From Protecting the Environment to Fostering Innovation: Moroccan Universities in the Era of Territorial Competitiveness

ENCG Tangier, Commerce Department, University Abdelmalek Essaadi Tétouan, Morocco

Abstract

It has been acknowledged that Moroccan universities have ample opportunity to enhance regional competitiveness through the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, little is known about how professors and students perceive universities’ role in stimulating innovation, partnership, and sustainability within their backyards or communities. By exploring how much Moroccan universities are thought to be participating in territorial competitiveness via the realization of the SDGs, this study aims to bridge that gap. It is through this work that we aim to emphasize the perceptions of Abdelmalek Essaâdi University’s (AE University) students, graduates, and professors regarding the role of a Moroccan university in fostering territorial innovation through the lenses of relevant Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, we strive to highlight links between the aforementioned university and plans for territorial competitiveness. This will help pinpoint areas for improvement in university practices and achievements in relation to territorial development. The plan is to carry out an exploratory study via an online survey. The collection of data will be conducted on the perceptions of AE University students and professors about the role(s) of their university in fostering innovation and achieving SGDs. It is upon the survey data that we will strive to analyze connections existing between universities and territorial competitiveness via SDGs in order to further emphasize the likely role of universities in broadening territorial innovation practices in Morocco. It is through this analysis that we will discuss the findings and main results of the study in the hope of enriching the existing literature on the matter while helping to assist concerned stakeholders in territorial development areas, including universities and SDGs.