University Professor
"I'm proud of you,"
likes to repeat Ayden to his grandmother. Did he already understand that the
journey of his "young grandmother" aroused not only the admiration of
his family but also that of his country? Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli received, in 2015,
the L'Oréal-Unesco Prize for Women and Science. "Life is a series of accidents," says
the physicist. Is chance
the keystone of her career? Rajaâ Cherkaoui did not know indeed that by going to a school of
architecture in France she would embark on a career in nuclear physics! At a very young age, work was at the center of
her life: "Be independent!," my father used to repeat to my sisters
and to me. He was a
visionary who knew how to evolve with his time", explains Rajaâ Cherkaoui
El Moursli. Of her studious
adolescence she keeps fond memories, “especially the holidays in Shoul, the
property of my grandfather, who was the pacha of the city of Salé". After getting her junior high school degree, she
left Morocco for the French city of Grenoble where, given her excellent record,
the university advised her to follow a math-physics curriculum. Discovering a great interest for this latter
discipline, Rajaâ continued with a bachelors’ degree and then a thesis in
physics. This
scientist contributed to the creation of the first master of medical physics at
the Mohammed V University in Rabat and allowed this institution to take part in
major international scientific collaborations. In 2013, she became the Vice President of the
University, and in 2015 was appointed resident member of the Hassan II Academy for
Science and Techniques. Her
husband offers unwavering support to Rajaâ who works tirelessly: "The more
I study, the more I learn and the more I feel that knowledge is limitless. "Her removal of the kidney in 2006 did not
stop her :" The mind has an immense impact on the physical condition. "A philosophy she conveys convincingly to
her audience:" A teacher does not only teach, he must help his students to
exploit their abilities”, she says.