Chile’s Minister of Education, Nicolás Cataldo, expressed on Saturday during a visit to the Private University of Fez (UPF), his country's desire to boost relations with Morocco in the field of scientific research.
Describing scientific research as “key pillar to this cooperation,” he stressed that this visit marks the start of a “fruitful relation” between UPF and Chilean universities.
The Chilean official said that it is “crucial” to further strengthen the long-standing relations between the two countries through partnership agreements in the various fields of scientific research.
He also highlighted the partnership prospects in the field of batteries, mainly through UPF’s Center of Excellence of Batteries, especially as Chile is one of the world’s biggest lithium suppliers.
The Minister also stressed the importance of the “Future Congress,” which was held for the first time outside of Chile, in Rabat.
He explained that the choice of Morocco to host this event, which brings together experts, researchers and philosophers from all over the world, was motivated by the proximity and fraternity that unite the two countries.
He also noted that Morocco and Chile share common challenges, such as the fight against desertification, water scarcity and the challenges linked to the development of AI and new technologies.
The Minister added that his visit to various Moroccan universities, including UPF, aims to gain a better understanding of the Moroccan education system and boost cooperation between the two countries around these challenges.
For her part, Morocco's ambassador to Chile, Kenza El Ghali, said that the Chilean official's visit to the UPF was part of a series of meetings and activities carried out on the sidelines of the Future Congress held in Rabat.
During his visit, the Chilean minister had the opportunity to discover the Al Quaraouiyine Library and University, the diplomat said, adding that all these visits, including the one to the UPF, aim to pave the way for a partnership agreement to be sealed in Chile in April.
