RABAT — King Mohammed VI received the members of Morocco’s new government, led by Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, at the Royal Palace in Rabat on Friday, October 16, with Azzedine El Midaoui retaining his position as Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation.
An academic and researcher by training, El Midaoui entered the government in October 2024, succeeding Abdellatif Miraoui. His appointment brought an experienced university administrator to a portfolio responsible for higher education, scientific research and innovation.
Born in Rabat in February 1959, El Midaoui pursued his higher education in France, where he earned a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Montpellier. He later obtained a second doctorate in Morocco and began his academic career as a professor at Mohammed V University in Rabat.
He subsequently joined Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra, where he held several academic and administrative positions, including head of the chemistry department and dean of the Faculty of Sciences. He became president of the university in 2014, a position that placed him at the center of university management and academic development.
Beyond university administration, El Midaoui has built a research career focused in part on water desalination. His research work involved 34 contracts and agreements that generated approximately MAD 15 million in funding. He also holds two international patents and received the Competitiveness Award for university-business partnerships in 2008.
His academic responsibilities extended to national and international institutions. He has served on Morocco’s Higher Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research and has been a member of the European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. He was also elected president of the Conference of Moroccan University Presidents in 2018.
A second term amid higher education reforms
El Midaoui’s first term unfolded amid debates over the direction of Morocco’s higher education system, including medical education and university governance.
One of the major legislative developments during his tenure was the adoption of Law No. 59.24 on higher education and scientific research by the House of Representatives in December 2025. The legislation seeks to strengthen university autonomy, improve coordination across the higher education system, support scientific research and innovation, and place students at the center of higher education policy.
In September 2026, the government also adopted three draft decrees related to implementing the law. The proposed measures addressed the national coordination of higher education, the organization of university institutions and degree programmes, and the application of provisions governing higher education and scientific research.
Beyond his university leadership, El Midaoui has contributed extensively to scientific research, particularly in water desalination and water resource management. He has also led the International Water Research Institute at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University.
His research record includes 142 publications in peer-reviewed international journals and the supervision of 42 doctoral theses. He has also registered two international patents as the lead inventor in his field.
El Midaoui has overseen 40 research agreements and partnership contracts with socioeconomic stakeholders, securing a total of MAD 40 million in funding. His work has earned him several national and international awards, including the 2008 Competitiveness Award, which recognized projects promoting partnerships between universities and the private sector.
During his career, El Midaoui also oversaw the development of Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra. Under his leadership, the university rose to the top position nationally, while the number of its institutions increased from five to 11.
His reappointment gives El Midaoui continuity in overseeing these reforms as Morocco’s new government begins its work. His next term will keep higher education, scientific research and innovation under the leadership of a minister whose career has largely been rooted in academia and university administration.
