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Marrakech – Three years of preparation have ended in disappointment for six Moroccan students who were deprived of representing their country at the 2024 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in England this July.
The students’ dreams were shattered due to administrative delays in processing their travel visas.
On July 19, the Moroccan Mathematical Community (MMC) issued a statement expressing deep concern over the absence of the national mathematics team from the IMO. This marks the first time Morocco has missed the competition since its initial participation in 1983.
“This incident does not align with national programs aimed at improving Morocco’s performance in the International Mathematical Olympiad, which is considered the most prestigious international scientific competition known for producing prominent mathematicians,” the MMC stated.
According to Math&Maroc, another mathematics organization, the Moroccan team was unable to travel to England for the 2024 IMO “due to delays in submitting visa applications by those responsible.”
The organization said they regretted that Morocco is now among the few countries unable to attend this year’s Olympiad, which saw participation from 108 nations.
MMC revealed that the cause of this incident “adds insult to injury,” referring to the nearly two-month delay in processing travel visa payments for the participants. This negligence has resulted in the waste of significant efforts made by the students, their parents, and the pedagogical team that had been training them for three consecutive years.
“What saddens us most is the deprivation of the six Moroccan participants who were chosen from among the best secondary school students and who passed selective tests over the past three years. Their dream was to represent Morocco in the International Mathematical Olympiad,” Math&Maroc emphasized.
A dream deferred
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), a source from MMC said that the truth of what happened was “far more mundane and preventable.”
“It turns out that some responsible individuals, most likely at the National Center for Pedagogical Innovation and Experimentation (CNIPE), made a shocking mistake by forgetting to process the visas for the participant students,” the source fumed.
The consequences of this administrative oversight were severe. Despite giving the authorities ample time to arrange visas, the students were informed on the day of their flight that they lacked the necessary travel documents. A last-minute attempt to secure visas at the TLS center proved futile due to the time required for international security procedures.
The impact of this mistake extends beyond the immediate disappointment. Participation in the IMO is not just about competition; it offers important networking opportunities and can significantly boost students’ future academic and career prospects.
The MMC source stressed that “networking that occurs during the week-long event is invaluable, allowing them to exchange ideas with some of the most brilliant scientists and mathematicians in the world.”
The long road to IMO
The journey to represent Morocco at the IMO marks years of hard work and unwavering dedication from the participants.
The preparatory program begins in the first year of high school, with an annual series of tests and CNIPE-sponsored assessments. These tests aim to identify the most promising mathematical talents in the country.
Selected students then embark on a demanding training regimen. During official holidays, they attend week-long camps featuring extensive courses and workshops in advanced mathematical topics such as number theory, combinatorics, and geometry. These sessions can last up to eight hours per day, pushing students to their intellectual limits.
Regular evaluations during the training camps serve to further refine the selection, ensuring only the best-performing students advance to represent Morocco on the international stage.
“Many students have started preparing for the international olympiads at younger ages during their middle school,” MMC told MWN, citing the example of MMC’s Junior Combinatorial Olympiads.
The olympiads introduce middle schoolers to advanced mathematical concepts rarely covered in standard educational programs.
A call for change
In light of the IMO 2024 debacle, MMC and many other organizations are advocating for significant changes in how Morocco approaches mathematical excellence and international competitions.
This includes a better collaboration between the Ministry of Education and civil society initiatives. While some partnerships exist, “the collaboration scope and mechanisms,” MMC said, “are still narrow and weak,” noting they need “further extension and improvement.”
Allowing more space for civil volunteers to contribute could enhance the national project of developing brilliant profiles in scientific and technical fields, the source stressed, adding that this approach could help prevent the loss of talented individuals who may feel undervalued in the current system.
MMC further called for concrete actions from concerned parties, including the Ministry of Education to address the situation. These include implementing measures to prevent similar organizational mistakes in future scientific Olympiads and providing compensation to the students who missed out on IMO 2024, possibly through educational offers and scholarships in Moroccan schools.
MMC also emphasized the importance of creating a nurturing environment for talented students.
“We cannot expect them to stay in this country, love it, and work for it if we do not offer a decent environment for them to thrive and shine and if their mental capacity is not valued as it should be,” the source stated.
Despite the setback, MMC encouraged the affected students to persevere in their pursuit of mathematical excellence, expressing hope that these brilliant young minds will overcome this disappointment and continue on their path to becoming the great mathematicians they aspire to be.
Talent blocked abroad
The story of these six Moroccan students is a tragic example of how restrictive visa policies can inhibit the mobility and potential of talented individuals from developing nations. This incident highlights the stark inequality in freedom of movement between citizens of Western countries and those from the global South, and raises important questions about the fairness and morality of such a system.
Visa restrictions imposed by Western nations on passport holders from developing countries are often justified on grounds of national security, immigration control, and the prevention of illegal overstays. However, these policies also serve to reinforce global power imbalances and limit opportunities for people from less privileged backgrounds to access international networks, resources, and platforms for personal and professional growth.
The case of the Moroccan students illustrates how even exceptional individuals who have earned the right to represent their country on a global stage can be denied this chance due to arbitrary bureaucratic hurdles.
The emotional and psychological toll on these young people, who had dedicated years of hard work and preparation for this moment, cannot be overstated. Their dreams were shattered not because of any personal failings, but because of a discriminatory system that places undue barriers on certain nationalities.
It is ironic that Western countries which pride themselves on values of human rights, equality, and meritocracy maintain a visa regime that so blatantly violates these principles. The right to freedom of movement is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, yet in practice this right is only selectively granted, with citizens of powerful nations enjoying far greater mobility privileges than others.
The recent example of Germany hiking the financial requirements for international students to obtain visas further demonstrates how these policies disproportionately affect those from developing countries.
By raising the minimum blocked account balance to €11,904 annually, Germany is effectively pricing out many talented students who may not have access to such substantial funds. Such decisions perpetuate a system where access to international education is determined by wealth rather than merit.
Moreover, the argument that these financial requirements are necessary to ensure students can support themselves overlooks the fact that many international students work part-time to fund their studies and living expenses. Restricting their entry on the basis of upfront financial capacity ignores their potential economic contributions as well as the intangible benefits they bring in terms of cultural diversity and intellectual collaboration.
The defenders of strict visa policies often argue that they are necessary to protect native workers and maintain social cohesion. However, this view is short-sighted and fails to recognize the immense value that international students and skilled migrants bring to host countries.
Numerous studies have shown that immigrants are net positive contributors to the economies of developed nations, filling skill gaps, starting businesses, and paying taxes. The fear-mongering narrative of immigrants as a burden on society is not only inaccurate but also deeply damaging.
Instead of erecting barriers, Western countries should be facilitating the mobility of talented individuals from all backgrounds as a means of fostering global cooperation, innovation, and human capital development.
Providing opportunities for people from developing countries to study, work, and engage with international networks is not only a moral imperative but also strategically beneficial in an increasingly interconnected world.
‘Their level in math is incredible’
Morocco’s history of success in mathematics and related olympiads is both impressive and well-documented, extending from national competitions to international stages and showcasing the country’s commitment to fostering mathematical talent and excellence in STEM fields.
Last year, during the Pan-African Mathematical Olympiads (OPAM 2023) held in Kigali, Rwanda, the Moroccan team demonstrated their prowess by securing first place with an impressive 159 points. This victory placed them ahead of strong competitors like Algeria and South Africa. The team’s performance was exceptional, with two gold medals, three silver medals, and one bronze medal.
A standout performer in this competition was Hiba El Ferchioui from Lycée Préparatoire Al Joulane in Chtouka Ait Baha in southwest Morocco.
El Ferchioui was crowned the “African Queen of Mathematics” after achieving the highest score among female participants with 35 points. Her teammate, Zineb Cherki, also excelled, becoming the runner-up and securing a gold medal in the overall ranking of female participants.
Following this outstanding performance, Ayman Riad Solh won a bronze medal, while Hiba El Ferchioui secured the Maryam Mirzakhani trophy at the same year’s International Mathematical Olympiad in Japan.
This adds to years of parallel success. In 2021, for instance, two Moroccan students studying at École Polytechnique in Paris, Issam Tauil and Ayman Echagraoui, won gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad, showcasing Morocco’s talent on a global stage.
Prepped for success at home to academically excel abroad
Morocco’s educational system has played a crucial role in nurturing this mathematical talent. The country boasts around 20 establishments offering 19 scientific preparatory classes, rivaling some of the most prestigious institutions in France.
Notable among these is the Lycée d’Excellence (Lydex) in Benguerir, which opened in 2015. As result of a public-private partnership with the OCP Group, the school has consistently produced students who gain admission to top French engineering schools, including the renowned École Polytechnique.
The success of Moroccan students in French educational institutions is particularly striking. As of 2022-2023, Moroccans formed the largest foreign student community in France, with 45,162 students. Of these, a significant proportion opted for engineering schools, with Morocco being the top country of origin for foreign students in these institutions.
French engineering schools saw an enrollment of 6,110 Moroccan students during this academic year, representing a 26% increase over the 2017-2022 period. Additionally, Moroccan students have a strong presence in French business schools, ranking second after China as the most popular origin country with 8,058 students in 2022-2023.
This success is attributed to several factors. Gilles Pagès, head of the “Probabilities and Finance” master’s program at Pierre-et-Marie-Curie University and Polytechnique, noted in a recent report the exceptional performance of Moroccan students, saying that they are “outperforming the French students.” He attributes this to the rigorous mathematics programs in Moroccan preparatory classes, which have maintained their high standards over the past fifteen years.
Moroccan excellence in French universities
The trend of Moroccan success in elite French institutions has continued into 2023, with a remarkable achievement reported by national and international media.
Moroccan students secured 40 out of 60 places reserved for international students at the prestigious École Polytechnique in Paris. This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy as it represents two-thirds of the available slots for foreign students. Even more impressive is that 25 of these 40 successful candidates were reported to have studied in Moroccan “classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles” (CPGE).
Lydex high school in Benguerir stood out with 17 admitted students and 4 on the waiting list. The newly established Lycée Méditerranéen de Martil (Lymed) also made a strong showing with 4 admitted students and 1 on the waiting list. This success extends beyond Polytechnique, with Moroccan students also excelling in other competitive exams, including 173 admissions to Mines-Ponts and 483 to Centrale-Supélec.
Many of these successful students come from public-private partnership (PPP) institutions, which have quickly gained academic notoriety. In fact, 23 out of the 25 admitted students from Moroccan preparatory classes were from PPP institutions.
The success of these Moroccan students is not limited to admissions. They often continue to excel once enrolled in these prestigious institutions. As Gaëlle Le Goff, Director of International Relations at École Polytechnique, notes, “Moroccan students are very well trained in mathematics and physics, their level is incredible.” She further adds that these students “stand out by winning prizes or competitions. They drive good team dynamics.”
The impact of this success extends beyond individual achievements. It has created a pipeline of talent that contributes significantly to both French and Moroccan industries. Many of these students gain valuable experience in France or internationally before returning to Morocco, bringing with them advanced skills and global perspectives that contribute to the country’s development.
Moreover, this success story is not just about the elite few. While many of these students come from Morocco’s upper classes, there are also numerous examples of students from middle-class backgrounds using this opportunity for phenomenal social advancement.
Moroccan brilliance from school to the workplace
The impact of this educational excellence extends beyond academia and into the professional world.
Moroccan graduates are highly sought after in French financial institutions. A research director at a major French bank told Marianne magazine that their newly graduated Moroccan employees are “very well trained in selective Moroccan high schools and preparatory classes.”
The results of Moroccan students are often “incredible” because Morocco — and Tunisia “to a lesser extent” —, he went on to say, is “pursuing a very dynamic policy of training engineers.”
This sustained success has led to a significant presence of Moroccan alumni in influential positions. The Moroccan alumni association of École Polytechnique boasts over 300 members, including former ministers like M’hamed Douiri (the first Moroccan polytechnician), Mohamed Kabbaj, and Driss Benhima, who served as CEO of Royal Air Maroc from 2006 to 2016.
It is time for a more equitable and inclusive approach to global mobility – one that recognizes the potential of every individual regardless of their nationality or economic status.
Only by dismantling these arbitrary barriers can we build a world where opportunities are truly based on merit and where everyone has the freedom to pursue their dreams and contribute to the global community.
Read also: Schengen Visas and the Neocolonial Violation of Moroccans’ Right to Travel
