High-Speed Internet
In 2002, during the conference in Marseille, Moroccan researchers cooperating with CERN, were screaming with frustration at having to resort to dial-up modems and begged us to lobby the French authorities on their behalf.
As a result, important steps were taken. The speed of Internet connections between Southern countries and Europe was multiplied by 1000 thanks to the creation of the European network GEANT (which took the place of national academic networks, such as RENATER in France).
This result opens up new opportunities to all Mediterranean countries and it is interesting to note how Moroccans, thanks to their network MARWAN, are ahead in exploiting them, driven by their needs as participants to a number of international collaborations.
Visas for researchers
In 2004, the conference in Geneva was dominated by complaints from North African researchers about their difficulties in obtaining visas.
In 2005, our actions in Brussels led the EU to formulate the “European Researchers Charter”, enabling researchers of any nationality working in a country in the EU to easily move to any other within the European Research Area.
Desalination of See Water
In 2002, during the conference in Marseille, many Moroccans and Tunisians were sceptical that this technology was affordable to anyone outside the oil-rich Gulf countries.
In 2004, in the conference in Geneva, at CERN, industry experts and representatives of major companies (Veolia, Suez) took part in the session. Decision makers who were present admitted it could have its place in a long-term vision.
In 2005, in the conference in Casablanca, the climax was the disclosure of the ambitious Algerian projects. It is true that prices for large projects have diminished (0,43 €/ m3 at the Ashkelon facility in Israel). Now suddenly, they seem to be affordable!
In 2006, in the conference in Trieste, a team was formed including Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, for the concerted management of the hydric resources of the region and of common projects such as a link between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea.
This meeting goes on with the workshop to Geneva with representatives of three concerned countries which take position on the feasibility study launched by the World Bank.
Extension of the programs of CERN and SESAME
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In Trieste, presentation of John Ellis, Adviser to the DG of the CERN for relations with
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Miscellaneous results from meetings in Casablanca
At the conference in Trieste, The ICTP of Trieste has agreed to fund post-doctorate scholarships for researchers from Third World Countries collaborating with CERN. The French Physical Society has agreed to organise a joint conference with Moroccan Universities on adopting the new European cursus for university studies called LMD (Licence, Master, Doctorat) in French.
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