"We are witnessing today the emergence of development and modernization projects planned for the railway sector. The strategic plan for development of the Maghreb countries Railways seeks to raise the rail productivity for both passenger and freight. A need to develop a predictive maintenance policy in the early phases of this plan must be accompanied by a high level of skills and human capital in terms of expertise both qualitatively and quantitatively.The Regional Transport Action Plan (RTAP) envisages the extension of the major Trans-European Transport Axes to the Mediterranean region and to recruit and train a large numbers of people to renew the potential of expertise and supervision in the sector.On the other hand, the mapping of the proposed higher education deserves to be developed in terms of specialized training in the railway sector, particularly in infrastructure maintenance and security to meet the needs of these extended infrastructures and the recruitment of the management staff and experts.In this context, we propose to develop modules for insertion into teaching cycles ""Engineer or Master"" and into the field of railway infrastructure maintenance. This project will focus on an approach based on digital pedagogy. It aims to develop a dozen of training modules in e-learning, blended and serious game that will be integrated into the curriculum of engineering courses and Masters of the universities partners. For the sustainability of this project, it is planned to create platforms for research and training and a railway-training observatory. In terms of transfer of knowledge developed, the project will lead to the creation of a micro-enterprise for the development of pedagogical tools for the sector."

The extension of the responsibilities of universities recommended by the university reforms and the strategy ’Maroc Innovation’ in Morocco require the definition of a overarching tool combining the teaching of transversal competencies, research and innovation. The 3-year project INSITES coordinated by UH1 et having support from both the MESRSFC and MCINET will associate 17 partners from Morocco and EU member states. It aims at enhancing the university governance by institutionalizing the structures for innovation, knowledge transfer and valorisation of research. This should be approved by the CPU and the university councils. The results attended:- Assessment of the current situation of training methods for transversal competencies in Moroccan universities;- Summary of national strategies on innovation, valorisation and entrepreneurship;-Benchmarking of European experiences;- Competency references and guidelines for good management of the SITES;- Decisions of the Councils of Moroccan Universities on the approval of the setting up of the SITES and determining the chosen profiles based on the formerly approved references;- Training manual for specific transversal competencies in the Moroccan context in line with the European referencies;- Training sessions for training the trainers;- The SITES functions operationally at the Moroccan Universities;- Data base of trainers as resource persons for the generalization of experiences for all Moroccan universities;- National platform of the SITES serving as interface between institutional and economic actors;- Evaluation of the SITES;- A Communication and a Project QA Plan will be set up to ensure the quality, the dissemination and the sustainability of the project beyond its implementation period. A Charter of Good Conduct will be defined to ensure the involvement of all stakeholders and that the realization of activities of the project complies with the general rules and good project management principles.

"The AMEL project, which means ""hope"" in Morocco, has as its main objective to strengthen the role of the HEIs in the development of the economy by contributing to the establishment of a national framework governing lifelong learning (LLL) to improve its practice and accessibility. There is a political will in Morocco to develop the LLL which has not yet been implemented (Action Plan 17-22). Public universities offer continuous training without regulatory framework and the validation of prior experience is not practiced despite the pressing and growing demand of the Moroccan working environment. The main achievements planned by AMEL are: - the implementation of a national charter of the LLL for Moroccan universities, - the implementation of common procedures for Validation of prior experience,- the creation of a network of experts in the LLL familiar with the procedures established at national level for continuing education and Validation of the acquisition of experience.The project consortium was built around three European HEIs, each with its own expertise in the field: Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers- France, which will be the project leader, Royal Institute of Technology- Sweden and National School of Public Works-France. To ensure the success of the project and the national and regional appropriation of the various project achievements, all the stakeholders in Morocco are associated: nine universities (8 public and 1 private), Ministry of Education, companies represented by the CGEM, Association of Women Business Leaders of Morocco and National agency for evaluation and quality assurance. The AMEL project will offer to those who entered early into working life, a chance to access qualifying training, diplomas and degrees in higher education. By responding more effectively to the needs and expectations of individuals, businesses and society in general, the project will promote the rapprochement between academic and professional qualifications."

MIMIr is primarly designed to aid, assist and soccour partner universities in South Neighbouring Countries to understand the status quo of their innovation and research, performance, efficacy, and practices and devise pathways to overcome impediments, hindrances, fiascos and pitfalls that prevent them from achieving recognised stature in the international landscape. The core tread to accomplish this goal is to measure existing innovation and research activities, to gauge regulatory framework management, administration and tools, and to scope opportunities for overcoming bureaucratic obstacles, stimulating conditions and elevate mindsets. Coupled to provision of comparative analysis to European processes, practices and state-of-the-art, the consortium will identify areas for change, targets for improvement, and a trajectory to excel. Accordingly, partner universities will be informed on the organisation of management of innovation and research in European universities, understand present model, principles, and standards, and embrace and partake the opportunity for support, guidance and corroboration from European partners.

"During the last EU-South Med Seminar on Recognition of credits and qualifications, organized by the European Commission (Brussels 1st - 2nd June 2015), the need for the revitalization of the MERIC network, as a means for a stronger cooperation between the European region and the Mediterranean one, was mentioned extensively. The EC encouraged France and Italy to submit an Erasmus+ project to implement capacity-building activities to reactivate the network, thus fostering the dialogue in the region and between the two regions.In recent years, reforms in higher education in the south Med countries aiming at the harmonization of the higher education systems, based on the Bologna structure of degrees implemented in the ""European Higher Education Area-EHEA”, have generated some issues linked to recognition. In fact, an increasing number of students are going to study abroad. This makes recognition of credits and qualifications an important and urgent issue.Moreover, the current refugee crisis is high in the agenda in Europe and the South Med countries. The MERIC-Net project will address the recognition of refugees’ qualifications and the practical challenges related to it. The European experience will contribute to the sharing and developing of a common methodology in the Southern Mediterranean countries, in order to facilitate the integration of refugees and displaced people.The reactivation of the MERIC network would be a first step towards an enhanced cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean, and on a larger scale with the European Union. The existence of national recognition centres in the region would represent an asset in a contest of great mobility. In fact, the MERIC-Net project would achieve the aim of shared information, building of mutual trust, facilitating thus smooth recognition. The reactivation of the MERIC network will allow all partners to share their experiences, official information and to build direct and permanent contacts."