Collective Commitment to Advance Open Science in the Kingdom of Morocco and Beyond

The Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa), the Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN), and the Public Library of Science (PLOS) co-organized the Kingdom of Morocco National Open Science Dialogue on 24 July in Rabat, as part of the 16th Quadrennial General Conference (GENCON25) convened by the Association of African Universities (AAU).  A key outcome of the Dialogue in Rabat was a collective commitment from stakeholders to support the National Centre for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST) in advancing Morocco’s 2024 National Strategy for Open Educational Resources and Open Science.

Organized under the umbrella of the ASREN–TCC Africa–PLOS collaboration in North Africa, this first in-person dialogue followed the initiative’s virtual launch in February 2025 and is part of an ongoing effort to support open science implementation across Africa. Senior government officials, higher education leaders, funders, and international partners all convened to reflect on the political, ethical, and institutional significance of open science in shaping Africa’s research future.

This multi-stakeholder dialogue was built on mobilizing resources and expertise to match and address the needs and gaps that exist in inclusive and transparent open science policies across Africa.  Stakeholders from across the continent reaffirmed the importance of aligning national priorities with global frameworks, such as the UNESCO Recommendation on open science.  Discussions highlighted the progress being made, challenges that remain, and the collective will to foster stronger policies, infrastructure, and partnerships that support the sustainable growth of open science. 

This  90-minute session at the 16th Quadrennial General Conference (GENCON25) convened by the Association of African Universities (AAU) was chaired by Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission. Keynote remarks were delivered by Prof. Yousef Torman, Managing Director of ASREN, and Ms. Joy Owango, Executive Director of TCC Africa.

The panel discussion brought together distinguished local stakeholders and experts, including:

• Hanae Lrhoul – Professor at the School of Information Sciences and Former Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Morocco

• Fadoua El Maguiri – Head of the Moroccan Institute of Scientific and Technical Information (IMIST) at the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST), Morocco

• Prof. Yousef Torman – Managing Director, ASREN

• Ms. Joy Owango – Executive Director, TCC Africa

• Dr. Rania Osman – Head of Information Institutions and Professional Skills, Bibliotheca Alexandrina

• Dr. Rania Elsayed Ibrahim – North Africa Lead, African Open Science Platform (AOSP)

 Ms. Hanae Lrhoul, a prominent advocate for open science in the Kingdom, highlighted Morocco’s National Open Science Strategy, emphasizing the importance of fostering a culture of open science grounded in collaboration, inclusivity, and alignment with international standards.  She noted the strategy reflects Morocco’s commitment to transparency, accessibility, and knowledge sharing.

The implementation of this national strategy will be led by the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST) . Representing CNRST, Ms. Fadoua El Maguiri, Head of the IMIST Division (Moroccan Institute of Scientific and Technical Information), acknowledged this open science milestone and highlighted the institution’s key national initiatives in advancing open science. These include the Moroccan Scientific Journals Portal (PRSM), the national theses and dissertations platform TOUBKAL, and the national service for assigning persistent digital identifiers (DOIs). Ms Fadoua stressed the importance of raising awareness, training, and informing researchers about open science policies.  She also highlighted the need for stronger coordination among national and international stakeholders to sustain infrastructure and ensure effective policy implementation in line with the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science.

Ms. Joy Owango, Executive Director of TCC Africa, noted that advancing open science demands systemic support across the research ecosystem: “Open Science is not just about individual researchers adopting new tools, but about universities, funders, and governments aligning to support transparency, equity, and visibility in knowledge production.” She also highlighted the value of cross-institutional collaboration, particularly with the Association of African Universities (AAU).
Responding to a question on engaging key actors in open science, Yousef Torman highlighted ASRENs’ role in promoting their adoption nationally and regionally: ‘’As a regional research and education network, ASREN comes as a convener for open science with a focus on establishing the Arab regional open science cloud. Following the success in Morocco, ASREN, with its partners TCC Africa and PLOS, will take this to the rest of North African countries.’’

Dr. Rania Osman, Head of Information Institutions and Professional Skills at Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Dr. Rania Elsayed Ibrahim, North Africa Lead for the African Open Science Platform (AOSP), and Ms. Mirela Volaj, Regional Publishing Development Lead for PLOS also contributed perspectives on the panel.

As the Kingdom of Morocco advances  to implement its National Open Science Strategy and advance open science initiatives, partners  are reaffirming their strong commitment to collaborating closely with the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST) and other Open Science stakeholders. The  overarching goal is to foster knowledge exchange, build capacity , and mobilize resources —ensuring the strategy is not only implemented effectively, but also becomes a truly transformative force that reshapes the research and innovation ecosystem in Morocco and across the African continent.