Overview

The British Council’s Research Environment Links (REL) programme was launched in Morocco in 2021 to foster research collaboration between the UK and Morocco.

By supporting capacity-strengthening activities and facilitating medium- to long-term partnerships, REL built sustainable academic and research links. The programme’s flexible grant model enabled tailored initiatives aligned with national priorities, fostering innovation and addressing critical global challenges.

Key Objectives

The REL programme focuses on enhancing research and innovation capacities by:

  • Promoting International Collaboration: Building synergies between UK and Moroccan institutions to address global challenges.
  • Strengthening Research Governance: Improving research methods, grant management, and institutional processes to improve overall governance.
  • Advancing Thematic Priorities: Supporting thematic areas like climate change, sustainability, and education to meet the specific developmental needs of partner countries.
  • Fostering Inclusion and Skills Development: Prioritizing gender and social inclusion in science while building the capacities of early-career researchers and professionals.

Milestones in Morocco

REL’s impact in Morocco reflects its commitment to transformative partnerships:

Climate Action and Community Engagement: Through collaborations such as the University College London and Ibn Tofail University partnership established in 2021

  • "Building Capacity for Participatory Action Research on Climate Change in Morocco", REL has supported participatory action research, engaging local communities to co-develop climate change solutions. The programme included 115 beneficiaries with early-career researchers receiving structured training on participatory research and climate action. A multi-stakeholder research group was established, connecting early-career researchers with local farmers in Sidi Taibi to co-develop climate adaptation strategies. Finally Ibn Tofail University was integrated into Climate-U, a global research network spanning 17 universities across six continents, strengthening international collaboration.

Institutional Capacity Building: The South-North Co-learning: Morocco-UK Synergies for Research Capabilities project, led by Keele University (2021/2022) in partnership with the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, played a pivotal role in shaping the UK-Morocco research collaboration landscape. Key outcomes of the project included:

  • Upskilling of over 270 Moroccan university representatives on research funding, grant management, and intellectual property.
  • High-level visits between Moroccan university representatives and Keele University to explore collaboration opportunities, including dual PhD programmes.
  • The co-development of a Master’s programme in research management and administration.
  • Discussions on science park infrastructure and joint PhD programmes to strengthen research capabilities.

From Capacity Building to Doctoral Partnerships

Following the South-North Co-learning project, Keele University and the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education continued discussions on strengthening bilateral research collaboration. Building on the connections and insights gained from the REL initiative, these discussions evolved into formalised doctoral partnerships between Keele University and four Moroccan universities— Ibn Tofail University (Kenitra), Hassan I University (Settat), Hassan II University (Casablanca), and Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University (Fez). The dual PhD programme was officially launched in January 2025.

  • The first milestone of the programme will enable 10 Moroccan PhD students to conduct research in both countries in 2025, benefiting from joint supervision and academic exchange.
  • A pilot co-tutelle programme in Humanities and Social Sciences has been launched, with plans to expand into other faculties in the coming years.
  • The collaboration will serve as a model for sustainable UK-Morocco academic partnerships, reinforcing research capacity and mobility between institutions.

REL’s achievements were celebrated during the Doctoral Links Reception on January 15, 2025, hosted by the British Ambassador to Morocco in Rabat. The event marked a milestone in the UK- Morocco higher education partnership, highlighting the British Council’s role in driving long-term academic collaboration through the Research Environment Links programme, and was attended by Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, Prof. Azzedine Midaoui and other distinguished guests from academia and government.

The Research Environment Links programme has been instrumental in establishing the groundwork for UK-Morocco academic collaboration. By fostering research capacity, promoting institutional partnerships, and facilitating structured knowledge exchange, REL has contributed to sustainable, high-impact initiatives—culminating in joint doctoral programmes that will shape the next generation of researchers in both countries.

 

External links

Share this