Opportunities for collaboration between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States of America have never been more ripe, declared Patricia Gruber, Science and Technology Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State. «The opportunities for us to collaborate on some of the world's most pressing challenges, like energy access, climate change, health, and food security, have never been more timely», stated Gruber in an interview with MAP news agency, held on the sidelines of the 2nd US-Africa Frontiers Program Symposium, which commenced in Rabat, on Tuesday. Underscoring the significance of this renewed partnership, the U.S. official highlighted the recent signing, in July 2023, of the protocol amending and extending the Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation between Morocco and the United States. Originally signed in 2006 and implemented in 2012 for a decade, this agreement, renewed from 2023 to 2033, aims to further solidify and expand cooperation between the two countries in the realms of scientific and technological research. Gruber commended Morocco's significant investments in key areas of science and technology, particularly praising the ongoing higher education reform. She emphasized how this reform will further facilitate collaboration between the Kingdom and the United States, especially in terms of student exchanges between American and Moroccan universities. Referring to Morocco's dedication to promoting the status of women, particularly in STEM fields, the US official emphasized the crucial importance of encouraging more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and medicine. «This is equally vital in the United States as it is in Morocco», she asserted, noting that an impressive 43% of the participants in the symposium, who hail from African universities, are women. In Gruber's view, this statistic «significantly underscores that we are making real progress», but she also acknowledged, «there is still a long way to go». She further stressed the importance of mentorship in ensuring that women in these fields receive the support needed to achieve their aspirations. Shifting to the critical topic of cybersecurity, the American official noted that success in this field hinges upon openness, the exchange of ideas and data, which fuels research advancements. However, Gruber stressed, this progress must not come at the expense of jeopardizing national security, intellectual property rights, privacy, or human rights. She emphasized the importance of securing networks for this purpose. Gruber concluded by underscoring the necessity of leveraging cybersecurity best practices to enhance risk identification and improve threat detection.
