The Centre for Saharan Studies, under the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of Mohammed V University in Rabat-Agdal, was inaugurated on Thursday in Rabat, in the presence of the Minister of Higher Education, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Interior, and the President of the university.

Created at the initiative of the university, the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), the Agency for the Promotion of the Southern Provinces, and the OCP Group, this Centre aims to encourage scientific research related to this region in order to contribute to the preservation of memory, the realisation of applied research, and the establishment of the foundations for a serene scientific debate.

This new academic structure, which is part of the implementation of the provisions of the new Constitution aimed at rooting the pluralistic Moroccan cultural identity, including the Hassani component, aims to conduct multidisciplinary research in the fields of historical, social, and cultural knowledge in its broadest sense in the Southern provinces, and to encourage research in the service of development by providing answers to questions raised in various fields.

In a statement to the press, the Minister of Higher Education highlighted the importance of such centres given their contribution to the decision-making process, expressing his department's support for such initiatives.

For his part, the director of the centre indicated that this academic structure is intended for the realisation of research and studies on the Southern provinces and on the tangible and intangible heritage of this region of the Kingdom.

In terms of training, it will contribute to preparing an elite group of researchers specialising in Saharan affairs through multidisciplinary master's programmes, he added.

For his part, the Secretary General of the CNDH stated that the inauguration of this centre is part of the procedures aimed at preserving collective memory, particularly in the Southern provinces, a region endowed with a rich heritage and a precious cultural legacy.

The Centre for Saharan Studies will be a centre of excellence for Saharan studies and will provide expertise on behalf of the public and private sectors in socio-economic and environmental management, in addition to its contribution to the creation of a database and a documentation centre relating to the Southern provinces.