Admission requirements
There are no specific admission criteria. But, in view of the final attainment levels envisaged, minors are most suitable for third-year bachelor's students.
Description
This course trains students to formulate, design, and communicate robust research projects on urban life in Morocco, and ultimately also generic skills for urban inquiry.
Students work in small, mixed Moroccan-Dutch teams to develop collaborative research proposals situated in the Rabat–Salé agglomeration. Guided by the course coordinator, visiting LDE lecturers, and a small team of tutors, they learn to move from an initial exploration of interests to a coherent research design grounded in relevant theories, literature, and methods.
Through tutorials, peer discussions, and supervision, students refine their research questions, clarify their conceptual frameworks, and connect their field focus to broader debates on sustainability, housing, mobility, governance, etc. At least two parts of this course will be taught by visiting LDE colleagues in the form of intensive work weeks focusing on researching topics such as landscaping, ecology, transport and infrastructure. The course emphasises learner-centred and community-engaged inquiry, encouraging students to act as bridges between local communities and policy institutions. Epistemological and ethical awareness, reflexivity, and attention to equity and positionality are integral to every stage of the process. The course culminates in a formal presentation of research proposals, forming the foundation for the subsequent field project Urban Action Lab.
Course objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Formulate clear and researchable questions related to urban transformations in Morocco, informed by relevant theories and concepts.
2. Design a coherent and feasible research plan that integrates appropriate methods learned in Part A.
3. Conduct preliminary literature and data reviews to situate their project within scholarly and policy debates.
4. Apply principles of ethical, inclusive, and community-oriented research in defining their approach.
5. Collaborate in interdisciplinary, international teams to co-create research designs.
6. Communicate their proposals effectively through written abstracts, visual outlines, and oral presentations to peers and stakeholders.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Tutorial
Intensive work weeks
Assessment method
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Research proposal | 70% |
| Oral pitch | 30% |
Assessment remarks:
Research proposal –2,500-3,000 words outlining question, framework, and methods
Oral pitch – 5-minute presentation to peers and tutors
Resit, review & feedback
If the final grade is below 5.5, the student has to revise the research proposal.
If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results and before the second exam moment takes place an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Registration
Admitted students will be enrolled for the courses by the Education Administration Office Herta Mohr by the end of August / beginning of September.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the information bar on the right.
For questions about enrolment, admission, education programmes offered by NIMAR, contact the coordinator.
Remarks
Important: this course is taught at NIMAR in Rabat, Morocco.