The impact of covid-19 on higher education: the case of Morocco

The period 1999-2009 was considered as "the decade of education" in Morocco because of the major projects of the overhaul of the education system which were launched during this period. This period was marked by profound reforms which affected the organization, pedagogy, and financial management of Moroccan universities to improve their performances and to offer the market a skilled workforce. In March 2020, Morocco recorded the first positive cases of Covid-19. Following this situation and in interaction with the international situation, the country has embarked on an anticipatory strategy to limit the spread of this new virus through confinement that lasted from March 20 to July 10, 2020, influencing the normal functioning of most sectors and disrupting the strategies of all sectors of activity. The higher education sector has not escaped the effects of the pandemic. Through this article, we wonder about the effect of covid-19 on Moroccan higher education, scientific research, and currents project launched in this sector. We found that the learning process in universities was the most negatively impacted by the pandemic, while the scientific research mission saw improvements in publications and research funding during the crisis. Finally, the article highlights lessons learned from this pandemic for the Moroccan higher education sector, which could be illustrative for other developing countries