Two Moroccan researchers join The World Academy of Sciences as fellows

Yahya Tayalati and Youssef Ouknine, two of Morocco’s top scientific researchers, have been made fellows of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) for the advancement of science in developing countries that has more than 1,400 scientists in around 100 countries.

Tayalti from Rabat-based Université Mohammed V and Ouknine from Marrakech-located Université Cadi Ayyad are members of a new cohort of 47 members joining the prestigious organization.

The cohort also includes 2021 Nobel laureate, Italian researcher Giorgio Parisi who won the prize in physics.

Tayalti, hailing from the eastern city of Jerada, is a global icon in Physics, astronomy and space science. He is reckoned with his contributions to the TLAS academy. The full Prof. made contributions to the construction and operation of the Liquid Argon Presampler and the observation of light-by-light scattering, ‘TWAS’ notes.

“He also played a crucial role in the field of neutrino physics, where his involvement in the preparation and deployment of the ANTARES telescope led to the establishment of competitive limits on exotic particles. Additionally, he collaborated with the Cubic Kilometer Neutrino Telescope KM3NeT to establish advanced production lines for optical modules and electro-optics routers in Morocco”, the Academy says on its website.

“Moreover, he initiated a project to involve Morocco in the ATLAS High Granularity Timing Detector upgrade, providing training opportunities for the youth, and facilitating technology transfer to his country. Member of the African Academy of Sciences and honorary member of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences, he has received the prestigious Mustafa Prize for all his contributions to researches in physics as well as promoting scientific development in Morocco and beyond, and the TWAS Arab Regional Award for 2022 in Science Diplomacy”, it added.

Ouknine on his part is joining the organization for scientific compliments chiefly in stochastic analysis and probability theory and their applications, focusing on stochastic calculus, optimal stopping, Malliavin’s calculus, stochastic differential equations (forward and backward) and fractional stochastic calculus.

Stochastic finance is currently one of his research concerns, ‘TWAS’ notes.

Prof. Ouknine published more than 160 scientific papers in reputed international peer-reviewed journals such as Annals of Applied Probability, Stochastic Processes and their Applications, Electronic Journal of Probability, Electronic Communications in Probability, Bulletin des Sciences Mathématiques, Journal of Theoretical Probability. The Moroccan researcher is also referee and co-editor of several scientific journals of high international repute.

“He is also one of the initiators of international meetings in stochastic analysis and probability theory, and several training schools in stochastic process theory. He is a member of the Hassan II Academy of Sciences and Technology, Morocco” TWAS emphasized.

The two Professors join a group of other Moroccan fellows including Prof. Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli from the College of Sciences, Université Mohammed V, Rabat. Moursli became TWAS fellow in 2018 thanks to her works in medical physics.