The aim of this paper is to shed light on the concept of university and its relation with

the advancement of the nation. It is a very broad subject for it shows how university is a very

useful device in developing certain nations. This development takes different shapes

according to the nature and the requirements of the nation. That is to say, the relation between

university and the advancement of the nation is very significant as each one of them can not

be realized without the presence of the other. Their relation seems to be consistent in

producing highly advanced individuals.

This paper will focus on the contiguity of two main concepts which are university

and advancement of nation as both of them have great dimensions regarding their functions.

Furthermore, it will discuss how the university contributes to the improvement of the nation

in different scopes as well as how the university is affected by the advancement of the nation.

That is to say, how the development of the nation contributes, in its turn, to the prosperity of

the university. The main concern of this paper will be focused on Morocco as an example of a

nation. This means that this paper will compare between Moroccan universities and foreign

universities according to the advancement of the nation in concern.

The first thing to do is to define the term university as it is a very broad concept. A

university is ‘’ an institution for advanced teaching and research.’’1That is, this suggests that a

university is the typical place of disseminating knowledge. The teaching function of the

university is inseparable from the educational and developmental task of anyone wanting to

reach higher goals. The university gives the highest level of education, as it is the last stage or

component in the formal educational system. However, there are such numbers of other

purposes that a university may function. To begin with, rather is its educative role and in

imparting knowledge, a university also ‘’ enables men to construct an intellectual vision of a

1
‘’university’’, Oxford Learner’s Pocket Dictionary Third ed (Oxford: university press 2003).

1
new world, and it preserve the zest of life.”2To illustrate, at the stage of university, people are

targeted to acquire knowledge as well as to be able to taste new sense of life by discovering

and living novel experience. University, no doubt, is a factory of producing intellectual people

who are, therefore, eager to improve the situation of their nation.

University is one part of institutions that form a nation. A nation is defined as ‘’ a

body of people who share a real or imagined common history, culture, language, or ethnic

origin’’3 This definition is basically demonstrates the skeleton of a nation and how it is

characterized by its members. In this respect, nation is merely considered to be a synonymy of

a country.

In every nation a university is obligatory. There is no nation comes to exist without

having this peculiar institution. The reason behind having a university is the out come a nation

can get. That is, university and nation are interrelated and each of them can highly benefit

from the other in different scopes. In other word, ‘‘ what is important for a nation is that there

shall be a very close relation between all types of its progressive elements, so that the study

may influence the market place, and the market place the study’’4. That is to say, the

relationship that holds between the university and the nation is significant. Universities are

considered to be ‘’ the chief agencies for this fusion of progressive activities into an effective

2
A.N Whitehead, The Aims of Education and other Essays (New York: MacMillan
Company, 1929)139.

3
‘’Nation’’, The New Oxford American Dictionary (USA: Oxford university press: May
2005).
4
A.N Whitehead, The Aim of Education and other Essays (New York: MacMillan Company,
1929)148.

2
instrument of progress.’’ 5To put it differently, advanced nations are those in which

universities flourish and spread their magic impact on the country.

Universities contribute in a large scale in the advancement of a nation. For instance,

every year a university produces a great deal of intellectual pioneers of civilization. In the

past, pioneers have made a great change in the advancement of the nation in multiple scopes.

They have contributed in developing their nation from better to best. This is manifested

through the invention of many tools, ideas, theories and such works that the present Man

benefit from them. Consequently, the present moment is a typical proof of this great shift.

Furthermore, universities are place of research. That is, knowledge becomes a dominant factor

of advancement. Knowledge is the product of scientific and educational activities. Both these

activities are naturally linked to the university. Therefore, universities are directly responsible

for the technological development of every country. This responsibility existed in the past but

now it is emphasized more that ever before.

Research, whether it is scientific or in other fields, is the first path towards

improvement. From them a nation gets resources and ideas then applies them spontaneously.

By this application of resources, a nation gets a step further to the improvement of its

situation.

On the other hand, a university is also flourished due to the advancement of the nation.

As university contributes to the development of the nation, the nation, in its turn, has a great

effect on the university. University would not come to exist without the subsistence of the

nation. Countries attempt to endow the universities the necessary equipment for the welfare of

the individuals. The duty of the nation is to afford financially in the process of constructing

universities. Thus, the role of the nation, therefore, is to enlarge and improve infrastructure,

5
A.N Whitehead, The Aims of Education and Other Essays( New York: Macmillan
Company,1929)148.

3
revamp facilities and instruction, increase universities’ intake capacity and promote scientific

research. Also, the nation should build a premium reputation of its universities at all levels

and create a sense of competitiveness with other foreign universities.

Morocco is an example of nations that endeavours to improve the situation of

education in universities. Morocco contains such great number of universities in different

scopes. Moroccan universities are characterized with a very positive advantage which other

countries do not have. This benefit lies on the fact that all universities, especially public ones,

are free. That is to say, students are not required to pay tuition fees in order to access to a

university. This possibility that is granted by Moroccan government shows a sort of

encouragement to students to get ahead in their studies and be able to participate in the

development of the country. On the contrary, most foreign universities ask students for high

payment to get right entry to university.

In Morocco, many projects are thought about to develop the situation of universities.

Recently, the government and universities signed 17 agreements to promote higher education

at a ceremony on Tuesday (October 6th) presided over by King Mohammed VI. These

projects are going somehow to improve the condition of the universities. According to

Mohamed Marzak6 :’’ These contracts will commit the universities to taking the necessary

steps to improve performance, promote high-quality teaching and develop scientific research,

with a view to enabling Moroccan universities to take their rightful place on the international
7
stage." Also, Ahmad Akhchichine8 comments on these projects that would help the

Moroccan universities in its development as follows:

6
Mohamed Marzak : the president of Cadi Ayyad University
7
Sarah Touahri,’’Morocco to Fund Overhaul of Universities’’, Magharebia (Rabat 09 Dec.
2009).

8
Ahmad Akhchichine: the minister of education of Morocco.

4
 ‘’these goals would be achieved by having qualified research lecturers and

through promoting scientific research under the 2009-2012 emergency plan. The

plan's objectives include a doubling, or even trebling, of the numbers of students

signed up for engineering, technology, business, management and scientific

technical courses. It also aims at doubling the current take-up rate for

baccalaureate holders and encouraging students to emulate their highest-achieving

peers by awarding prizes for excellence to top performers.’’ 9

In this respect Morocco seems greatly aware of the condition of its universities.

This act is a plain evidence of how the role of the nation should be integrated in the

development of the university. This dependency from one the other shows the ability of both

the nation and the university to be kept related in achieving one unique goal which is getting

better.

On the other hand, universities in other nations work in the same way. All

universities in the world share same purpose. The advancement of the nation finds its way in

picking most creative works from universities. That is to say, a large number of researches

especially scientific one are used as a backbone of creating new technologies and invention

that would foster the happiness of humanity.

In the United States, things work in the similar way as Morocco. However, the

difference lies merely on the methods and ways of teaching according to the culture of the

nation. Students’ lives in universities in both countries are different. Nevertheless, there is a

unique goal to achieve is the development of the country by virtue of the out come of

universities. For instance, according to Margaret Spellings: ‘’ higher education in America

9
Sara Touahri, ’’Morocco to Fund Overhaul of Universities’’, Magharebia (Rabat 09 Dec. 2009).

5
works differently from systems in other countries. The United States has a highly

decentralized system that gives the students a wide range of educational option, from large

universities to community colleges to vocational and technical schools.’’10

The above statement makes it clear that education is the crucial function of any

university. No matter how methods and standard are different, the sole idea is that a university

is the basic ground by which people furnish the primary task towards welfare of the nation.

In conclusion, the primary function of any university is to provide the students with

knowledge and make them able to integrate in the society after their graduation. However,

universities have secondary functions in offering the students an opportunity to taste new

sense of life and getting much more aware of the essence of humanity. Thus, the advancement

of the nation is thoroughly based on those people who are going to graduate from universities.

That is to say, the existence of universities is the development of the country respectively. No

matter how the differences may exist between the countries, the project of advancing forward

is so striking.

Bibliography

10
Margaret Spellings, ‘’ Introduction to Margaret Spellings’’, Society and Values (Nov.2005)P:ii

6
En-Nahas, Jamal. The Writing Guide for Students of English in Moroccan Universities.
El Maarif Al Jadida Press Rabat, 1979.

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Sixth Edition. New York:
The Modern Language Association of America.

North Whitehead, Alfred. The Aims of Education and Other Essays. New York: Macmillan
Company, 1962.

New Oxford American Dictionary USA: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Oxford Learner’s Pocket Dictionary, Third ed. UK: Oxford university press, 2003.

Spellings, Margaret. ‘’ Introduction to Margaret Spellings’’, Society and Values .Nov, 2005.

Touahri, Sara. ’’Morocco to fund overhaul of universities’’, Magharebia .Rabat:09Dec, 2009.

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