TAM Report / Morocco - Digital and AI skills

GENERAL INFORMATION

TAM title: Digital and AI skills for Higher Education

Type of Event: Seminar and workshop

Modality: Hybrid

Location: University Mohammed V, Rabat

Country: Morocco

Dates: 17 and 18 February 2025

Participants: The TAM gathered 108 participants from across the Moroccan higher education ecosystem, including representatives from all 12 public universities, non-university institutions, ministry officials, vice-presidents and vice-deans, department heads, digitalisation and information systems project managers, CNDE representatives, digitalisation hub directors, Code 212 managers, digital skills course coordinators, lecturers, doctoral students, and representatives of the Digital Development Agency (ADD), CGEM, HERE and NEO. Of these, 47 participated in person and 61 online, with 46% women.

THEMES COVERED

• Importance and urgency of digital and AI skills for higher education
• International and national digital competency frameworks (DigComp, UNESCO frameworks, ResearchComp, sectoral frameworks)
• Case studies of national and institutional implementation (Europe, Quebec, Australia, Africa)
• Integration of digital skills into curricula and extra-curricular initiatives
• Frameworks for assessment and certification (DigComp, Europass, private certifications)
• Diagnostic of the specific needs of Moroccan higher education
• Opportunities and constraints for national deployment
• Co-creation of a proposal for a Moroccan digital and AI skills framework
• Steps toward national implementation: base, process, timelines, governance

KEY OUTCOMES

During the workshop, participants:

• Strengthened their knowledge of evaluation and certification mechanisms for digital and AI skills.
• Identified key elements required to contextualise a national skills framework, including processes, timelines, constraints and implementation steps.
• Initiated a national co-construction process by bringing together the relevant ministries, universities, agencies and stakeholders.
• Conducted an initial assessment of the implementation of the new digital skills curriculum and shared existing national initiatives.

• Recognised capacity-building needs for staff and the necessity of developing a national experts network on digital and AI skills.

   

OVERVIEW

The TAM “Référentiel des compétences numériques et en IA” focused on supporting Morocco in developing a national digital and AI skills framework for higher education. Through plenary sessions, case studies, expert presentations and group workshops, the event examined international digital competency frameworks—including DigComp—and initiatives from various regions, offering participants a clear understanding of global practices and their relevance to the Moroccan context.

The TAM created a structured environment for national dialogue: institutions shared ongoing initiatives, explored the implications of digital and AI skills for teaching and research, and discussed the necessary adjustments for successful national implementation. The expert-led workshop encouraged active co-creation, allowing participants to analyse institutional needs, identify opportunities and constraints, and begin drafting elements of a national reference framework. The event significantly strengthened Morocco’s readiness to design a coordinated national strategy and fostered broad consensus on the urgency of developing a unified competency framework.

THE FOLLOW UP ACTIVITY

Title of the activity: Meeting with the Ministry and Representatives from Universities

Dates: 30 May 2025

Audience: The meeting brought together key national actors, including the Director of Higher Education, the Head of the University Teaching Division, representatives from the universities appointed to the National Framework Committee, members of the NEO team, and two HERE experts who joined online. Collectively, these participants represent the central institutions responsible for steering and implementing Morocco’s national policy on digital and AI skills.

Description: This follow-up meeting brought together key national stakeholders to advance the implementation of the TAM on Digital Skills & AI. The session focused on translating the seminar’s recommendations into concrete actions by reviewing ministry guidelines, defining strategic priorities, and formally establishing the National Framework for Digital Skills & AI Committee. Participants clarified the committee’s missions, deliverables, structure, and work plan, while also agreeing to create two specialised subcommittees—Digital Skills and AI Skills. The meeting marked the official launch of the national process to develop Morocco’s Digital and AI Competence Framework and to revise related pedagogical standards and curricula.

ENHANCING IMPACT: PROPOSED NEXT STEPS

• Establish a national digital and AI skills framework as an essential tool for students, teachers, graduates and employers.
• Set up a national committee—including universities, MESRI, the Ministry of Digital Transition, ADD, CGEM, HERE experts and NEO—to develop and oversee the framework.
• Strengthen training for trainers, administrative and technical staff to ensure proper implementation across institutions.
• Create a national network of experts in digital and AI skills to support coordination, knowledge sharing and framework deployment.
• Formulate an implementation plan, including investment strategies, institutional responsibilities and capacity-building measures.
• Follow up with strategic meetings between the Ministry and universities to validate the roadmap and initiate framework development.

RESOURCES AND BACKGROUND MATERIAL

• European Commission: Joint Research Centre, DigComp 2.2, The Digital Competence framework for citizens – With new examples of knowledge, skills and attitudes, Publications Office of the European Union, 2022, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/115376
• Elaasri, R. (2025) ‘Efficiency of ICT in-service training for university professors in Morocco’, European Journal of English Language Teaching, 9(6). doi: 10.46827/ejel.v9i6.5740.