Mariem Liouaeddine

@uit.ac.ma

Economics
Ibn Tofail University

Mariem Liouaeddine


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https://researchid.co/liouaeddine

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Education, Economics and Econometrics, Development

FUTURE PROJECTS

Gifted students

This study aims to analyze the achievements of gifted students in school, with a focus on developing countries. The study is using the TIMSS, PIRLS, and PISA databases


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School Bullying: what is the impact on students' achievements ?

This study aims to analyze the link between bullying at school and its impact on student outcomes. The study is using the TIMSS, PIRLS, and PISA databases.


Applications Invited
co author
30

Scopus Publications

Scopus Publications

  • A microeconometric evaluation of the one million school bags program in rural Morocco using quasi-experimental approach
    Fatima Azdagaz, Mariem Liouaeddine, Omar Zirari, Sabir Bendaoud, Imad Tourabi
    Discover Education, 2026
    This study provides a microeconometric evaluation of Morocco's “One Million School Bags” program, with particular emphasis on its impact in rural schools where educational challenges are most pronounced. Using rigorous quasi-experimental methods, we employ propensity score matching (PSM) analysis on data from the National Survey on Social Support for Schooling (ENASS) conducted by the National Observatory of Human Development (ONDH) in 2018. Our sample includes 5,704 students, with 3,800 beneficiaries (66.62%) and 1904 non-beneficiaries (33.38%), with rural students representing over 62% of program beneficiaries. Four matching algorithms are implemented: nearest neighbor, kernel, radius, and stratification matching. The program modestly but significantly improves school enrollment by 3–6 percentage points and reduces grade repetition by 4–7 percentage points. Heterogeneity analysis reveals particularly strong effects in rural areas, where the program achieves 4.2 percentage points enrollment improvement and a substantial 17 percentage points reduction in grade repetition. The analysis also uncovers differential effects by gender and education level, with boys experiencing stronger enrollment effects (4.9pp) and grade repetition reduction (26.8pp) compared to girls, while high school students demonstrate the largest enrollment gains (16.9pp). Morocco's school supplies program constitutes an effective intervention for reducing educational barriers and improving student retention, particularly in rural contexts where access to educational resources is most limited. However, the heterogeneous impacts highlight the need for targeted approaches addressing specific constraints faced by different student groups, particularly girls and primary school students in rural areas.
  • Educational Spending Efficiency: A Comparative Analysis Using Data Envelopment Analysis and Malmquist Index
    Chaimae Ghernouk, Mariem Liouaeddine
    Economies, 2026
    This study examines the efficiency and productivity of public education expenditure in 20 countries using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist Productivity Index over the period 2011–2023. Focusing on science and mathematics performance at the primary and lower-secondary levels, the results show that higher public spending does not necessarily lead to better educational outcomes, highlighting the importance of efficient resource allocation. The DEA estimates reveal substantial cross-country heterogeneity in efficiency, while the Malmquist results indicate positive total factor productivity growth across all countries, driven mainly by technical progress rather than efficiency catch-up. Countries such as Morocco, Japan, Turkey, and Iran exhibit sustained productivity improvements, particularly in 2019–2023. Persistent disparities in efficiency and productivity are closely associated with differences in education policies, governance, and socio-economic contexts. Overall, the findings stress the need for efficiency-oriented education reforms to enhance performance and promote sustainable growth.
  • Environmental Kuznets Curve and the Renewable Energy Transition in Morocco: Evidence from an ARDL Approach
    Marzouqa Lamsaf, Mariem Liouaeddine
    International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 2026
  • The impact of mental health on entrepreneurs: A theoretical approach
    Ahmed Bouzit, Mariem Liouaeddine, Said Tounsi
    EPJ Web of Conferences, 2026
    In this article, we will explore how mental health impacts entrepreneurs who are uniquely vulnerable to numerous psychological stresses, including but not limited to anxiety, stress, burnout, and depression. Many of these disorders are caused by or made worse by the constant stress to achieve; the need to lead a successful business while handling the stresses of potential financial loss and isolation from friends and family—the effects can be devastating on both an individual’s health and on his/her company. Entrepreneurs’ abilities to comprise informed decisions, be creative, and remain productive, are most affected by performance anxiety; burnout; and the fear of making mistakes or failing. Anxiety, burnout, and fear of failure create a cycle which produces greater overall problems (both personally and professionally) for the entrepreneur, threatening their ability to establish and sustain their business over time.
  • Evaluating the financial sustainability of pension systems: The case of Morocco's private sector pension scheme
    Asmaa El Anbari, Saïd Hanchane, Mariem Liouaeddine
    EPJ Web of Conferences, 2026
    The ageing of populations is one of the main factors contributing to financial unsustainability of pension schemes worldwide, particularly pay-as-you-go schemes. Morocco is not immune to these ageing trends, which have changed the shape of its age pyramid over time. This paper focuses on the pension system for salaried workers in the private sector in Morocco. It presents the results of actuarial modelling of this pension scheme using the “ILO-PENS” model. Developed by International Labour Organisation, this model relies on the cohort simulation method to estimate the future cost of financing pension benefits. The results of actuarial projections based on 2021 confirmed the scheme’s short-term financial unsustainability. From 2027, the scheme’s resources will no longer be sufficient to cover its expenditure. However, thanks to the accumulated reserve funds, the viability horizon extends to 2040. These results are close to the official ones published for the same year 2021[1], which validates the use of the model for assessing the impact of the reform options to be examined. In a context of pronounced ageing trends, reforming the national pension system is imperative, given that the rate of pension coverage for the elderly is among the lowest in the region, standing at 23.4%[2].
  • Employee Training and Firm Productivity in MENA Economies: Evidence from Propensity Score Matching
    Youssra Jouhari, Mohamed Saad Kholti, Mariem Liouaeddine
    EPJ Web of Conferences, 2026
    Improving firm productivity remains a critical challenge for developing economies, particularly within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This paper evaluates the causal impact of employee training programs on firm productivity, utilizing data from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys (2020) for five MENA countries: Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Jordan. To account for potential self-selection bias, the study employs Propensity Score Matching (PSM). The empirical findings indicate that training exerts a substantial positive influence on productivity in Morocco (33.1%), Egypt (24.0%), Lebanon (26.2%), and Tunisia (26.2%). In contrast, while the estimated effect in Jordan is positive (16.4%), it lacks statistical significance, suggesting that training effectiveness is subject to heterogeneity across diverse institutional and sectoral landscapes. These results underscore that investment in human capital is a pivotal driver of firm-level competitiveness in developing markets. Furthermore, the findings highlight the necessity of context-specific factors in shaping the returns on training. From a policy perspective, the research advocates for the design of industry-specific and sector-sensitive training frameworks, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Promoting lifelong skill acquisition and implementing systematic appraisal mechanisms for training interventions will be essential for MENA countries to enhance firm performance, operational flexibility, and long-term economic sustainability in an increasingly competitive global environment.
  • Inequalities in access to healthcare in Morocco: Issues and perspectives
    Ahmed Bouzit, Mariem Liouaeddine, Said Tounsi
    EPJ Web of Conferences, 2026
    This article examines different types of inequalities in access to health care in Morocco, including geographic, socio-economic and institutional factors. While Morocco has made progress towards reforming health care access through RAMED and AMO, inequalities still exist between urban and rural areas, between cities in already developed areas and cities in isolated regions, and among different social classes. The causes of these inequalities are rooted in the unequal distribution of health care providers (physicians located almost exclusively in cities), the inadequate or non-existent health care infrastructure in rural areas, economic barriers (the high cost of health care and the burden of paying for it directly), inadequate governance (the extreme concentration of power and the lack of effective coordination), and sociocultural factors (high rates of illiteracy and the unequal position of women). The authors of this article propose various reforms aimed at achieving a more equitable health care system, including decentralization, strengthening primary health care, and improving access to health care.
  • Closing the achievement gap? Financial aid and academic performance in higher education
    Zakaria Mansouri, Mariem Liouaeddine
    Cogent Education, 2026
    This paper evaluates the impact of scholarship aid on higher education outcomes in Morocco, examining whether financial support improves academic performance and progression. Using a sample of 13,300 graduate and undergraduate students observed between 2010 and 2023, the study applies Propensity Score Matching (PSM) with nearest-neighbor, radius, and kernel matching algorithms to compare scholarship recipients with similar non-recipients while controlling for observable characteristics. The results indicate that scholarships significantly improve academic outcomes. In particular, receiving a scholarship reduces the average time required to obtain a diploma by approximately five months and increases the likelihood of graduating with academic distinction. Balance diagnostics and sensitivity analyses confirm the robustness of these estimates. By providing new evidence from a developing-country context, this study contributes to the literature on financial aid, which has largely focused on access or evidence from high-income countries. The findings suggest that scholarship programs in Morocco could be further strengthened by combining financial aid with complementary academic support mechanisms.
  • THE IMPACT of FINANCIAL AID on SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT in SUB-SAHARAN COUNTRIES
    Mohamed Saad Kholti, Youssra Jouhari, Mariem Liouaeddine
    Economics Innovative and Economics Research Journal, 2026
    This study evaluates the impact of financial aid on pupils’ academic achievement in French-speaking sub-Saharan African countries, with a focus on mathematics and reading outcomes. Persistent disparities in educational performance, particularly among disadvantaged students and schools, underscore the need to understand how financial support can influence learning. The analysis applies propensity score matching to compare pupils in schools receiving local community support with those in schools without such support. This method ensures that observed differences in outcomes are attributable to financial aid rather than pre-existing differences between students or schools. The findings indicate that financial aid significantly enhances learning outcomes. Beneficiaries of such support achieve higher scores in both mathematics and reading. The effects vary by gender and type of school: girls tend to benefit more in mathematics, while boys show greater gains in reading; private and community schools experience larger improvements compared with public schools. These results suggest that targeted financial support can meaningfully improve educational achievement, particularly when adapted to the specific needs of schools and students. The study provides evidence for policymakers on effective resource allocation to reduce achievement gaps and promote equitable access to quality education. By highlighting the differential effects of financial aid, the research contributes to strategies aimed at improving learning outcomes and addressing educational inequalities across sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Women’s leadership and sustainable business performance in Moroccan SMEs
    Fatima Azdagaz, Mariem Liouaeddine, Omar Zirari
    Journal of the International Council for Small Business, 2026
    Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) drive economic development in emerging economies, where women’s entrepreneurial leadership contributes to sustainable business growth aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Morocco’s unique socioeconomic context, where traditional business practices coexist with modernization efforts, examining women’s leadership provides critical insights into gender-inclusive development pathways for North African emerging markets. This study examines how women’s leadership influences SME performance in Morocco’s private sector, contributing to economic sustainability and gender equality objectives. Using data from 598 micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the 2023 World Bank Enterprise Surveys, we employ propensity score matching (PSM) methodology to establish causal relationships between women’s leadership and firm performance. Our findings reveal that women-led MSMEs achieve significantly higher annual sales, with performance improvements of 9.3 percent to 12.7 percent across different matching approaches. Women-led SMEs exhibit superior performance through investments in research and development and formal employee training programs. SMEs with international quality certifications show higher propensity for women’s leadership, indicating correlation between global competitiveness and gender-inclusive management practices. While PSM addresses observable selection bias, potential limitations include unmeasured confounders and reverse causality, which we discuss in detail. Promoting women’s entrepreneurial leadership can simultaneously advance gender equality and sustainable economic growth (SDGs 5 and 8).
  • Optimization of Water Management for Reducing Health Risks in the MENA Region: A Lagrange Multiplier Approach
    Ahmed Bouzit, Mariem Liouaeddine, Said Tounsi
    Springer Optimization and Its Applications, 2026
  • Toward inclusive and effective learning in Africa: structural determinants of reading performance in Morocco
    Loubna Derboun, Mariem Liouaeddine, Mohammed Bijou
    Quality and Quantity, 2026
  • THE IMPACT OF INNOVATION ON FIRM PRODUCTIVITY: NEW EVIDENCE FROM THE WORLD BANK ENTERPRISE SURVEY
    Youssra Jouhari, Mohamed Saad Kholti, Mariem Liouaeddine
    Economics Innovative and Economics Research Journal, 2026
  • Corruption and business dynamics in Morocco: Evidence from the World Bank Enterprise Survey
    Chaimae Krichi, Mariem Liouaeddine, Ayoub Saadi, Zakaria Mansouri
    Journal of the International Council for Small Business, 2026
  • Impact of climate change on agricultural GDP in Morocco using machine learning techniques
    Samir En-Nia, Mariem Liouaeddine, Zakaria Mansouri
    Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, 2025
  • Access to bank credit and firm innovation in Egypt: New evidence from the World Bank enterprise survey
    Ayoub Saadi, Mariem Liouaeddine, Hanan Amin Mohamed
    Sustainable Futures, 2025
  • Navigating climate change impacts on agricultural productivity, food and human health security in developing countries
    Fatima Azdagaz, Omar Zirari, Mariem Liouaeddine
    Global Transitions, 2025
  • Evaluation of the impact of school canteen programs on schooling and combating school wastage of students in rural schools in Morocco
    Fatima Azdagaz, Mariem Liouaeddine, Omar Zirari
    Development Studies Research, 2025
  • Educational performance and canteen programs in Burkina Faso: is there any link?
    Mariem Liouaeddine, Zakaria Mansouri, Ayoub Saadi, Siley Mamadou Dia
    Cogent Education, 2025
  • Unpacking the Determinants of Academic Achievement in Morocco: A Multilevel Investigation Using the PISA 2018 International Survey
    Omar Zirari, Fatima Azdagaz, Mariem Liouaeddine, Jaouad Laamire, Ahmed Lemgadar
    Journal of School Choice, 2025
  • Evaluating the impact of adult education programs in Morocco: a quasi-experimental approach
    Rachid Boukbech, Mariem Liouaeddine
    Quality Education for all, 2024
  • Empirical Tests on Intermediation Programmes and Labour Market Accessibility in Morocco: A Comparative Study
    Zakaria Mansouri, Jaouad Laamire, Mariem Liouaeddine
    Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 2024
  • Evaluation of the Effects Induced by the Implementation of Rural Development Programs on the Improvement of Farmers’ Incomes and Their Resilience to Climate Change: Case Study PDRZM Morocco
    Hajar El-Fatouaki, Mariem Liouaeddine
    Advances in Science Technology and Innovation, 2024
  • Estimation of the short-term costs of youths not in education, employment or training: evidence from Morocco
    Mariem Liouaeddine, Abderahman Oudad
    Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 2024
  • Evaluation of the impact of governmental subsidy on firms’ survival during COVID-19: Evidence from Senegal
    Mariem Liouaeddine, Ayoub Saadi, Zakaria Mansouri, Achraf Benchebtith
    Journal of the International Council for Small Business, 2024
  • Foreign Direct Investment, Foreign Certification and Firm Performance in Morocco: Evidence from the World Bank Enterprise Survey
    Charaf-Eddine Moussir, Mariem Liouaeddine
    Studies in Business and Economics, 2023
  • Determinants of informal enterprise closure by gender: a microeconometric study applied in Senegal
    Ayoub Saadi, Assane Beye, Mariem Liouaeddine
    Retos Ecuador, 2023
  • Exploring Determinants of Firm's Innovation in Morocco: Evidence from the World Bank Enterprises Survey
    , Charaf-Eddine Moussir, Ayoub Saadi, Rachid Boukbech, Mariem Liouaeddine
    Review of Economics and Finance, 2023
  • Multilevel modeling an innovative tool for analyzing clustered data: Application to education and its projection on environmental management
    Mariem Liouaeddine, Mohammed Bijou
    E3s Web of Conferences, 2021
  • The analysis of the efficiency of primary schools in Morocco: modelling using TIMSS database (2011)
    Mariem Liouaeddine, Mounir Elatrachi, El mehdi Karam
    Journal of North African Studies, 2018

Publications

Liouaeddine, M., Elatrachi, M., & Karam, E. M. (2018). The analysis of the efficiency of primary schools in Morocco: modelling using TIMSS database (2011). The journal of North African studies, 23(4), 624-647.

Bijou, M., & Liouaeddine, M. (2018). Gender and Students' Achievements: Evidence from PISA 2015. World Journal of Education, 8(4), 24-35.