Which Governance Model for Moroccan Universities?

Abstract

The issue of the university’s models of governance is of cardinal importance and provokes great controversy. Academic literature has referred to different models or classifications of university governance. In the case of Morocco, a few articles address the issue of governance models in Moroccan universities. Here, we aimed to highlight the governance model currently adopted by Moroccan universities, adopting a descriptive and analytical approach, through the reading and analysis of the legislative texts and official reports that govern higher education in Morocco. We found that the governance of higher education evolved with Law 01.00 of the year 2000, from a model of governance controlled by the State to a model of governance supervised by the State. As a result, the autonomy of universities has been strengthened and stakeholder involvement has been broadened. It is a mixed model that brings together, with different degrees, characteristics of the “academic” model, the “political” model, the “bureaucratic” model, and the “stakeholder model” to some extent. However, given the multiple challenges and pressures faced by Moroccan universities such as employability and funding problems, we believe that they must change the paradigm to adopt a governance model that combines respect for academic values with the contribution to the socio-economic development of the nation, a more flexible model, more inclusive, more participatory and more entrepreneurial, which encourages self-employment, having a global vision and a regional vocation, oriented towards local development. This research is one of the first attempts at understanding the Moroccan university governance models. It enriches the theoretical literature on the crisis of Moroccan higher education, mainly the issue of governance models, and opens the way to new studies that aim to improve the governance and the quality of higher education.