Assahafa.com
The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), UNESCO, and the OCP Foundation signed an agreement on Friday in Paris, opening a new chapter of their collaboration for the 2025–2027 period by launching a triangular platform dedicated to development agendas centered on Africa, with a financial commitment of $6 million.
Signed by Mostapha Terrab, President of the OCP Group, and Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, the agreement “consolidates an alliance built on a shared commitment to act in close alignment with African priorities,” UM6P said in a statement.
Based on a joint implementation mechanism between UM6P and UNESCO, supported by the OCP Foundation, this initiative develops projects where education, science, technology, and cultural heritage are not treated in isolation but are articulated as interconnected levers of endogenous, sustainable, and sovereign development, the statement noted.
Since 2017, the three institutions have developed a strong cooperation dynamic around shared values: long-term investment in knowledge systems, the structuring role of higher education, the promotion of cultural resources, and the importance of innovation rooted in local realities.
Rather than proposing a one-size-fits-all model, the collaboration relies on a modular architecture structured around five complementary pillars. Each is governed by a separate agreement, allowing for a diversity of timelines, tools, and governance methods depending on the topic.
“This partnership is a catalyst, a true engine of impact and innovation in the service of the African continent. By uniting around core pillars such as artificial intelligence, which must be seen as a powerful lever for heritage valorization, innovation, and empowerment, as well as sustainable development, history, culture, and higher education, we are confident in our ability to support and accelerate Africa’s deep transformations,” stated Terrab, as quoted in the release.
For her part, Azoulay affirmed that “Africa is at the heart of UNESCO’s mission and priorities. With the OCP Foundation and UM6P, we are deepening the partnership that binds us for the years to come, investing in knowledge, communities, and territories, focusing on education, heritage, and the environment, essential foundations in service of Africa.”
Source: map
