Reflecting on local responses to globalization: The case of Morocco's higher education policy reforms

Morocco is one of the countries that deemed it necessary to introduce many educational reforms out of a sense of nationalism. The post-colonial area in Morocco witnessed many changes and reforms in the educational sector. Higher Education is one of the sub-sectors that received special attention and has thus been able to significantly contribute to the country's knowledge and economic development. In the last decade however, the Higher education sector could not answer adequately to the demand and supply requirement of the Moroccan society and economy. This inadequacy of higher education coincides with a new trend known as "Globalization". The position adopted in this study adheres to the idea that globalization can be understood as interconnectedness between the local and the global.; This study sought to investigate the local and global forces motivating the 2000 Higher Education reform in Morocco. Specifically, this study's purpose is: to assess the current higher education policy reforms in Morocco; identify the local and global forces behind the reform project; identify existing correlations between globalization and localization and identify how global messages are re-signified in the context of Morocco; assess the response and the readiness of universities to the reform; and identify the role of the World Bank and the UNESCO in shaping Morocco's new reform of higher education.; The qualitative method of triangulating document analysis, interviewees' accounts and focus groups brought to the surface four main themes. The scrutiny of the charter has led to significant conclusions: Globalization served policy makers as a reflecting mirror of local ills and handicaps contributing to the breakdown of Morocco's higher education system. The interconnectedness between the local and the global characterized by contention and reconciliation encouraged policy-makers to begin to reach consensus, develop a global sense of awareness of local issues, and be receptive to global messages and thus propose re-signified strategies to improve the quality of and update the sector of higher education.