Swiss Delegation to Visit Morocco to Bolster Cooperation in Research and Innovation

The Swiss delegation is led by Swiss State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation Martina Hirayama.

During this three-day visit, Hirayama will be accompanied by a scientific delegation made up of representatives of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO) and the the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), said a statement from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation in Switzerland (SERI).

« One of the main objectives of this scientific mission is to deepen bilateral relations through direct contacts with local actors and institutions. »

Switzerland and Morocco have good relations in the field of science founded on a number of instruments. Within the framework of the pilot activities of the Leading House HES-SO, cooperation between Swiss and Moroccan researchers is the most intensive.

Further instruments include the Swiss Confederation’s Government Excellence Scholarships, which since 1961 have enabled more than 70 Moroccan scientists to pursue research in Switzerland.

The HES-SO is responsible for piloting new instruments of cooperation on research and innovation with high potential countries in the MENA region such as Morocco.

Moroccans constitute the largest community of African students in Switzerland. Furthermore, a number of direct partnerships already exist between Swiss and Moroccan universities, including the Excellence in Africa initiative, launched by EPFL and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in 2020. The initiative aims to support research excellence across the African continent through various programs.

The program of this visit includes the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation to strengthen cooperation in the fields of research and innovation, SERI said.

At the same time, the HES-SO, appointed by the Swiss Confederation as Leading House for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), will sign a cooperation agreement with the ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation. A call for projects will be launched based on the agreement, co-funded by the Directorate and the Leading House and open to researchers in Switzerland and Morocco.

The Swiss delegation will continue its program with a visit to the Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research and to the centre of excellence in artificial intelligence, AI Movement. Further visits are planned to Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Ben Guerir and Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech.