Sub-Saharan African Student Mobility Towards Morocco: Politics, Motivations, and Implications for Internationalization

Since the 1990s Morocco has initiated an ambitious policy to encourage mobility from fellow sub-Saharan African countries into its public universities. This policy was a continuation of a traditional practice through which Morocco sought to alleviate its isolation from the structures of African integration such as the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Attracting sub-Saharan students also fits within the country’s Africa policy by which it sought, through diplomatic, educational, and religious outreach and economic activity, to promote a positive image of itself as a regional leader. This approach was manifested through the creation of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) with a clear mandate on promoting South–South relations, and particularly with African states. This chapter explores Morocco’s policy of attracting students from sub-Saharan Africa into its universities. The findings indicate that the soft power paradigm remains the cornerstone of Morocco’s policy of attracting sub-Saharan students. By providing tuition-free education, accommodation, language training, and financial assistance, Morocco simply seeks to manufacture sympathy among African elites and possibly the creation of a “Morocco-Educated African Elite” that will be supportive of its ambitions and interest. However, the impact of the mobility experience and government support does not necessarily have to translate into positive attitudes. The most important impact of this policy is that it developed into a nascent form of internationalization as the students’ mobility is growing more autonomous of government support. The inflow of sub-Saharan African students into Morocco is no longer driven solely by government scholarships. Private higher education institutions in Morocco have capitalized on the past inflow, the country’s’ ideal geographical location, and affordability to also target students from sub-Saharan Africa. This mobility, therefore, has moved from politically motivated student mobility into internationalization.