Morocco World News
Morocco World News
New York, November 27, 2012
Moroccan phosphates company ‘Office Chérifien des Phosphate’, known by its French acronym as OCP, is set to establish a world-class university to boost research and development. First of its kind in the country, the University will be established in Mohammed VI Green City, located in Benguerir, north of Marrakesh.
“As part of our mission to promote research and development, OCP will be launching the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, a world-class institution of higher learning to be built in the new Mohammed VI Green City in Benguerir, 50 miles north of Marrakesh, and set to open in the next few years,” said a press release issued by the Phosphates company.
The institution will be financed by OCP, the world’s leader in Phosphates and its derivatives.
The university, which will be called Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, will “focus on education, research and development (R&D), transfer of technologies, the adoption of innovative and promising projects, and partnerships with the corporate world.”
The University itself will “emphasize R&D in areas critical to OCP Group’s development (such as mining, sustainable development and industrial management) and to the economic, social, higher education and environmental future of Morocco,” says OCP.
With the establishment of this university, which will include experimental laboratories dedicated to research in mining and chemistry, OCP aims to “attract qualified students and researchers from around the world who are proficient in these critical elements of our business.”
The institution, which will extend over 120 hectares and will award bachelor and Master’s degrees, will include a number of schools in the following fields: management, engineering, dry-land farming, green technologies and sustainable development, town planning and architecture, business and management, governance and public administration and health sciences.
It will also set up up partnerships with international institutions such as the École des Mines de Paris, Hautes Études Commerciales de Paris and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US.
A Leader in Cooperate Social Responsibility
Since the appointment of Mr. Mustapha Tarrab, a PhD holder from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, OCP witnessed a wholesale overhaul, which translated in higher revenues for the company and the launching of programs that aim at creating jobs for the most underprivileged people in Morocco, especially unemployed graduates from cities such Khouribga, Youssoufia and Benguerir, which host about 90% of the country’s phosphates.
Last year OCP launched the operation “OCP Skills”. This initiative aims at funding 52 projects for small and medium companies in the cities that host the OCP industrial compounds.
Through this program OCP will offer 11000 beneficiaries the opportunity to pursue a training delivered by the Vocational Training Office and other institutions, namely the institute for Post office and communication, the Mohammedia School for Engineers, the Moroccan school of Bridges and Roads and Casablanca School for Engineers.
These beneficiaries will participate in 647 workshops for orientation in addition to monthly full scholarships that varies between 1,200 and 2,000 MAD a month [1 USD = 8.5 MAD]. They would also benefit from training sessions in an array of fields.
The OCP aims at empowering graduates with relevant skills in addition to enhancing their employability within the OCP area of expertise or other sectors.
In 2010, OCP had also launched the OCP Innovation Fund for Agriculture (IFA) to promote investment in agriculture and food industry. The project which is endowed with 200 Million Dirhams, is directed towards all projects likely to create job opportunities and sustainable development. The entrepreneurs selected will also benefit from coaching and counseling in management provided by experts.
The Cherifan Group stands out also as a pioneer in green investment. It has laid the foundation of two concepts “Green Mine” ad “Green city” in the regions where it has mining projects. The OCP intervention includes the creation of green areas in cooperation with the local authorities.
The OCP, a state owned Moroccan company created in 1920, is the world’s biggest exporter of phosphates and derivatives.
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed
