Support
I assisted in an international research project on gender in educational institutions in Morocco, funded by the French Agency of Research (AUF) and commissioned by Mohammed V University in Rabat. I was responsible for conducting a literature review on gender and education in Morocco and examining available national data on gender and education for a cartographic analysis, working with my advisor, Prof. Rachid Touhtou.
Since the project was a two-year-long and large-scale endeavor, I also had a chance to join scholarly meetings with other researchers from Morocco to plan the distribution of research areas within the project. Additionally, I attended the International Sociological Association's forum in Rabat, which expanded my scope of Sociological research by allowing me to listen to presenters from all over the world. I also got to see a thesis defense presentation for the first time in my life, thanks to my advisor's invitation to his student's defense. These experiences provided me with a great scholarly network in Morocco and made me realize my passion to pursue graduate school.
As the language of instruction is mostly French at Mohammed V University, our research project was also conducted in French. Hence, I was able to improve my French skills through my readings for the background research. This also allowed me to communicate with my colleagues using French in both work and social settings. Interacting with both scholars and scholarly texts, I familiarized myself with the Francophone academia and gained academic knowledge about MENA, where I aspire to work for in the future.
Lastly, living and working independently in Rabat, I not only gained confidence to work internationally in the future, but also adapted to a new culture and social setting. As I used Darija, Arabic, and French in my daily interactions, I saw Morocco through the lens of the local community outside of the academic setting and got a more holistic sense of my resarch interest.