Moroccan Students Shine at Computer Olympiad, Outperforming African and Arab Nations
The Moroccan national team achieved an impressive participation in the International Olympiad in Informatics, held this year in Bolivia. A number of Moroccan students excelled, notably Zakaria Abiserrour from Safi, who, at just 16 years old, earned an “Honorable Mention” in his first competition.
The Moroccan delegation, which prepared throughout the academic year for this international competition, included Yassir Salama (Casablanca), Mohamed Sharqi, and Abdel Hakim Lmnour (Rabat), alongside Zakaria Abiserrour, who received significant praise for his outstanding performance. His success reflects the promising potential of a new generation of Moroccan programmers.
Regionally, Morocco ranked third among Arab countries and in Africa, surpassing several nations including Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Ghana, Nigeria, and Rwanda, both in individual performance and overall team points.
These results are attributed to the efforts of the National Scientific Committee for the Moroccan Olympiad in Informatics, which consists of a group of specialized professionals who volunteer to train and mentor over 1,000 students annually, despite limited resources and institutional support.
The “1337” Foundation played a crucial role in preparing the national team for this event, organizing two in-person training camps and covering the costs of three travel tickets to Bolivia, while the Ministry of Digital Transition funded three additional tickets, allowing the team full participation in this international edition.
This participation strengthens Morocco’s hopes for achieving better results in the coming years, particularly as most team members are still at the beginning of their academic journeys, providing them the opportunity to compete again in future editions.
It is noteworthy that several Moroccan students who previously represented the country in these Olympiads have later received valuable opportunities to join prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, the Polytechnic School in France, and the Excellence High School in Beni Mellal, in addition to the preparatory classes affiliated with Lycée Louis-le-Grand in France.
