The Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME) held a conference on Wednesday, 23 April 2025, at the International Book and Publishing Fair (SIEL) in Rabat. It focused on “education, teaching, research, and skills mobility”. The debate featured Jamal Bouoiyour, a professor at the University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour (UPPA), Mohammed Benlahssen, a quantum physics professor and former President of the University of Picardie Jules Verne, Rachid Guerjouma, a professor of acoustics and former President of the University of Le Mans, and Abdelmounim Belalia, a strategy professor and Director General of Mundiapolis University. The debate was moderated by Mohamed Metalsi, a writer, urban planner, and UNESCO heritage expert.
The challenges of migration and mobility are human, social, and economic development in countries of origin, transit, and destination, as well as ethical, legal, and political issues. Given the rapid progress in technology these challenges are central to interdisciplinary research and Moroccan public policy.
In his remarks, Jamal Bouoiyour, an economist and migration specialist, presented findings from his research on the economic contributions of the diaspora. He highlighted the necessity of leveraging diaspora skills to address stagnation in certain economic indicators. Mr Bouoiyour, questioned how to use these skills in the best way possible, stressing the need to identify Morocco’s specific needs and assess the capacity of its economy. The idea being, is to “absorb” these talents, starting with accurate statistical data on Moroccan migrants. He also emphasised the importance of recognising the diversity within the Moroccan community and the evolving mindsets across generations and called for practical proposals to encourage Moroccan talents to contribute to projects in their country of origin, underscoring the role of cultural attachment—a key focus of the CCME since its inception—as the strongest and most enduring link to their roots.
“Why did we leave?” asked Mohammed Benlahssen, framing his contribution to the panel. “We were in an ecosystem where the word ‘progress’ was dominant,” likening it to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, where certain perceptions of France drove their ambitions. Unlike today’s younger generations, “the vast majority of us didn’t plan to stay in France; we all intended to return.” Having now spent more time in France than in Morocco, the Amiens University researcher is keen to contribute to his country of origin, but with specific goals: “to add value and be useful.” To achieve this, he advocated for collaboration with local expertise and targeting economic niches where differential contributions can be made. Leveraging the expertise accumulated over four generations in France or other developed countries would be highly beneficial for Morocco and its partners, fostering a “win-win partnership.”
Drawing on his experience working with Valérie Pécresse when she was France’s Minister of Higher Education and Research, Benlahssen noted striking figures: “France trains 6,000 engineers and 6,000 directors annually. Fifty percent of the latter are of foreign origin, and 70% of those are Moroccan.”
Rachid Guerjouma, for his part, said: on attracting Moroccan talents abroad across various fields proposed creating suitable frameworks to facilitate mobility between their country of residence and origin. “Offering better conditions goes beyond salaries; it requires work”.
