St. John's University Law Faculty Blog

Professor Rosemary Salomone was extensively quoted in an article that appeared on January 13th in University World News.

The article, “Broader Horizons – Universities Switch to Bachelor Degree,” addresses Morocco’s announcement that it is switching from the Licence, Master, Doctorat (LMD), commonly used in Francophone countries, to the bachelor degree system used in the Anglophone world. Professor Salomone maintains that the shift is not surprising. Morocco has been veering towards English and the Anglophone sphere for decades, despite its French and Arabic ties. In just the past year, the government has taken key steps, including a suggested ten year time frame for introducing English instruction in the schools, and the hiring of a new delegate minister of higher education with a Ph.D. from the University of Texas who formerly headed up the predominantly English Al Akahawyn University in Ifrane. She notes that the wounds of French colonization still run deep among many Moroccans, while English holds high global capital as compared to Arabic. The government, moreover, is looking to position itself within the African continent and in the global economy. The changes could further expand trans-national opportunities for students, faculty, and research. Underneath the plans and expectations, she says, remains the fundamental question of how best to remedy the high rates of university dropouts and youth unemployment.