Nabil Hmina: Ibn Zohr University Set to Establish Scientific Laboratories with National and International Reach in the Southern Provinces (Interview)

In an interview with Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) on the occasion of Unity Day, Ibn Zohr University President Nabil Hmina highlighted the significance of this occasion for the university community and the transformations undergone by higher education and scientific research in the Kingdom’s southern provinces.

He also discussed the expansion of the university offering in the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, the alignment of academic programs with labor-market needs, the university’s role in strengthening African cooperation, as well as priorities for developing scientific research and supporting innovation.

1- What significance does the celebration of Unity Day hold for the university community, and how does this occasion reflect the progress made in higher education and scientific research in the Kingdom’s southern provinces?

Unity Day carries profound symbolic significance and provides an opportunity to renew national mobilization around our foremost cause, that of the Moroccan Sahara. The university is an essential partner in consolidating national belonging and preserving identity.

This occasion also makes it possible to highlight the considerable progress made by higher education in the southern provinces, from its early beginnings to the establishment of an integrated university offering that enables young people from these provinces to receive training in promising fields that meet the needs of their regions and their development prospects.

2- In recent years, the city of Dakhla has seen its university offering expanded, culminating in the launch of the National School of Advanced Technologies. How do you assess this dynamic, and what impact will it have on the region’s positioning as a university and scientific hub?

This expansion represents a positive and qualitative development that is in line with the Royal vision of making the southern provinces a driver of integrated development. The launch of the National School of Advanced Technologies marks an important milestone in this process, as it enables young people from the southern provinces to pursue engineering studies in their own region, rather than being forced to attend institutions far from their homes.

This expansion should also strengthen Dakhla’s university offering through high-quality programs that address the region’s needs.

3- Through its institutions in Dakhla, how is Ibn Zohr University adapting academic programs to labor-market needs and supporting the region’s major development projects?

In all the regions where it operates, the university takes into account the needs of its economic environment through partnerships with institutional and professional stakeholders when developing academic programs. Programs suited to the southern provinces are not necessarily those that meet the needs of other regions. That is why we make sure to build on the specific characteristics of each region and its promising sectors.

For the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab and Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra regions, we are focusing on tourism, logistics, renewable energy, the blue economy and maritime fisheries. These are the areas on which we are working, particularly in preparing the engineering programs scheduled to open at the National School of Advanced Technologies.

4- Given Dakhla’s strategic position and its growing openness to its African surroundings, what role can university institutions play in strengthening academic and scientific cooperation with African and international universities?

Dakhla’s geographical and strategic position offers the university significant opportunities to strengthen its engagement with Africa. University institutions in the southern provinces host students from African countries, further reinforcing this orientation.

We are also working to develop training and research structures in fields of relevance to the African continent, such as food security, water, energy and logistics, in order to strengthen academic and scientific cooperation around shared challenges.

5- What are Ibn Zohr University’s main future projects and priorities for developing higher education and scientific research in the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, and for expanding training and innovation opportunities for young people in the southern provinces?

We are relying on academic diplomacy and on strengthening the university’s influence at the national level and across Africa through three main areas on which we will focus in the coming years: expanding the educational offering, supporting scientific research and promoting innovation in the southern provinces.

The first area concerns the development of academic programs, particularly at the recently launched National School of Advanced Technologies, through programs in promising fields including renewable energy, maritime fisheries and the blue economy.

The second area involves strengthening scientific research, with the National School of Business and Management and the Higher School of Technology already serving as pillars in the region. We seek to support and develop this activity in order to increase the university’s overall scientific output.

In this regard, we are preparing to open scientific laboratories in the southern provinces with national and international reach, which will help support and advance scientific research in these regions.

The third area relates to innovation, through the organization of competitions within university institutions for students, with the aim of embedding a culture of innovation in their education. We will also work to establish incubators to support students with innovative projects and help them develop their ideas through to the creation of businesses.