Women Scientists From Morocco

"Understanding how these plants develop such resilience is key to unlocking solutions to the global challenges of water scarcity and agricultural land use."

"Based on the conditions they are confronted with, the roots adapt their structure over time so that they can best serve the rest of the plant."

"Student is like a seed, plant it, nurture it, you give it as much attention as needed and at the end it will start flourishing and give you flowers.”"

"You are smart enough and capable enough to join any field in STEM, and you are equally as deserving to be in these fields as anybody else. Follow your curiosities and believe in yourself."

"The promise approach to achieve gender balance in sciences is to show young people the full range of scientific professions while they’re still at school. Fostering and supporting girls to consider scientific careers may help them to choose to study science disciplines."

"Having women in positions of responsibility in scientific institutions is useful to show the younger generation that a brilliant career in science is possible for women."

"It is essential to ensure that everyone has the same opportunities, regardless of gender, ethnicity or culture. This is the true meaning of equality, and having an open and welcoming environment is critical to support diversity"

"I have learned how to appreciate science that provides us a way of thinking and knowing the world better. I have always been fascinated by knowledge, because it can give power to human beings to know how to explore nature and harness energy, understand our environment and use them for our benefits."

"I have a true passion for science and a real need to understand the building blocks of the universe, from its early stages to its current state and future evolution."

"Math is hard, Physics is beautiful. is the best process to build scientific knowledge."

"Physics reveal the mathematical beauty of the universe at scales ranging from subatomic to cosmological."

"I was fascinated with Quantum Physics, which is a fundamental theory in physics that explains how everything works, noting that it is the best description we have of the nature of the particles that make up matter and the forces with which they interact."

"I think we are relatively well placed in Morocco; women make up 30-40% of attendance at the top science schools in the country."

"There need to be role models, and girls also need to seek mentors to help and advise them."

"It shows that perseverance pays off in the end. That it's not over. And that's why I tell all my younger colleagues: Never hesitate! Don't say that we're in a less developed country or that we don't have the resources. We can achieve anything and we can do anything."

"It was a very big challenge, because there absolutely could not be any mistakes."

"Being involved in such a collaboration has helped us, as Moroccan researchers, to position ourselves internationally, and that is what has helped us to be ranked among the top now."

"It was designed to detect particles that can be created only through proton-proton collisions at extremely high speed. Through these experiments, the international community hopes to recreate the conditions existing in the universe less than one billionth second after the Big Bang, about 13.7 billion years ago."

"the strong force, which holds together atomic nuclei; the weak force, which is behind radioactivity; the electromagnetic force, including both visible and non-visible light; and gravity. The ATLAS collaboration is searching for a new physics, transcending our current vision of the universe,"

"I'm really honoured to be selected as a recipient of one of the 2022 TWAS Medals. This is also a recognition of the high level of Moroccan science, which is now part of the most important international collaborations."

"Increasing the impact of science and building confidence in science can only be achieved through science education, scientific mediation and the development of scientific and technical skills."

"Moroccan universities, with my involvement, are currently organizing a major international conference dedicated to high-energy research. This initiative is the first of its kind in Africa, with a particular emphasis on the continent’s countries. As part of my contribution, I am engaging through research carried out in collaboration with various international partners. Our main goal is to guide and prepare the next generation of scientists and researchers. I view this mission as a lifelong commitment, as it holds great significance for the future of our nation."

"It is also worth noting that Morocco has a highly skilled workforce in the nuclear sector, with many well-trained young professionals. In terms of electro-nuclear reactors, the country is well prepared, and discussions are already underway about the potential use of small modular reactors (SMRs) for future applications such as seawater desalination."

"Morocco has established cooperation agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Furthermore, it has a national agency, the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR), which reports directly to the head of government. This agency is responsible for overseeing the use of radiation, whether in hospitals, universities, or other areas."

"It is worth noting that Moroccan universities carry out extensive research in close collaboration with the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology (CNESTEN), which operates an exceptional research reactor used for the production of radioisotopes."

"Astronomy was used to measure time, mark seasons and navigate oceans based on predictions about the positions of the sun, the Moon and the planets, while stars have helped people to navigate the Earth by lighting up the night."

"I call on all women on the continent to realize the importance of health because it is the only real capital anchored in time and space. They should also choose a healthy lifestyle to prevent breast cancer."

"In Morocco, we have the possibility to treat breast cancer according to the best standards in the world. We use the most advanced devices and molecules."

"Breasts at risk should be watched closely … It is recommended from the age of 40 or even before, to start doing breast self-examination once a month. This self-examination allows women to find up to 70% of the anomalies. Radiological screening can be done every 1 to 3 years, depending on the type of breast and family status."

"There is no one rule that can be applied to all women. It all depends on family status and the type of breast."

"In industrialized countries, screening starts from the age of 55. In Africa, we should start earlier from the age of 40. Studies must be done to find out the factors that explain this particularity in Africa: is it a genetic question? Could it be linked to the climate, to the way of life? These questions still remain unanswered today."

"We are facing an ascending curve. Today, breast cancer has become an epidemic. From experience, it seems that women with breast cancer are younger in Africa than in the West."

"Morocco’s vast, sparsely populated desert and the presence of hunters and nomads who recognize the value of meteorites have made the country famous for their abundance. However, due to the lack of regulations restricting the export of meteorites and other geoheritage items like fossils and minerals, many were sold and taken abroad."

"I put Morocco on the meteor research map."

"The main challenge to the development of this field in Morocco is the lack of sophisticated analytical equipment, and the scarcity of academic and research positions in the country."

"Today, more than ten PhD students are working on topics such as meteorites, impact craters, and planetary surfaces, developing significant expertise in these areas."

"I didn’t like these designations that erase the origin of the rocks."

"In this case, regardless of the mirror’s size—whether 39, 100, or even 200 meters—a ground-based telescope cannot solve the fundamental problem in asteroseismology: the detection of certain pulsation modes that remain unobserved. The limitation arises from the alternation of day and night. For instance, even with the largest ground-based telescopes, such as the VLT, observations can only be made at night. This daily interruption creates gaps in the data, meaning that when we record a star’s brightness over time—its light curve—we obtain an incomplete sequence, marked by interruptions caused by the Earth’s rotation."

"Astronomy also investigates and explains the origin and evolution of the phenomena associated with such objects, like supernova explosions, gamma rays, quasars, blazars, pulsars and cosmic microwave background radiation."

"Astronomy is one of the oldest natural sciences in the world. It is the study of all extraterrestrial objects, that is, those existing outside the Earth or its atmosphere, such as the solar system that consists of our star, the sun, and the objects that orbit it, the Moon, galaxies, planets and comets."

"There is no soul that lives less than 1,000 miles away. The place is located at 3200 meters, but the weather is as if we were at 4000 meters. Installing an observatory in such an environment resembles a space mission in that we must check all the atmospheric parameters (turbulence, transparency, scintillation (twinkling), aurora, etc.)."

"This is a unique place where prevailing conditions are of extreme cold, isolation, and where it is night several months of the year. It then becomes possible to observe the stars on a continuous basis."

"Right in the heart of the Antarctic continent, in one of the coldest, most deserted and inaccessible places in the world."

"In a semi-arid country such as Morocco, we have a strong awareness of water usage. With 1800 ml of rainwater per year in the north against 200 ml in the south, we need a water transfer policy along with a water-saving policy. There will be a shortage of 5bn cu metres by 2020. To counter this, the government has launched the construction of seven desalination centres to increase resources."

"it is to us, through the awareness of the citizens, the assistance of our governments, parliamentarians, our elected officials and our civil society that we will succeed in changing climate change"

"We are embarking on a new EIA (ère)??, a new industrial revolution"

"We call on our members to move from reflection to construction and to urge their government, their territorial communities, their industries to take responsibility for the development of resilient and sustainable public policies"

"The links between climate, human rights and sustainable development are definitively established"

"Every time I come to the COP, I feel like we’re negotiating for who’s going to die and who’s going to live"

"By implementing eco-taxes and eco-contributions, our objective is to encourage long-term changes in consumption habits. The regulatory framework is clear: para-fiscal taxes help safeguard investments, strengthen the entire value chain, stimulate economic growth, and generate employment. These measures apply to specific products, such as batteries (Dh150, €13.75) and tyres (Dh6, €0.55), with the collected revenues reinvested within the sector. Additionally, significant progress has been made regarding plastic pollution — the production and sale of plastic bags will be banned starting July 2016."