In the media

Mauritania is planning to digitize its national exams and competitive entrance tests to improve transparency, fairness, and reliability. The initiative, led by the Education and Digital Transformation ministries, will introduce digital tools across the exam process, from setting papers to grading, to reduce errors and increase traceability. A phased rollout with testing stages has been agreed to ensure system stability before large-scale use.

Student unions have urged the Ministry of Higher Education to conduct a transparent investigation into the allocation of foreign scholarships. Allegations of favoritism and nepotism have surfaced, with lower-performing students being accepted while top students are denied. Of the 300 scholarships allocated annually to Mauritanian students in Morocco, 191 would have been misappropriated.

Students protested in front of the Mauritanian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for concerns over transparency in awarding foreign scholarships. A wide range of medical and baccalaureate students were excluded while 90 out of 200 scholarships offered by the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation have been retained. The lack of transparency in scholarship distribution aligns with broader corruption problems seen in African higher education systems, including nepotism and favoritism.