dimanche 14 avril 2013

North African universities forge partnerships with France, Italy

Morocco and France have forged a series of higher education and research agreements, including the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean international technology institute, a lifelong learning institution and projects in the fields of health, engineering, management and architecture. Meanwhile, Tunisia and Italy are establishing a marine biotechnology partnership.

Eight agreements were signed in Rabat by French Higher Education and Research Minister Geneviève Fioraso and Lahcen Daoudi, the Moroccan minister for higher education, executive training and scientific research, during a state visit to Morocco this month by French President François Hollande.

There are about 32,000 Moroccan students studying in France, the country where the greatest number of Moroccans go abroad to study, and they represent the biggest national contingent of foreign students in France, just ahead of the Chinese.

The agreements were part of a new cooperative venture undertaken last year by the two ministers to construct a Euro-Mediterranean higher education and research area open to the African continent and based on innovation and a raised level of education, said a statement from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.

They relate to a ‘roadmap’ of planned projects covering 2013-15, signed in December.

The first two agreements were signed on 3 April.

The first related to the new École Centrale de Casablanca, due to open in 2014, an offshoot of the French Centrale grande école. The second confirmed the creation of INSA International, an international Euro-Mediterranean institute of technology supported by the INSA France group of engineering schools, which will be a centre for advanced studies in engineering, technology and management.

The next day, a further six agreements were ratified.

These were for development of a system of medical studies at University Ibn Zohr in Agadir; establishment of the Institut Méditerranéen de Logistique et des Transports; a new lifelong learning institution; installation in Morocco of an international technology university for middle management, in partnership with France’s Assemblée des Directeurs des IUT; a new school of architecture at the International University of Rabat; and a letter of intent to establish an international mixed research unit for collaboration in areas such as health, renewable energy, advanced technologies and management of natural resources.

Meanwhile, Tunisia and Italy are setting up a marine biotechnology partnership, reported La Presse of Tunis.

Part of a cooperation programme covering 2007-13, ‘BioVecQ’ – the Biotechnologie marine, vecteur d’innovation et de qualitéproject – will set up a network and laboratory for transfer of knowledge in the field of biomarine technologies in support of Tunisian and Sicilian small and medium-sized enterprises, reportedLa Presse.

Anna Dorangrichia, director of the project’s joint technical secretariat, said the idea was “to develop the best available technologies in fish production and put them at the disposal of small and medium businesses”.

The partners met for the first time at the end of March in Tunis. On the Tunisian side they are the Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer which initiated the project, the Biotech pôle de Sidi Thabet, the Groupement Interprofessionnel des Produits de la Pêche and the Institution de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur Agricole.

The Italian partners are the Parc Scientifique et Technologique de la Sicile, the Consortium Universitiare de la Province de Trapani, the Institut Zooprophylactique Expérimental de la Sicile-Mirri and the Département des Interventions pour la Pêche – Region Sicilienne, said La Presse.

The plan is for research and innovation to be carried out by consortia of Tunisian and Sicilian universities and technology institutes, with another part devoted to small and medium-sized enterprises, which will be involved from the outset through workshops and training.

Researchers and technicians will be able to pass on to the businesses the results they can apply to their production processes, said La Presse.

All the research results will be made public and freely available on the BioVecQ website.

The cooperation programme between Italy and Tunisia comes under the European Neighbourhood policy, and concerns five Sicilian provinces and the eight North Tunisian governorships, explained La Presse.

It finances activities concerned with themes including agriculture, environment, culture and energy, with a budget of €22.7 million for 2007-13.

* This article is drawn from local media. University World News cannot vouch for the accuracy of the original reports.

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20130412101209495

13 April 2013 Issue No:108

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