appointments.

Free Education and Accountability

El Midaoui reaffirmed that higher education will remain free, calling it a “settled issue not open to debate.” Any attempt to challenge this principle, he warned, will be rejected by the Higher Council for Education and Training.
The minister also addressed concerns over unrecognized continuing education programs offered by some universities for fees. All such certificates must now clearly state “continuing education” to avoid misuse for employment or promotion.

Gradual Shift to English

Emphasizing the global role of English in science and research, El Midaoui called its adoption an “urgent necessity.” The transition will begin with third- and fourth-year undergraduate science students, before expanding to master’s and doctoral programs in technical fields.
These reforms, he concluded, aim to make Moroccan universities transparent, accountable, and globally competitive, aligning with international academic standards.