Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Morocco’s rising innovation hub, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), and the Infrastructure Department for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region of the World Bank Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance knowledge and collaboration across infrastructure sectors such as Energy, Transport, and Digital Development.
According to a statement released on Wednesday, the partnership is part of the “Road to Marrakech” initiatives in preparation for the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that is set to take place in October 2023 in Morocco.
The agreement aims to establish a collaboration framework between the two institutions to boost knowledge exchange and create internship opportunities for Moroccan students at the World Bank, the statement explains.
The statement adds that the partnership will also allow the use of both parties’ facilities to conduct analytical work, host workshops, and seminars, and bring together researchers and stakeholders for joint research, co-creation of knowledge products, and participation in learning opportunities that would further advance the development of the infrastructure sectors.
“The new collaboration reflects UM6P’s and the World Bank’s vision for accelerating the transition to a green economy and a digital transformation and how institutions join efforts to make more impact in Morocco, in several fields,” UM6P said in the statement.
Read also: UM6P: The Intellectual Front of Morocco’s Commitment to Africa
The World Bank and UM6P have collaborated on several projects in recent years. In February 2023, UM6P hosted the World Bank conference “The Global Gender – Road to Marrakech 2023,” on its Campus in Benguerir.
The event was the first global seminar of a series of meetings focused on development issues that will be addressed during the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund to be held in October 2023 in Marrakech.
The event was attended by a number of prominent features including the Minister of Solidarity, Social Inclusion and Family, Aawatif Hayar, the Minister of Finance of Indonesia, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, the Managing Director of Operations of the World Bank, Axel Van Trotsenburg and UM6P’s President Hicham El Habti.
“The seminar provided an opportunity for leaders and participants to discuss the role of women as leaders and agents of change in the labor market and in economies, in light of the structural changes and the green transition facing countries around the world,” the Moroccan university said in a statement.
During the event, most of the discussions revolved around changing social norms and increasing women’s representation in male-dominated sectors, such as STEM fields.
In July 2022, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency of the World Bank Group (MIGA) issued a guarantee of €570 million to finance the construction of UM6P’s campus in Rabat.
The guarantee, which was issued to Credit Agricole Corporate, Investment Bank of France, and BNP Paribas of France, covered loans to Morocco’s phosphate and fertilizer giant OCP Group.
The guarantee was extended for a period of 10 years, enabling funds to finance the new campus.
