Moroccan Students from Ukraine Urge for Degree Recognition
The National Association of Parents of Moroccan Students in Ukraine has made a compelling call for the urgent processing of degree equivalency requests for architectural engineering graduates from Ukrainian universities of the 2025 cohort. During a press conference held on Wednesday in Rabat, the association expressed its frustration over what they termed as an "unjustified delay" by the Ministry of National Planning, Urbanism, Housing, and City Policy in recognizing the qualifications of these graduates, despite previous official meetings with the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, as well as the Mediator of the Kingdom.
Abdelkader Youssefi, the head of the association, highlighted the dire situation faced by the 73 affected graduates, who have been left in an emotionally taxing predicament, as their requests for degree equivalency have been denied while those from previous years were accepted. Youssefi emphasized that their protests stem from the ministry's failure to act on the equivalency requests, which remain pending without proper justification, under the status of "under review by the committee" on the official digital platform.
He called for the immediate release and definitive resolution of the 73 requests for architectural degree equivalency submitted to the Ministry of Higher Education, noting that these requests have been left in limbo without adequate explanation. Furthermore, Youssefi requested the swift implementation of the outcomes of a joint statement issued on September 15, 2022, along with a letter from the Ministry of Higher Education dated March 9, 2023, which guaranteed students the right to continue their studies remotely with their Ukrainian universities while in Morocco.
The association condemned the violation of legal deadlines for processing equivalency requests, attributing the full responsibility for the psychological and academic repercussions faced by the students to the housing sector. Youssefi pointed out that the return of Moroccan students from Ukraine following the outbreak of war in February 2022 has initiated a complex academic and administrative crisis that threatens the future of thousands of students. This crisis has manifested in significant challenges concerning the continuation of studies, recognition of degrees, overcoming obstacles related to internships, and degree equivalencies.
In response to the multifaceted crisis, the National Association of Parents of Moroccan Students in Ukraine was established to serve as a collective voice for coordination and institutional advocacy. The association has adopted a continuous working method that includes correspondence, meetings, and the preparation of memoranda and statements to pressure for tangible solutions.
Estimates presented during the aforementioned press conference indicate that around 12,000 students have been adversely affected, with some returning involuntarily while others have settled in European countries. The impact of this situation varies according to fields of study and levels, with the most significant suffering occurring in the sectors of general medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and architectural engineering.
As a framework, the association aims to protect the rights of students and ensure the continuation of their academic journeys in accordance with legal regulations. They also seek to expedite the processing of equivalency files, resolve pending situations, and secure internships based on rational and equitable advocacy. Notably, Youssefi pointed out that the case of architectural engineering students remains "out of the norm," as it stems from an unjustified arbitrary decision, with the ministry demanding pedagogical verification of the degrees of the 2025 graduates, despite having accepted equivalency requests for the same field from earlier cohorts.
As reported by hespress.com.
