Reasons Behind the Outperformance of Moroccan Students in France Top Engineering Universities

Moroccan students' impressive achievements in France’s top engineering universities along with their talent and great abilities in mathematics and physics made them at the center of the France media attention. Controversy and questions were raised about the reasons behind their spectacular accomplishments.

The French newspaper Le Figaro reported that Moroccan students often win the competitions of the best French engineering faculties, such as Polytechnic and CentraleSupélec.

It pointed out: “Every year, Moroccan students top the science competitions in French engineering schools; The Polytechnic School currently hosts 160 Moroccan students, 110 of whom are pursuing engineering majors.”

From her part, Gaëlle Le Goff, director of international relations at the Polytechnic College said: “Moroccan students are very skilled and well trained in mathematics and physics, their abilities are amazing.”

She added describing Moroccan students: “They stand out by winning prizes or competitions. They stimulate a good team dynamic."

In fact, at the start of the current academic year, Issam Tauil and Ayman Echagraoui, two Moroccan Polytechnic students, won gold medals at the International Mathematics Olympiad.

 

French Diploma and Moroccan Ruling Elites

The French diploma in Morocco is an opening gate to join Morocco’s ruling elites and intellectual class. In fact, Moroccan students strive to get a diploma from the highly ranked French universities in order to get credit and recognition in their country.

Ironically, even a diploma from the world’s best universities cannot be as valuable as a France diploma in the mind of the Francophone ruling lobby in Morocco.

Philippe Dufourcq deputy general manager of CentraleSupélec explained this fact by saying: “In Morocco, obtaining a French engineering degree is seen as a key to joining the ruling elite. Moroccans who have gone through Centrale or Polytechnique can work there as engineers, but also create businesses, run a large group, and engage in politics," he added, "The Francophonie, cultural and emotional proximity, of course also play a major role.”

The number of Moroccan students studying in France during the current academic year is 44,933, according to Campus France, 13% of whom chose engineering faculties.

The Polytechnic School includes the Moroccan Association of Ex-Students in the institution, with more than 300 members, such as former minister Mohamed Douiri, Mohamed el-Kabbaj, and Driss Benhaima, former CEO of Royal Air Maroc.

 

Hard Times Create Strong Men

Mohamed el-Asri, a 21-year-old Moroccan engineering student at Télécom Paris, said to Le Figaro “Passing the entrance exam was not more difficult for me than any French student, I was well prepared.”

El-Asri entered the French Communications School through the Benkrir High School, located near Marrakech. It is noteworthy that Benkrir is a small poor city in Morocco far from the capital known for its genius students. In 2021, 11 students from the institution, which opened in 2015, joined the School of Communication.

The famous expert in strategic planning and family relations Dr. Ibrahim Talioua told Al-Estiklal: “Hard times create strong men and tough conditions of many Moroccan families push their children to dedicate their time and efforts in education aiming for a better future for them and for their families.”

He emphasized: “Those who were nominated to study at the top French engineering universities have succeeded in passing the most difficult exams in Morocco. Therefore, they are the most talented and hard-working, and hard work pays off.”

 

Unequal Job Opportunities in France

The expert Talioua elucidated that the desire to prove oneself by excelling in a different society that does not accept foreigners easily may also be one of the endeavors pushing Moroccan students to do all their best during the study period.

He added that It is not evident for a Moroccan to get a good job offer in France unless he or she is far more brilliant than all their French peers and colleagues. Thus, excellence remains the only option to get the desired future.

The Institute for Public Policy (IPP) published on November 24, 2021, based on recent large-scale testing, that the French of Maghreb origins face “very significant” hiring discrimination.

The study, which was reported by the French magazine Le Point, revealed that on average, at comparable quality, applications of Maghreb origins have a 31.5% less chance of being contacted by recruiters than those with a first and last name of French origin. The study was conducted under the aegis of the statistical service of the Ministry of Labor (Dares).

 

Stimulating Environment

Dr. Ibrahim Talioua explained to Al-Estiklal: “The outperformance of Moroccan students in French universities proves that when the appropriate conditions are set, Moroccans can flourish and succeed.”

He added: “Excellence, success and creativity have no nationality or identity. Rather, success is closely linked with the appropriate conditions and the favorable environment. In fact, many Moroccan students are geniuses and are able to show exceptional talent in different fields but they lack the opportunity to join a well-established education system. A system that can boost, forge and enhance their abilities.”

He stressed: “Here, I refer to the story of the Moroccan student who was expelled from the Institute of Technicians in Morocco because his grades did not qualify him for success at the time. Today he is pursuing his higher studies in Belgium and he even obtained a patent. The conclusion is that brilliance is the result of a suitable climate and environment before it is associated with a person’s abilities.”

The superiority of Moroccan students in France comes at a time when Chakib Benmoussa, Minister of National Education, Preliminary Education and Sports, revealed that 70 percent of students in Morocco face difficulties in reading, writing and mathematics.