Morocco and Mauritania have strengthened their cooperation with the signing of two partnership agreements as part of an ambitious project aimed at promoting specialized higher education and training of highly qualified Mauritanian executives in the agricultural sector.
The two agreements were signed on Thursday in Nouakchott by Secretary General of the Mauritanian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mohamed Bilal, Director of the Higher Institute of Technological Education of Rosso, Chamekh Mbareck, and Director of the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (IAV Hassan II), Abdelaziz El Hraiki, in the presence of the Mauritanian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Yacoub Ould Moine.
The first agreement, financed by the Islamic Development Bank, focuses on strengthening the local higher education offering through the establishment of a school for training agricultural engineers in Kaédi and a veterinary school in Néma.
It aims to support Mauritanian capacities by providing technical and scientific assistance, developing curricula and training programs specific to the two institutions, and adopting the best international standards in education, while considering the country’s specificities.
The agreement also provides for the training of 15 executives at the doctoral level (four years), who will form the core of the teaching staff of the two institutions, in addition to continuous and qualifying training for administrative and technical staff, to ensure efficient management in line with international academic standards.
The second agreement seeks to promote cooperation between IAV Hassan II and the Higher Institute of Technological Education of Rosso in the fields of scientific research, innovation, and socio-economic development.
It notably covers the implementation of joint research projects, the enhancement and exploitation of their results, the exchange of successful experiences in administrative, academic, and financial management, shared access to libraries and documentary resources, as well as the development of distance learning.
On this occasion, the Director of IAV Hassan II stressed that the two agreements constitute a “concrete model” of South–South cooperation, illustrating the spirit of fraternity and solidarity that unites the two countries.
He noted that the shared challenges facing Morocco and Mauritania, particularly in terms of food security, rural development, and adaptation to climate change, require the training of qualified executives and the strengthening of cooperation between academic and scientific institutions.
Morocco’s ambassador to Nouakchott, Hamid Chabar, highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation in the field of training senior executives, particularly in the agricultural sector (engineers and veterinarians). He added that Mauritania has significant assets in this area, notably fertile land, water resources, a favorable climate, and a sizeable livestock population.
