THE ACCELERATION OF DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN MOROCCAN HIGHER EDUCATION: PRE-COVID AND POST-COVID-19 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation in higher education worldwide, including in Morocco, where universities rapidly shifted to remote and hybrid learning (Hodges et al., 2020; UNESCO, 2020). This study examines the evolution of digital infrastructure in Moroccan universities before and after the pandemic using a comparative analysis of 2019 and 2023 data. Four key indicators are analysed: MARWAN connectivity, Wi-Fi access points, multimedia rooms, and internet speed. The results show substantial improvements across all indicators, with growth ranging from 1.5x to 4x, confirming the pandemic as a major driver of higher education digitalisation in Morocco. These findings are consistent with global evidence on crisis-driven educational innovation (Bozkurt et al., 2020; Williamson et al., 2020) while highlighting the countrys significant infrastructural progress (Ben Henda & Elouali, 2022).