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American Journal of  Smart 
Technology and Solutions (AJSTS)

University 4.0: Digital Transformation of  Higher Education 
Evolution and Stakes in Morocco

Hind Tamer1, Zakaria Knidiri1*

Volume 2 Issue 1, Year 2023
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Article Information ABSTRACT

Received: February 13, 2023

Accepted: March 09, 2023

Published: March 17, 2023

Facing the challenges of  the new industrial revolution, the deep coupling between univer-
sities and industry 4.0, the integration of  information and communication technologies 
in education, and the enhancement of  the ability to serve society on the basis of  internal 
and external synergy should become the common choice of  different types of  universi-
ties. The university plays an important role in the n development in any advanced econ-
omy. In the age of  knowledge and globalization rapid technological changes involve new 
disruptive processes. In this permanent challenge, it is necessary to adapt to the digital 
transformation, in order to better respond to the needs and challenges of  a constantly 
changing environment. It is necessary to pay attention to technological advances, to a total 
transformation in the new university, University 4.0, In order to face the challenges of  the 
technological development and the efficiency of  universities in Morocco, it is necessary to 
introduce modern technologies, blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, chatbots..... 
into the sphere of  Moroccan universities.

Keywords
Morocco, Digital 
Transformation, ICT, 
Digitalisation, University 4.0

1 Management Sciences, Faculty of  Legal, Economic and Social Sciences of  Marrakesh, Cadi Ayyad University Marrakesh, Morocco
* Corresponding author’s e-mail: z.knidiri@uca.ac.ma

INTRODUCTION
This Digital transformation is about focusing the 
development of  universities and higher education 
institutions on the application of  technology, as is the 
case in other sectors. Dewar (2017) defines University 4.0 
as a university that is other-oriented, to primarily serve 
students, outward-looking, engaged, and connected to 
the surrounding productive environment, in line with 
Barnett’s (2017) concept of  the ecological university, 
which refers to the interconnection of  the university with 
various ecosystems (knowledge, social institutions, people, 
economy, learning, culture, and natural environment). 
Precisely, in order to follow a logical sequence until 
reaching version 4.0, Barnett describes the evolution 
of  the university in different phases: a university 1.0, 
which would be the metaphysical university developed in 
medieval times, with a strong presence and dominance of  
spiritual and religious beliefs. Version 2.0 is born in post-
industrial societies, more focused on the deployment of  
research within the university as a driver of  technological 
progress oriented towards economic development. It 
would correspond to the universities created from the 
15th century onwards, with teaching that was increasingly 
open to different approaches to thought. A few centuries 
later, version 3.0, which could be called an entrepreneurial 
university, defined by Barnett, as a university for itself, 
serving many different functions and communities, but 
above all concerned with optimizing its own interest 
or strategy in an increasingly competitive world. This 
university 3.0 is also defined by Pulido, (2019) as an 
advanced and social university, developing in Europe in the 
19th century, combining teaching and research functions, 
with self-governance and institutional autonomy. 
This article introduces us to the digital era, trying to show 
the relevance and impact it has on contemporary society. 
It identifies the main disruptive technologies that are 

shaping it and how, from these, the models and processes 
of  organisations are being transformed, generating 
profound, abrupt and at the same time ephemeral 
changes. From this point of  view, the challenges of  
universities in the digital age, the debate on the future 
of  the university cannot be postponed in the face of  the 
challenges of  Industry 4.0. This transformation is seen as 
a necessity that must be tackled without delay, but with a 
critical view and taking into account the particularities of  
each institution. We also try to sketch some ideas on the 
role that higher education institutions could play in this 
coupling between university and industry 4.0.

METHODOLOGY 
In order to understand and analyze the close link between 
universities and Industry 4.0, we focused on the digital 
transformation of  higher education as a common 
choice of  different types of  universities, in this sense a 
systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted. This 
form of  review is based on the application of  different 
scientific strategies that limit bias, through a systematic 
collection of  information as well as a critical evaluation 
and synthesis of  all relevant studies on a specific 
topic (Cook et al., 1995). In this work, we applied the 
methodology proposed by Tranfield et al. (2003), which 
can be summarized in three main steps: planning the 
review, conducting the review and presenting the results 
and reports.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Plan the systematic literature review
Dewar, (2017) argues that University 4.0 will provide on-
demand learning in multiple formats, with continuous 
transfers between different modalities, with more intense 
collaboration between universities and the productive 
fabric in a digitised environment. In this context, Pulido 

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(2019) interprets University 4.0 as a university that 
undergoes such a disruptive change that it requires a 
radically new university (4.0) in organisation, technology, 
and education-research strategy that responds to the 
needs of  a profoundly evolved society. Indeed, digital 
technologies are driving digital transformation, a new 
form of  organisation and increasing and unpredictable 
changes, generating a wide range of  new challenges. It 
is therefore University 4.0 that corresponds to a modern 
university, as a metamorphosis of  previous versions in 
a technological environment that is advancing into the 
digital age and must meet the demands and commitments 
of  a globalised society.
Due to the digital transformation, the university has ceased 
to be what it used to be. The university today has to follow 
the trends imposed by globalisation and the increasing 
use of  technology by organisations and individuals. There 
is a concern about whether the university can survive the 
intelligent world resulting from the advances in digital 
technology brought about by the Fourth Industrial 
Revolution. Is it possible to envisage the university of  the 
future as a smart 4.0 university that has begun to emerge? 
The answer to this research question thus contributes to 
enriching the literature both on the notion of  University 
4.0 and on the new dynamics integration of  information 
and communication technology for education.

Conducting The Systematic Literature Review
In order to target the articles to be explored, we chose 
to use the following databases which we believe provide 
an adequate picture of  the current literature in the field: 
Scopus, Web of  science and google Scholar. We also used 
various websites including We then identified a series of  
keywords in order to select the most relevant articles for 
the research. In particular, we chose scientific articles 
that included the following terms in their subject, title or 
abstract: “Digitization” or “University 4.0” and “ICT”. 
In a second step, we introduced the terms “artificial 
intelligence” or “blockchain” in order to better focus 
the research on the University 4.0 theme. Regarding 
the period of  time to be covered, we have chosen a 
sufficiently long period to adequately present the state of  
the art in the field.

RESULTS
The economic impact of  digitisation is accelerating as 
countries evolve in their degree of  digitisation. The most 
digitally restrictive economies benefit less, largely because 
they have not yet developed an ICT ecosystem to reap 
the benefits of  digitalisation (Cerezo, et al., 2017, Tamer, 
2022). According to these authors, digital transformation 
is understood as a relatively new and recent phenomenon, 
and an organisation cannot be considered to have reached 
a final state of  maturity in this area or to have managed 
to define it in its entirety. Considered as a new paradigm, 
digitalisation, as a new way of  doing things, has a great 
impact on the way universities carry out their main 
missions and functions (Juanes and Rodríguez, 2020). 

Universities must also provide students with the skills and 
knowledge they need for a very different future. In this 
new educational landscape, the digital transformation of  
higher education is essential (Tamer, 2022). 
Of  this conception, very few intend to create 4.0 university 
models, which suggests that they continue to rely on the 
current university model in terms of  organisational form. 
It is therefore important to understand that the process of  
digital transformation implicitly involves a change in the 
organisational model. Digital transformation represents 
new opportunities for business strategies, integrating 
technology, streamlining processes, preparing teams to 
work and collaborate with digital tools and establishing 
business logic or processes with the digital economy, thus 
achieving better performance.
According to Garcia, (2018), it can then be deduced that, 
digital transformation allows institutions to adapt a socially 
responsible and ethical business model, allowing them to 
apply a scalable development model, without forgetting 
that they influence to reduce environmental impact by 
streamlining processes and reducing consumption of  
non-renewable materials.
According to Gaibor, (2020), Digitalisation is the great 
driver of  wealth creation, an important point in this 
analysis is that digital transformation brings greater 
productivity, agility, quality, innovation, cost efficiency, as 
well as many other aspects, both for digital and offline 
businesses, where the key is to understand how digital 
techniques and tools can impact and grow a traditional 
business or institution, but in a joint and strategic way. 
Digital transformation is not just a technological problem 
that is solved by an injection of  technology.
According to Barro (2018), the digitalisation of  a 
university requires first and foremost an investment 
effort in ICT infrastructure and resources. However, to 
make it a 4.0 university, the relationship between teachers 
and new students (millennials, generation Z) also needs 
to be reformulated, where traditional channels are no 
longer a priority but complementary. As explained in the 
article, the simple use of  technology is not enough to 
take the step towards digital transformation. According 
to Gaibor, (2020), it is necessary to raise awareness and 
train the whole team, so that they can make the most 
of  digital tools in their daily work. Looking at the issue 
from different angles, it is clear that the current rigid 
educational structures need to be changed, barriers 
need to be broken down and technology needs to be 
used to provide educational content at all times. We 
need to promote a more fluid and flexible education to 
better adapt to different needs, as the current rigidity of  
university structures does not, in some cases, promote 
adequate education (Gaibor, 2020).

From University 1.0 to University 4.0
The university has played, and must continue to play with 
greater intensity, an important role in the development 
of  innovation in any advanced economy. After all, it is 
the natural space in which knowledge is developed and 

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promoted and, as such, must be transferred to society. 
Globalisation, new processes and, consequently, new 
working methods and rapid technological changes 
define the changing environment in which the University 
operates. In this permanent challenge, it is necessary to 
adapt to the new times and, in particular, to strengthen 
the role of  resilience and adaptation to change in the 
university context. It is no longer just about the agility 
with which the organisation evolves in the present 
moment, but the ability to anticipate the future era, for 
which we must always be vigilant and constantly reflect. 
In this context, this vigilance implies the vision of  a 
digital world, to which the University has already opened 
its doors but where there is still a long way to go. We are 
talking about a disruptive era that is changing the world 
around us or, in global terms, the 4.0 era, which applied 
to any field denotes a commitment to the digital world, 
to the digitalisation of  processes or to what is known as 
digital transformation.
The regular use of  the internet by millions of  people around 
the world has led to the development of  the internet of  
things, which is a growing advance in connecting digital 
devices and objects to each other, interacting in such a 
way that there are no temporal or spatial boundaries. We 
are witnessing a new industrial revolution that affects the 
intellectual-intensive jobs of  the 21st century, whereas 
in previous industrial revolutions it was mainly manual 
activities that were affected. This is the fourth Industrial 
Revolution, that of  the fusion of  technologies, where 
the combination of  advances in the development of  
robotics and artificial intelligence, the collection and 
processing of  massive information or Big Data have and 
will have an impact on the economy and therefore on the 
qualification needs of  jobs in all productive sectors. The 
digital transformation implies focusing the development 
of  the university, higher education institutions, on the 
application of  technology, as is happening in other 
sectors (Tamer, 2022). 
Dewar, (2017), defines the 4.0 university as a university 
that is other-oriented, primarily to serve students, 
outward-looking, engaged and connected with the 
surrounding productive environment, which refers to the 
interconnection of  the university with various ecosystems.
Specifically, to fit into a logical sequence until reaching 
version 4.0, Barnett, (2014), describes the evolution of  
the university in different phases: a university 1.0 which 
would be the university developed in the medieval period 
(the main European universities date back to the 11th 
century), with a strong presence and dominance of  
spiritual and religious beliefs and which evolved towards 
liberal arts type education. Version 2.0 appears in the 
sphere of  post-industrial societies, more focused on the 
deployment of  research within the university as a driver 
of  technological progress oriented towards economic 
development. It would correspond to the universities 
created from the 15th century onwards, with teaching that 
was increasingly open to different approaches to thought. 
A few centuries later, version 3.0, which could be 

described as the entrepreneurial university, defined by 
Barnett, (2014), as a university for its own sake, serving 
many diverse functions and communities, but above all 
concerned with optimising its own interest or strategy 
in an increasingly competitive world. This University 
3.0 is also defined by Pulido, (2019) as an advanced 
and social university, developing in Europe in the 19th 
century, combining the teaching function with the 
research function, with self-governance and institutional 
autonomy. 
Dewar, (2017), argues that University 4.0 will provide on-
demand learning in multiple formats, with continuous 
transfer between different modalities, with more intense 
collaboration between universities and the productive 
fabric in a digitised environment. In this context, Pulido, 
(2019), interprets University 4.0 as a university that 
undergoes such a disruptive change that it requires a 
radically new university (4.0) in organisation, technology 
and education-research strategy that responds to the 
needs of  a profoundly evolved society. Indeed, digital 
technologies are leading to digital transformation, a new 
form of  organisation and increasing and unpredictable 
changes, generating a wide range of  new challenges. It 
is therefore University 4.0 that corresponds to a modern 
university, as a metamorphosis of  previous versions in 
a technological environment that is progressing in the 
digital age and that must respond to the demands and 
commitments of  a globalised society.
According to Barth, Rieckmann, (2016), the major changes 
we are seeing with information and communication 
technologies make traditional approaches to classical 
pedagogy and its conventional credentials obsolete. 
Among the soft skills that will soon be indispensable 
are higher-order cognitive thinking, innovative adaptive 
thinking, cognitive load management, multiple literacy, 
complex situation solving, social skills, elastic skills and 
cross-curricular skills to accomplish tasks of  a changing 
nature. Barth, Rieckmann, (2016), add that digital 
skills will also lead to a diversity of  synaptic and social 
connections that will become increasingly flexible and 
adaptive. According to Deward, (2017), the typology 
of  universities provided by Professor Emeritus Barnett, 
(2014), from the Institute of  Education at the University 
of  London presents us with the following classification:
University 1.0: This would be the university, in the 
service of  God, which appeared in medieval times. The 
first stages of  this university were structured around 
specialised communities that eventually evolved into the 
tradition of  liberal arts education (Le Goff, 2008). 
University 2.0: could be seen as the research university that 
has emerged in post-industrial societies, where universities 
have become the focal point of  research-led technological 
progress. The great post-war expansion is clearly focused 
on research for economic development. Based on the 
massification of  education, with the teacher as the main 
provider of  knowledge and the student as a passive receiver 
who absorbs the content (Shchedrovitskii, 2011). 
University 3.0: is described as the entrepreneurial 

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university, functioning, in Barnett’s, (2014), terms, as a 
university ‘for itself ’, serving many diverse functions and 
communities, but primarily concerned with maximising 
its own self-interest. Based on the integration of  
computers and the internet into teaching and learning, 
thereby increasing access and equity (Li, 2020).
University 4.0: refers to the green, outward-looking 
university, deeply connected to industry and the 
communities around it. It is committed to meeting the 
needs of  its students. It relies on high-speed internet, 
mobile devices, technology platforms and digital 
applications, which facilitate personalised learning 
anytime, anywhere and change the transmission roles of  
teachers (Efimov, and Lapteva, 2017). 
University 4.0 is an apt description of  how universities 
around the world must respond to the new economy 
and associated trends such as digital disruption and 
changing labour markets. If  universities want to remain 
relevant, they must undertake revolutionary changes at 
the organisational, operational, structural, pedagogical, 
socio-cultural and cognitive levels today (Aladyshkin, 
Odinokaya, Safonova, & Kalmykova, 2020). University 
4.0 is fully in line with the fourth Industrial Revolution. 
We are talking about new platforms that will use artificial 
intelligence algorithms in combination with the Internet 
of  Things (IoT) to personalise student learning. This 
will force traditional professors to take on new teaching 
roles that transcend the delivery of  declarative content 
(Aladyshkin, Odinokaya, Safonova, & Kalmykova, 2020).
This revolution is centred on the development of  
new information and communication technologies in 
education incorporating robotics, automated systems, 
blockchain, fintech, bots, deep learning, 5G technology 
and cybersecurity systems. All of  these will impact 
our daily lives, social relationships, work and learning 
experiences for life. 
Today’s student is not just limited by a teacher-led 
educational model, but draws learning from a variety 
of  information sources at a personalised pace. They 
do not only expect academic excellence, but also desire 
personalised excellence by expanding their horizons of  
possibilities. We cannot be satisfied with a university 
that adapts to new circumstances and tries to integrate 
emerging technologies (Kazimirov, 2018). We need a 
radical change and this requires: ending the problems of  
massification, adopting the procedures for professional 
promotion, softening the relationship with the social 
environment, strengthening student engagement, 
implementing realistic strategic plans (Antonio Pulido, 
2019).
For James, (2019), one of  the contemporary methodologies 
is accelerated distance learning, i.e. the idea that students 
learn theoretical knowledge at a distance through digital 
means, while ensuring that practical skills are acquired in 
physical environments. It is a flexible form of  learning 
that requires responsibility and good time management 
to develop skills based on an increasing economy of  
autonomy.

At this point, it is a matter of  building and investing 
more in a robust educational ecosystem, not to replace 
or displace it, but as a form of  flexibility and adaptability. 
According to Aladyshkin, et al, (2020), What is required 
of  education today is not a solid classical education, 
not because of  the modality, but because of  the social 
diversity of  the modern world. Higher education 
institutions are moving towards a more personalised 
form of  learning. Aladyshkin, et al, (2020), add that by 
using data and tracking student performance, universities 
will be able to identify students who are struggling and 
provide them with learning strategies optimised to meet 
their needs. Data analysis will be used to treat each 
student, understanding that each student’s learning needs 
and desired outcomes will be different.
According to Villalobos, and Pedroza (2019), the central 
idea supported in this article is that there is no element of  
the university that is not undergoing profound changes 
with the use of  new communication and learning 
technologies. University life is being renewed with its 
productions, processes and tasks; training, teaching, 
learning, research, curriculum, etc., are all being changed 
by the integration of  information and communication 
technologies for teaching. Thus, various documents from 
universities in different parts of  the world have been 
worked on and creativity has been used to give shape to 
University 4.0 (Villalobos, and Pedroza 2019).
The virtuous circle of  innovation in the university in 
the transition to the future. The debate on the future 
of  the university cannot be postponed in the face 
of  the challenges of  4th industrial revolution, where 
developments in technology, physics and biology 
converge. The archetypal monolithic university, composed 
of  disciplinary islands focused on essentially theoretical 
teaching, with atomised contents disconnected from real 
problems and with informational pedagogical practices 
that favour repetitive and contemplative learning, which 
is also of  little impact in making contributions to the 
future (Gueye, and Exposito, 2020).
According to Gueye, and Exposito, (2020), the university 
in the knowledge society is obliged to reinvent itself  
because otherwise, with its traditional model, it will 
be unable to meet the needs and challenges of  an 
increasingly dynamic world. Recent experience shows a 
historical truth: universities that work hand in hand with 
technological advances are best placed. By investing in 
research and development, they are creating innovations 
and acquiring a leading role in the current new 
technological configuration. 
According to Madaliуeva, et al., (2020), it is the faculty 
that enables the university to develop, to participate in 
opening up and solving the challenges present in the 
new fields of  knowledge. In order to reinvent itself, the 
university must implement and encourage the integration 
of  new information and communication technologies 
for teaching in teaching and learning, always on the basis 
of  scientific research, while promoting new forms of  
organisation, new methods.

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Indeed, according to Lapteva, and Efimov, (2016), the 
trend of  university education in Industry 4.0 is moving 
towards the innovative research-based university. Lapteva, 
and Efimov, (2016), indicated that the innovative university 
is the one that makes research its main development axis. 
On the one hand, new knowledge is provided and, on the 
other hand, the learning and teaching system is redefined. 
The result is a university model characterised by dynamic 
feedback between these two aspects. The best ranked 
universities are those that encourage this kind of  flow 
(Lapteva, and Efimov, 2016).
According to, Madaliуeva, et al, (2020), with the upgrading 
of  traditional industries and the advent of  Industry 4.0, the 
economic structure and industrial mode have undergone 
unprecedented changes, which means that universities 
have to adapt to the demand and provide responses. 
Madaliуeva, et al, (2020), add that the construction and 
exploration of  new information and communication 
technologies for education, on the one hand, actively 
adapt to the changing demand for profiles in the context 
of  industrial production and technological innovation, 
and on the other hand, promote institutional reform and 
internal development of  universities.
Today, the university is changing, there is no country that 
does not rethink the change of  the model and function of  
its university. We can even say that the country that resists 
change is endangering the existence of  this thousand-
year-old institution (Madaliуeva, et al., 2020). Various 
factors require a change in the university, the most 
representative being technological development, what 
society expects from the university and that it responds to 
economic, social and political development, which implies 
an internal renovation of  university processes (Lapteva, 
and Efimov, 2016).
The university is challenged because technological 
advances are not always born within it, the dominant 
dynamic is that of  an academic science and technology, 
that is, it is formed only to reproduce, not to generate 
new advances (Gueye, and Exposito, 2020). With the 
fourth Industrial Revolution, the university has to deal 
in a different way with its dynamics in the training of  
professions, moving towards teaching and intelligent 
learning, devoting itself  more to scientific research 
and technological development, with this, its vision is 
transformed and its model is mobilised towards open and 
flexible forms. Not all universities are taking the shift in 
the same way (Lapteva, and Efimov, 2016).
The best-placed universities are at the forefront of  change, 
while others are slow and lagging behind. The best-
placed universities are those dedicated to research with 
models linked to the economic and social development 
of  the country (Gueye, and Exposito, 2020). They 
generate technological advances and produce economic 
resources. This is in contrast to poorly positioned 
universities, which maintain the stagnant practices of  
the past, dedicated to training based more on academic 
discipline than on the generation of  new knowledge 
and technical and technological resources. There is an 

uneven development of  the university in the world that 
coincides with the economic, political and social situation 
of  each country (Gueye, and Exposito, 2020). Therefore, 
the transformation of  the university represents the 
transformation of  the country or vice versa, as there 
is a reciprocal relationship between the university and 
national development. 
In general, the transformations of  the university in 
the world have an accelerated dynamic, which requires 
addressing the dimensions that need to change in the 
direction of  progress. Villalobos, and Flores (2019), have 
identified some axes of  university transformation:

• Diversification of  university modalities, nowadays 
pluriversity is a fact, they coexist with face-to-face mobility, 
alternative and complementary distance, open, digital and 
mixed modalities that are increasingly positioned.

• With the development and application of  information 
and communication technologies (ICT), curricular 
modalities are being transformed into flexible, open, 
networked, integral and individualised itineraries, combined 
with platforms such as Coursera, Udacyt, Scolartic, Mooc 
courses and standard university credits. 

• With artificial intelligence, pedagogical relationships 
are being transformed, as there is now a relationship 
between teachers, robots and students and learning is 
an unprecedented experience, generating a ramification 
of  learning types: adaptive (Big Data with Learning 
Analytics), 3D, gamified, flipped learning, adaptive, with 
virtual reality, multimodal, storytelling-based learning, 
and so on. 

• There is a new academic ecosystem of  training, 
learning and management based on the technology trend 
of  5G (fifth-generation 5G mobile networks), digital 
assistants, robots, augmented reality, global educational 
platforms, communities of  practice and the use of  
blockchain (Schwab, 2017).

• Rethinking the training of  professions by strengthening 
the themes of  humanities and human development 
tending towards the connection and expression of  smart, 
sustainable and coexisting cities.
The building blocks of  university transformation are 
many, the university 4.0 model is super-connected in 
an interactive environment between humans and new 
technological species creating a new university ecosystem 
of  teaching co-existence for the continuous development 
of  learning for disruption (Giesenbauer, det Müller-
Christ, 2020).
According to Colombo, et al, (2020), The use of  hard 
technological applications derived from intelligent 
computing allows for the superconnection of  knowledge 
at previously unsuspected levels, artificial intelligence 
stands out, starting from the use of  simple artefacts to the 
use of  machine learning, we observe how in universities 
the use of  apps, robots and virtual intelligence increases its 
application. At the same time, the forms of  learning with 
soft technologies are multiplying, they are abandoning 
their traditional form of  being secondary in the training 
processes, they are now the central character, we are in 

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the era of  augmented learning acquired by our human 
skills and simultaneously powered by nanotechnological 
artificial bodies, for this reason we speak today of  a 
trend towards nano-credentials and no longer of  the old 
university references of  diplomas and degrees (Colombo, 
et al., 2020). Flores, (2018), note that we are living in a 
time of  crisis that requires the university to move to 
where the people are, not that the people move to the 
physical address of  the university. Flores, (2018), adds if  
administrators, faculty and non-teaching staff  resist the 
demands of  the millennial society, they will begin to feel 
the effects of  the erosion caused by the proliferation 
of  emerging educational agencies that will launch their 
attractive academic offerings.
These conventional institutions will not only face the 
challenge of  placement rates or employability of  their 
graduates, but will also have to deal with the socio-cultural 
challenges and emerging crises of  our time (Colombo, et 
al., 2020). The educational community will have to work 
together to find solutions to crises on and off  campus. 
According to Colombo, et al. (2020), before long we will see 
the academic offerings of  departments lose their footprint, 
as social demand will dictate what people want to learn, 
how to learn it, when, where and with what resources.  
Duc, et al., (2018), suggest that universities should partner 
with the local community, industry and society at large to 
co-design and co-implement a stronger higher education 
system. Duc, et al, (2018), add that their operational and 
pedagogical business model is incompatible with the 
times we live in. We are now living under the threat of  a 
micro-organism that has crippled the entire world. The 
initial solution was to save the semester with any video-
conferencing technology that would be used for remote 
academic continuity. As the summer holidays approach, 
higher education institutions will have to prepare for longer 
periods of  remote administrative support and online 
teaching. What we know as the physical space for working 
and learning will never be the same again (Duc, et al., 2018).
According to Giesenbauer, det Müller-Christ, (2020), 
University 4.0 is not the one that improves on what 
other universities do, but the one that dares to do things 
differently. It is the one that looks at the segments that 
other institutions are unable to look at. An agile educational 
organisation is one that looks at different latitudes, looking 
for new learning niches that society needs.
It is very clear that no single technology will replace 
administrators, teachers and non-teaching staff. Those 
who will replace them will be the expert users of  cyber-
human interfaces (Gueye, and Exposito, 2020). They will 
take them out of  their fragile safety and comfort zones. 
Technology is not just about the digital gadgets we acquire 
in our workplaces and homes. Real technology is about 
effectively connecting our brains to devices to create new 
solutions to the emerging crises of  our time (Gueye, and 
Exposito, 2020).

Creative University 
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We are now living in a unique time where the digital 
revolution is changing the way most people live on the 
planet. Central to this change is the development of  
digital universities. It has already become a driver of  
the economy. Digitalisation improves the conditions 
for doing business, increases the level of  education and 
computer literacy of  the population and, in general, the 
level of  competitiveness of  the nation. Digital technology 
has such a profound effect on the competitiveness of  
countries that nations around the world are looking to 
modernize the industry. The changes brought about by 
technology, which are redesigning production processes, 
are helping to increase the efficiency and quality of  
services. As the experience of  the rest of  the world shows, 
digital technologies make a tangible contribution to GDP 
growth. This is why some countries have adopted entire 
national programs for in universities. The whole world is 
now embracing digital transformation. 
To date, Morocco country is implementing national 
digitalisation programs. A first approximation of  the state 
of  innovation in the world can be found in the recent report 
Global Innovation Index 2021 (GII), indeed Morocco 
occupies the 77th place with a score of  29.3 (Table 1).
The ranking is dominated by Switzerland, Sweden, the 

Table 1 : Global Innovation Index Ranking 2021
Gii Rang Economy Score Group 

Rank
Region 
Rank

76 OMAN 29.4 47 11
77 MOROCCO 29.3 8 12
78 BAHRAIN 28.8 48 13

United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea 
in these top five positions (Table 2).  As noted, the 
performance in investment and digital transformation 
in Moroccan universities, there is a deficit of  innovation 
at the national level. Moreover, change or improvement 
towards advanced positions is difficult and slow for a 
country such as Morocco. It is also interesting to note 
the reference to the most important regional science and 
technology clusters in the world, with the understanding 
that innovation activities tend to be geographically 
concentrated. In this regard, the United States remains the 
country with the largest number of  innovation clusters 
(26). Another source for assessing which countries have 
the most innovative universities is the Reuters ranking: 
The World’s most innovative universities, which identifies 
and ranks the educational institutions around the world 
with the best results in innovation, understood as the 
best performance in advancing science, inventing new 

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Table 2 : Global Innovation Index Ranking 2021
Gii 
Rang

Economy Score Group 
Rank

Region 
Rank

1 Switzerland 65.5 1 1
2 Sweden 63.1 2 2
3 United States 

Of  America
61.3 3 1

technologies and stimulating new markets and industries. 
Another source for assessing which countries have the 
most innovative universities is the Reuters ranking: The 
World’s most innovative universities, which identifies 
and ranks the educational institutions around the world 
with the best results in innovation, understood as the 
best performance in advancing science, inventing new 
technologies and stimulating new markets and industries. 
In its latest edition, referring to 2021, Stanford University 
in the United States leads the ranking of  leading 
universities in scientific and technological innovation, 
Stanford maintains its top spot year after year because it 
produces a steady stream of  innovations that are cited by 
other researchers in academia and private industry. This 
type of  influence is a key measure in the ranking of  the 
world’s most innovative universities, which was compiled 
in partnership with Clarivate Analytics and is based on 
proprietary data and analytics, including patent filings 
and research paper citations. Followed by Massachusetts 
Institute of  Technology (MIT), and Harvard, all of  
which have held their positions for seven consecutive 
years since Reuters began producing the rankings. In 
fact, no Moroccan university has made it into the top 70 
universities, so these results show that Morocco continues 
to have a low R&D investment effort compared to 
other economies of  similar size, and this circumstance 
conditions any effective progress. Barnett, (2017) points 
out that universities are not living up to their potential and 
responsibilities in a constantly changing and challenging 
environment. The truth is that in the age of  knowledge 
and globalization, the university must constantly reinvent 
itself  from becoming an obsolete institution, so that 
it can better respond to the needs and challenges of  a 
changing world. This reinvention implies paying attention 
to scientific and technological advances, developing them, 
integrating them and being more active in the innovation 
strategy.

Theoretical and Managerial Implications
From our study we can recommend Moroccan universities 
to consider adopting the following practices:
as a first link, blockchain which is gradually being 
implemented not only in all areas of  business, but also 
in higher education, as the interaction between business 
and science contributes enormously to the growth of  
innovative products and services. In higher education, 
the demand for innovation, the possibilities offered by 
digital technology, are very relevant today. Their necessity 
is associated with objective processes such as the volume 

of  information that is increasing at an enormous rate, and 
the capacity of  students to absorb it (Vasilieva, 2017). In 
Morocco, the transition to digital media is progressing; 
especially in higher education institutions which are 
increasingly moving away from paper-based media. 
Indeed, the collection of  information on paper creates 
an additional workload also for administrative staff  and 
allows for changes in documents; reporting forms on the 
results obtained in the different educational institutions 
may not match, which reduces the efficiency of  the staff; 
the lack of  a comprehensive database on graduates with 
specific skills makes it difficult for employers to find the 
right specialists; the lack of  an open database on the 
employment of  graduates and their transfer to other jobs 
does not allow higher education institutions. In order 
to solve all these problems and increase the efficiency 
of  universities in Morocco, it is necessary to introduce 
modern technologies, blockchain technology, into the 
sphere of  universities (Tamer, 20.
Secondly, the technologies of  augmented reality and 
virtual reality which constitute fundamentally new 
means and methods of  interaction between teachers and 
students, which guarantee the effective realization of  
pedagogical activities in the sphere of  higher education. 
The analysis carried out allows us to conclude that the 
application of  innovative technologies in the educational 
process contributes not only to the progress of  students, 
but also to their interest in the learning process. In 
Morocco, the application of  augmented reality and virtual 
reality technologies in the student learning process will, 
on the one hand, facilitate the task of  the teaching staff  
and, on the other hand, will significantly help students 
to master knowledge, form their skills and abilities and, 
overall, will have a positive effect on the training of  
graduates (Tamer, 2019).
Thirdly, chatbots in higher education, which are 
conversational assistants or better known as bot or chatbot 
or chatterbot, which can be defined as a virtual assistant, 
are a set of  computer programs that possess the ability 
to maintain a conversation with a human being through 
natural language. Similarly, a conversational agent can be 
understood as an automatic system capable of  emulating 
a human being in a dialogue with another person, with 
the aim that the system provides certain information or 
performs a certain task. The objective of  chatbots in 
higher education is always to achieve interaction based 
on models similar to those used by humans, which is 
achieved through dialogues, as they are programmed 
to have the capacity to analyse the environment and 
propose solutions to problems, interpreting emotions 
and contributing to the teaching-learning process to the 
maximum extent possible.
fourthly, artificial intelligence, which is defined as a 
technology whose value on the market is incalculable, 
both in the present and in the future, but we should not 
only refer to the monetary value, but also analyse the value 
it has for the optimisation of  non-commercial processes, 
as in the higher education sector, Artificial intelligence to 

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be a turning point in the changes of  traditional higher 
education paradigms, although the pedagogical modalities 
at all levels of  education systems are being adapted, given 
the current technological tools, virtual teaching modalities 
are becoming more common in the education policies 
of  developed countries. Finally, artificial intelligence can 
optimise the use of  these valuable resources, as one of  the 
main problems today is the under-use of  technological 
tools or their use in isolation and out of  context.

CONCLUSION
The landscape of  contemporary education is diverse. 
Higher education systems are now developing as 
institutionally complex structures that align learning 
with the organisations of  different professional spheres 
of  society and digital transformation (Aladyshkin, et al., 
2020; Karpov, 2013). Socially The most important and 
economically significant element of  this structure is the 
higher education sector.  Its institutional base is composed 
of  scientific institutions, high-tech companies, innovative 
enterprises, industrial consortia, innovative growth 
institutes giving rise to University 4.0 (Aladyshkin, et al., 
2020). Ecosystems become the place where favourable 
conditions for the efficient transfer of  technologies and 
scientific and technical innovations are created.  University 
4.0 becomes the basis of  global competitiveness of  
national economies, and its ecosystem forms new fast-
growing industries, promising technological markets, 
economically advanced administrative-territorial spaces.
Finally, based on the recommendations of  our research, 
universities in Morocco can promote active, constructive 
and real learning, while provoking a process of  innovation. 
This requires the involvement of  all stakeholders in the 
process of  changing the design of  the higher education 
process in Morocco, which was based on the practical 
application of  the content covered in the subject and on 
the integration and didactic use of  digital technologies.

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