Najat Aachich (ESI, Morocco)

Librarian-archivist and PhD candidate in information science. My research focuses on open science in Africa, with a particular interest in the medical field. I am specifically interested in the challenges of visibility, dissemination, and accessibility of African scientific publications through open access models, particularly Diamond Open Access.
I also help promote open science practices and the dissemination of scientific resources in the African context. 

 Pascal Aventurier (IRD, Open science mission, France)

 With over 20 years of experience establishing open science services and initiatives at INRAE and, since 2017, at IRD, he is currently responsible for helping to strengthen sustainable open science collaborations with key partners in Africa and South America. My work focuses specifically on advocacy, training initiatives, project development, and assistance in drafting policy documents on open science.

I am currently the IRD representative for DUDONNEES, a university degree program offered by EBAD - DAKAR on research data management. I co-host the webinars of the CAMES-UNESCO-IRD coalition on open science and artificial intelligence. 

Together with Hugo Catherine, I am participating in the activities of the European ALMASI project, which is developing an ecosystem that promotes high-quality, sustainable, and non-profit scholarly communication in Africa, Europe, and Latin America.

Access my publications and presentations on ORCID

 Tilila Baida (BNRM, Morocco)

Hugo Catherine (IRD, Open science mission, France)

Hugo Catherine is responsible for coordinating training and outreach initiatives within the Open Science Mission at the French National Research Institute for Development (IRD). In particular, he spearheaded the creation of the IRD Scientific Computing Network, a network of communities of practice that he has been leading since 2023.

 Personal webpage

Jean-Christophe Desconnets (IRD, Open science mission director, France)

 Jean-Christophe Desconnets, a research engineer and geomatics specialist at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) has contributed to the design, architecture, and implementation of open data infrastructures as part of international Earth observation and geographic information system projects. He has also contributed to the design of the Earth sciences data infrastructure, Data Terra, and to the development of the national open data platform, Recherche Data Gouv. 

Since 2020, he has served as director of the Open Science Mission at IRD. In this role, he leads initiatives aimed at promoting the openness and sharing of scientific outputs, particularly in the Global South. Notably, he spearheaded the launch of the DataSuds data repository, a platform designed to ensure the preservation, access, and reuse of research data produced by IRD and its partners, as well as the IRD’s policy on open and shared science (2021) and its policy on open access to publications (2024). He is also committed to training and supporting researchers in data management, as well as promoting the FAIR principles that underpin the sharing, openness, and reuse of data within open data infrastructures.
 Under his leadership, the Open Science Mission is fostering cooperation in open science across the African continent. It aims to promote and strengthen more ethical, equitable, and inclusive collaborative research in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Fadoua El Maguiri (CNRST, Morocco)

 Fadoua El Maguiri is a division head at the Moroccan Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (IMIST) within the CNRST. She supports national research by facilitating access to scientific information and promoting Moroccan research output.

Committed to the development of Open Science in Morocco, she has contributed to the implementation of several national platforms dedicated to diamond open access publishing and research dissemination, notably the Moroccan Scientific Journals Portal (PRSM) and the national thesis platform Toubk@l. She has also contributed to the deployment of the national DOI attribution service, the promotion of ORCID, and the indexing of Moroccan journals in international databases.

Involved in several international projects and collaborations related to Open Science and capacity building, she also contributes to supporting Moroccan journals in their transition toward open, sustainable, and accessible scholarly publishing models.   

Samira El Malizi (Director of the BNRM, Morocco)

EM Kawtar (BNRM, Morocco) 

Hanae Lrhoul (ESI, Morocco)

Hanae Lrhoul is a professor at the School of Information Sciences in Rabat. She holds a Ph.D. in Information and Communication Sciences from CNAM-Paris. Her research focuses primarily on governance and open access to science, scientometrics, and the visualization of scientific information.

Hanae Lrhoul is active and involved in international projects related to open science and data governance. She is an editor of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and president of the "Creative Commons Morocco" chapter. She is Vice President of the AIFBD and Founding President of the Moroccan Association for the Development of Scientific and Technical Information, which launched the first Open Archives project in Morocco.

Samira Naitajjou (CNRST, Morocco)

 Sanae Ouabi (ESI, Morocco)

 Sanae Ouahbi is a doctoral student in information science at the School of Information Sciences (ESI). Her research focuses on open science, linked data, and the promotion of scientific publications, with a particular interest in issues related to the visibility and accessibility of knowledge.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0520-5231  

Imane Rhassate (CNRST, Morocco)

Imane Rhassate is a computer scientist at the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST). She holds a degree in computer science and a diploma in information technology from the School of Information Sciences (ESI) in Morocco. Her academic background has given her in-depth expertise in both information management and information and communication technologies.

In particular, she has contributed to the establishment, management, and administration of key national platforms, such as the TOUBKAL national thesis catalog and the OTROHATI catalog of theses in progress. At the Moroccan Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (IMIST), she has also overseen document acquisitions and the development of document management procedure manuals.

Since 2018, she has served as Head of the Communications Department at the CNRST. In this role, she helps lead initiatives aimed at promoting Moroccan research, such as the “The CNRST Comes to Campus” information campaign and the organization of major events, including the “Research Excellence Awards.” She is also a member of the national committee for the “My Thesis in 180 Seconds” competition. 

His research and publications regularly focus on the evaluation of Moroccan scientific output and issues related to Open Access.

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0905-3777 

Fantine Rouault (Unesco Rabat, Morocco)

 Elsa Sattout (Unesco Rabat, Morocco)

Touria Slimani (CNRST, Maroc)

 An information specialist with over 20 years of experience in the fields of information science and IST.

She is the head of the Electronic Resource Sharing Department at the Moroccan Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (IMIST), which is part of the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST). She has helped set up key IMIST projects, such as the opening of the library and the development of its document collection, as well as the "Otrohati" platform for theses currently in preparation. Currently, her professional work focuses on improving access to the IST and supporting researchers to promote national scientific output.

She served as a volunteer editor and translator for the "Moroccan Scientific Community" initiative from 2013 to 2016 and as communications officer for the "Maroc Scientifique" association from 2014 to 2016.

Open science is a key focus of her work, particularly with regard to open science policies in the Arab world. She is a founding member of the Arab Open Access Community (ACOA) and a member of its Strategic Planning Board, a member of the Regional Open Science Alliance in the Arab Region, co-founder of the Open Science Community Morocco (OSCM), and a member of the Open Science Monitoring Initiative (OSMI), where she helped translate UNESCO’s Principles of Open Science into Arabic.

She is also involved in promoting the information and documentation profession through the Moroccan Association for Information and Data Management, where she serves on the executive board.