2024-04-17 07:41:32
On the occasion of this event held in the presence of HM the King’s Ambassador to the United States, Youssef Amrani and officials from the Department of State and the Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchanges (MACECE), the executive director of the Fulbright Morocco program, Rebecca Geffner, gave an interview to MAP in which she notably discussed the results of four decades of this program co-financed by the two governments and the role of its former winners in the establishment of ” bridges of collaboration, understanding and shared vision. She also returned to the selection criteria for candidates for these excellence scholarships.
1- How do you assess the impact of educational and cultural exchanges between the United States and Morocco in the overall strategic partnership between the two countries?
Morocco is one of the United States’ closest and oldest allies, with our friendship dating back to the very founding of the United States. Every day we see and experience the depth and strength of this relationship. For more than 40 years, the Fulbright program has been a vital bridge between Morocco and the United States, fostering mutual understanding and cultural exchange. Fulbright has been a pillar of American public diplomacy, strengthening binational relationships, reducing misunderstandings, sharing knowledge across communities, and forging lasting ties in Morocco.
The United States and Morocco’s commitment to peace, prosperity, and security in the region – and around the world – is stronger than ever. And our interpersonal connections are an important part of the depth, breadth and quality of our strong relationships. The impact of this exchange extends beyond research collaborations and academia, creating rich connections between our Moroccan Fulbright Scholars and their communities in the United States, as well as between our American Fulbright Scholars and their communities in Morocco.
Fulbright recipients act as cultural ambassadors, dispelling preconceived notions about certain cultures and regions, and giving their American counterparts a true insight into Moroccan culture and traditions and vice versa. In a world where there are many differences, the program intends to create bridges of collaboration, understanding and shared vision.
The Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange programs through Fulbright also support educational reforms proposed by the Moroccan government. We have programs that allow students and academics to conduct their research in a second country, an opportunity that can significantly increase the impact factors of their scientific articles.
Additionally, they are exposed to a new education system focused on critical thinking and soft skills training, experiential learning, civic engagement, flipped classrooms, and inclusive education. Fulbright provides a forum to share best practices, new teaching techniques and an expanded international network. In one of our programs, we place American Fulbrighters at public universities in Morocco to teach English for an academic year, supporting the reform goal of promoting English language learning.
2- To what extent does the Fulbright program contribute to strengthening economic opportunities? Can you provide examples of successes over the past few years?
The Fulbright program is a direct investment in the future generations of leaders in Morocco. For more than 40 years, the return on investment by both governments through Fulbright has continued to increase. Our former Moroccan students have become ministers, heads of large companies, high-level researchers, journalists and entrepreneurs. Moroccan Fulbright Scholars return from the United States with master’s degrees, research publications, expanded teaching practices, professional experience in multinational companies, experience collaborating with global teams, and a diverse international network of peers.
They are at the forefront of helping to address Morocco’s pressing challenges, from environmental sustainability to advances in healthcare, and they are well-positioned to positively influence the development trajectory.
Our programs also benefit the development of America’s leaders. Our American scholars have the opportunity to enroll in intensive language courses in Morocco to study Arabic, Darija and Tamazight. For our teachers, they benefit from immersion in Moroccan schools and learn more about culture, history and politics that they can bring back to the American classroom.
Additionally, our researchers work closely with Moroccan academic and non-governmental affiliates to increase the breadth of knowledge about Morocco and the region. As a result of their Fulbright scholarships, Americans have become diplomats and other government leaders, leading academics in their fields, consultants, business owners, and distinguished scientists.
MACECE, through the Fulbright program, is well positioned to build bridges, create meaningful exchanges and support cultural and academic dialogue that transcends borders. The last four decades have been prolific with stories of alumni who have advanced their knowledge through volunteering, acting as a cultural ambassador, lasting friendship, collaboration, trust, diversity and values shared.
3- How do you ensure that the program provides equitable access to these international educational opportunities and contributes to closing the research gap in cutting-edge disciplines, primarily for women?
The Commission adheres to the highest standards of excellence, transparency and ethics in its operational procedures and selection process. We are committed to the values of the Fulbright Program, including diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Fulbright defines diversity as: “opportunities open to people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, or disability.” MACECE therefore seeks to choose a group of diverse and talented candidates for our programs. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups, disciplines, and regions in Morocco and the United States and we certainly welcome applications from women in STEM.
By supporting these important values and defending objectivity and rules of fairness, MACECE selection committees respect the standards of inclusion, consistency, avoidance of conflicts of interest, transparency, discrimination and confidentiality.
We have many current and past examples of women and men Fulbright recipients across all disciplines, including STEM. We have Moroccan Masters and PhD students in the USA currently studying and researching in the areas of Fintech and Data Analytics, Animal Genetics, Molecular Biology, Human Sciences environment, robotics and artificial intelligence, geochemistry, sustainable agriculture, solar energy and many others.
Currently, one of our fellows is studying agribusiness at Texas A&M. After graduation, she plans to pursue post-academic training as a marketing specialist in a dairy company where she will conduct milk price forecasting and economic analysis. We have a doctoral student at the Aphasia Research Center at the University of Maryland College Park. She works at the intersection of communication sciences and disorders (i.e. aphasia) and neurolinguistics. We have an American doctoral student working with the Pasteur Institute in Casablanca studying the evolutionary divergence of widespread African snake species.
We have another American researcher studying water management in the Draâ Valley and how oasis farmers deal with water shortages. These are just a few examples of our support for scholarships in STEM fields, among others. In summary, the Commission is committed to supporting a wide range of fields, research topics and candidates!
2024-04-17 07:41:32