Urgent Plea from Moroccan Parents for Degree Equivalency
In a pressing appeal, parents of Moroccan students who have recently graduated from Ukrainian universities are calling upon Ukraine’s ambassador to Morocco, Serhii Sayenko, to advocate for the timely processing of diploma equivalency applications. This request is particularly urgent for the 2025 graduating class in architecture, whose members have been pursuing their studies remotely from Morocco due to the challenging conditions imposed by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The situation has left approximately 73 architecture graduates in limbo, awaiting the recognition of their foreign degrees since they submitted their applications to Morocco’s Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation in September 2025.
Stalled Applications and Lack of Clarity
Despite the Ministry's acknowledgment of the process, the applications have encountered significant delays as they await approval from the Ministry of National Territory Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy, which is responsible for overseeing architecture in Morocco. Reports indicate that this ministry has mandated a specialized sectoral committee in science and technology to first evaluate the academic qualifications of the graduates before proceeding with the equivalency requests. However, the absence of a definitive deadline or a clear procedural pathway for this assessment has left the graduates and their families in a state of uncertainty regarding the resolution of their applications.
In light of these circumstances, parents are urging Ambassador Sayenko to press for their applications to be processed under the same conditions that were applied to the 2024 graduating class, who similarly faced exceptional challenges due to the war. According to sources, the sectoral committee tasked with reviewing the applications for the 2025 graduates is anticipated to convene in September, yet as of now, applications remain categorized as "under review" on the Ministry of Higher Education’s online platform for recognizing foreign degrees.
The National Association of Parents of Moroccan Students in Ukraine has echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the necessity of adhering to legal deadlines for application processing. They referenced a memorandum from March 2023 and a joint statement from the higher education and housing ministries, confirming that Moroccan students were permitted to continue their studies remotely during this tumultuous period. Previous meetings with officials from the higher education ministry and an adviser to the Ukrainian ambassador have provided some clarity, assuring that residence certificates issued prior to February 24, 2022, would retain their legal validity, and that necessary supporting documents had been submitted to the relevant ministry.
As reported by en.hespress.com.
