Desired Emigration: How France Exploits Morocco Through Scientific Research and Higher Education

France continues to exploit Moroccan talent, drawing the finest local students to fuel its economy with skilled young individuals. However, this is done without contributing to their preparation on any level.

One recent evidence of this exploitation is the enrollment of Moroccan students at the renowned Polytechnique school in Paris for the academic year 2023/2024.

Researchers and observers from Morocco express concerns about the dominance of Moroccan students among the accepted foreign students at this prestigious French school.

They assert that what is occurring amounts to a migration of exceptional talents and minds.

The Polytechnique, a diverse technical school, was founded in 1794 in France. It falls under the purview of the Ministry of Defense as a public institution for teaching and research. It stands as a key hub for French and European higher education and research.

On August 2, 2023, the local newspaper Achkayen reported that the Many Moroccans took the lead in the list of successful candidates in the entrance exams for France's Polytechnique engineering school.

The same source reported that over 40 Moroccan students successfully passed the entrance exam for this renowned school.

Moroccan students once again managed to remain at the forefront of foreign students who succeeded in the entrance competitions for the Polytechnique school.

The report mentioned that "out of the 60 foreign students who will join this school this year, 41 students are from Morocco."

On the other hand, 10 students from Tunisia were accepted into the mentioned French school, along with one student from other countries, including China, Canada, Chile, Austria, Romania, Czech Republic, Lebanon, Congo, and Algeria.

The French Embassy in Morocco expressed its congratulations via a post on its Facebook page on August 2, 2023, for the Moroccan students' prominence among the accepted foreign students at the Polytechnique school in Paris.

 

A Tragedy or a Source of Pride?

While some view these numbers as a source of pride for Morocco and its national education system, others perceive them as indicative of a tragedy, with their negative costs outweighing their positive outcomes.

In this context, Ismael Saadoune, a professor at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, believes that the success of 40 Moroccan students out of 60 foreign students is a commendable achievement for Moroccans.

He further expressed to Hespress on August 2 that "this same phenomenon occurs in major universities and multidisciplinary schools worldwide, where Moroccans outperform their counterparts from various countries."

Saadoune highlighted that "if this accomplishment is comprehensively addressed, it will likely lead to a decline in the number of Moroccan students going abroad, especially considering that there are Moroccan universities with modern educational methods comparable to those in advanced countries.

"Progress is not limited to infrastructure and educational methods, but also extends to the cognitive capacities of Moroccan students."

Saadoune further elaborated, "What we currently observe is a distinct excellence in the cognitive abilities of Moroccan students, indicating a radical transformation in the Moroccan higher education landscape."

He emphasized, "The kingdom has sufficient capabilities to attract Moroccan students to complete their higher education, particularly as our educational system, despite the criticism it faces, is pivotal for enhancing cognitive capacities and achieving excellence, evident in the results of competitions in foreign schools, institutes, and universities."

He added, "These outstanding Moroccan students abroad have not been lost to their homeland. Assuming that the majority of them intend to return to Morocco and utilize their qualifications for the benefit of their country, this makes Morocco the primary beneficiary.

"Returning students who have completed their education abroad possess significant qualifications and serve as valuable ambassadors. We will greatly benefit from them, just as we benefit from our students here in Morocco, who exhibit exceptional qualifications."

On the other hand, Abdulhak Ghreib, a professor of sciences at Chouaib Doukkali University, holds a different perspective. He considers the entry of 41 outstanding students from Morocco into the Polytechnique school a loss for Morocco and a painful blow to the country's need for its promising youth.

Ghreib said to Al-Estiklal that this is part of a policy pursued by France and others to attract foreign talents in general and African talents in particular.

"Experience has shown that any exceptional Moroccan student who sets foot in an institution of higher education in France or elsewhere rarely returns to Morocco. Instead, they work and attain citizenship there, and they might never return."

"When the unemployed and highly skilled workforce alike are disinclined to live and settle in their homeland, opting to emigrate to other countries, it's time to read the future of the country," he warned.

 

A Maghrebi Phenomenon

It's not only Moroccan students who are being attracted to French schools and universities, but also their peers from the wider Maghreb region, particularly Algeria and Tunisia.

As previously reported by Al-Maghribia on July 25, 2023, French universities and institutes continue to maintain their leading position as preferred destinations for Maghrebi students pursuing higher education.

The total number of foreign students welcomed by French universities in the 2022–2023 academic year reached 400,000 students, with the majority coming from Maghreb countries.

Moroccans topped the list of foreign students in France, with a count of 46,371 students during the last academic year, marking a 22% increase compared to statistics from the period between 2016 and 2021.

Consistently for the past three years, Moroccan students also ranked first among foreign students in higher engineering schools in France, with a total of 6,064 registered students for the 2022–2023 academic year.

Algerian students ranked second, with 31,032 students, demonstrating a 19% increase compared to the period from 2016 to 2021 and a 3% increase compared to 2022.

Algerian students ranked eighth in the institutes of higher engineering schools in France. Meanwhile, they ranked fourth in the list of foreign students pursuing doctoral degrees in France.

Tunisian students ranked sixth, following Senegal, Italy, and China, with a total of 13,661 students, marking a 10% increase compared to the period from 2016 to 2021.

Following Moroccan and Chinese students, Tunisian students ranked third in the list of foreign students coming to France for engineering studies. Additionally, they secured the ninth position among the total number of students in business schools.

An article titled In finance, these Moroccan engineers who 'make fun of the French', in the French magazine Marianne in November 2022, discussed this phenomenon, which it described as "huge." It mentioned that in some sections of major French banks, the percentage of Maghrebi engineers can reach up to 40%.

On November 14, 2022, Independent Arabia attributed this success to the quality of mathematics training in high schools and preparatory classes in Morocco.

According to Gilles Pages, a mathematics professor and head of the Probability and Finance master's program at Pierre and Marie Curie University, one of the top French universities, Moroccans are the highest achievers in terms of certificates awarded by this university. Moroccan engineers are also the leading foreign workforce in the banking sector.

Pages affirmed that Moroccan engineers in France stand out not only in the banking and financial sector but also in the technology sector.

According to the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, over 600 engineers leave Morocco each year to pursue their profession abroad.

The Moroccan Federation of Telecommunication Information Technology and Offshoring (APEBI) also mentioned that numerous French companies directly organize workshops for recruitment in Moroccan hotels.

This same source highlighted that French President Emmanuel Macron encourages attracting talent in the technology sector and facilitates their departure procedures from the country. France offers them the "French Tech Visa" to grant them entry permits in a very short time.