Mohammed prize for best research paper on Islam set up

The Mohammed VI prize for the best research paper on Islam and the Islamic world societies has been set up Monday under an accord with the French school of high studies on social sciences (EHESS).

The prize, worth 100,000 FF, will be awarded every two years to reward students having conducted research on Islam and the Islamic World societies in the fields of linguistics, law, economy, urban studies, geography, sociology, anthropology, and musicology at the institute of Islamic studies and Islamic World Societies (IISMM).

The institute is an off-shoot of the EHESS.

Searchers from all nationalities having compiled theses in French, or whose work has been translated into French can vie for the Prize.

The first Mohammed VI prize will be awarded to students having presented their thesis between November 1999 and December 2001. The awarding ceremony is scheduled for February 2002.

The accord setting up the prize was initialed at Morocco's embassy in Paris by advisor to the king, Abbes Jirari, and the EHESS chairman, jacques Revel.

The prize symbolizes the interest Morocco grants to scientific cooperation between the Kingdom and French University institutions. It seeks to encourage young searchers conduct studies on Islam, Jirari said.