Latest news with #AlAkhawaynUniversity
Morocco World
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
AUI's Fun Run Turns Ifrane into a Hub of Solidarity and Youth Engagement
Rabat – On the bright Saturday morning of April 19th, Ifrane welcomed hundreds of runners, families, and volunteers for the 24th edition of the Fun Run, an event that has become much more than a race. It stood as a celebration of shared purpose and community spirit, and this year, it also marked the 30th anniversary of Al Akhawayn University (AUI). Organized by Hand in Hand, AUI's humanitarian student club, the event brought together a cross-section of Moroccan society. Locals joined students, professors, alumni, and visitors from across the country. The races , open to all and free of charge, offered three distances, 3 km, 5 km, and 10 km, to encourage participation from every age group. But the day did not end at the finish line. Families gathered afterward for a children's fair, a community gala, and a charity raffle, all designed to carry the spirit of the race into the evening. What made the occasion stand out was not only the turnout but also the way the town itself mobilized. Local authorities, police, and health services stepped in to ensure every aspect of the event unfolded smoothly. The opening ceremony brought together figures who helped shape AUI's journey. Driss Misbah, Governor of the Ifrane province, stood alongside Amine Bensaid, AUI's current president, and two of his predecessors, Driss Ouaouicha and Rachid Belmakhtar. Moroccan sports legends Hicham El Guerrouj and Abdelkader El Mouaziz lent their presence to the event, while rising athlete Hicham Amghar drew loud cheers as he stepped up to the starting line. The Fun Run served as a medium for Hand in Hand to channel funds toward concrete community projects. This year, the student-led initiative raised funds to renovate two schools in the Ifrane-Azrou region, create a community garden, restore a local mosque, and build a well in Tidili, near Marrakech, where water access remains a pressing issue. 'We want to do more than raise awareness. We want to change something,' said Hiba Amcharet, president of Hand in Hand and a computer science student at AUI. Over the past three decades, AUI has been at the forefront of Ifrane's growth. The university draws students from across the country and the globe. Its civic engagement, student projects, and research activities drive the local economy and promote ideas of collective development. Each year of the Fun Run is another page to this living book. It draws people not only to run, but also to want to imagine a Morocco in which students lead and communities respond. Tags: auiAUI Fun RunFun RunMorocco runMorocco sports
Morocco World
17-04-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Al Akhawayn University, Deloitte Morocco Sign Cybersecurity Cooperation
Rabat – Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane and the Deloitte Morocco Cyber Center signed this week a cooperation agreement to boost synergies between academia and the cybersecurity industry. The agreement is initially set for three years, but is renewable, a joint statement said, noting that the two parties signed the cooperation deal during this year's GITEX Africa, which took place from April 14-16 in Marrakech. Under the agreement, the center will allow exporters to contribute to the design and delivery of courses, mentorship, and knowledge sharing. The cooperation agreement aims to enhance Al Akhawayn University's cybersecurity specialization track as well as the Master's program. The university students and graduates will also benefit from access to internships and job opportunities within the Deloitte Cyber Center, while the two partners plan to create a joint certification to boost student employability. Both partners also aim to co-organize events such as cybersecurity days to boost ties between academia and industry players, while promoting shared cybersecurity. Amine Bensaid, president of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, expressed satisfaction with the new agreement, stressing his school's commitment to continue pursuing academic excellence and developing students. 'Cybersecurity, at the heart of digital transformation, is now a strategic issue for higher education,' he said, noting that the partnership with the Deloitte Morocco Cyber Center reflects Al Akhawayn's desire to strengthen its connection with the professional ecosystem. Managing partner for Cyber at Deloitte France and Francophone Africa, Imade ElBaraka, said it is imperative to have a strong pipeline of Moroccan and African talent. Elbaraka, who is also the General Director of Deloitte MCC, stressed that it's important to actively invest in skills development and mentoring young engineers. 'We are proud to bring this initiative to life alongside a leading institution like Al Akhawayn,' he concluded. Tags: Al Akhawayn UniversityGITEX 2025
Sharjah 24
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Sharjah 24
AUS, Al Akhawayn University partner to advance Arabic scholarship
Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said: 'The MOU with Al Akhawayn reflects the deep-rooted ties between the Emirate of Sharjah, the UAE and the Kingdom of Morocco, and highlights our shared commitment to advancing higher education and preserving cultural identity. AUS and Al Akhawayn University share a common academic vision—one that values Arabic and Islamic studies, supports research in heritage and identity and embraces innovation in knowledge creation. Through this partnership, we look forward to enriching academic exchange and strengthening collaboration between our institutions and our nations.' His Excellency Abdellatif Jouahri said: 'The memorandum of understanding between American University of Sharjah and Al Akhawayn University represents an additional link in the framework of the historical brotherly relations between the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Morocco. It aims to enable the two universities to develop scientific research and academic cooperation in several areas of mutual interest.' The signing ceremony was also attended by His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Toufiq, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco; and His Excellency Dr. Azzedine El Midaoui, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation of the Kingdom of Morocco, along with other senior officials from both institutions. Dr. Tod Laursen, Chancellor of AUS, stated: 'This partnership is a powerful expression of our vision for higher education that transcends borders and builds bridges through scholarship. Together with Al Akhawayn University, we are expanding the possibilities for collaborative research, reimagining the future of Arabic studies and contributing ethically to the evolution of artificial intelligence. This agreement reflects the very best of international academic cooperation—deeply rooted in culture, guided by purpose and focused on global impact.' The collaboration's scope includes research on the intersections between Arabic and English language pedagogies, with a particular focus on developing academic and critical literacies. It also encompasses efforts to advance the teaching of Arabic as a foreign language, facilitate translation across scholarly disciplines and promote Arabic liberal arts education. The two universities will explore the potential establishment of a joint center dedicated to pedagogy and digital humanities, providing a shared platform for research in Arab and Muslim literatures, cultural dynamics and communication systems. Dr. Amine Bensaid, President of AUI, said: "We're delighted to launch this partnership with our colleagues at AUS. This new partnership continues the founding vision that has inspired Al Akhawayn University since its inception thirty years ago, combining an anchoring in identity with deep cross-cultural collaboration. Through this ambitious new partnership with AUS, we will launch initiatives to advance collaborative research, reimagine and contribute to the future of Arabic Studies in the era of AI, cross-fertilize with best practices in English Studies and strengthen our shared liberal arts traditions to prepare globally-minded graduates who can bridge technology and cultural understanding in an increasingly interconnected world. It's a privilege for us to have an opportunity to contribute to—and to enjoy— the mutual admiration between the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Morocco." The MoU also provides avenues for cooperation in science, engineering, business, architecture, art, design and archival research. A particularly ambitious objective of the agreement is the development of an open-source Arabic dataset comprising literary works, media content and academic publications that reflect the linguistic and cultural richness of both Morocco and the UAE. By making this resource openly accessible, AUS and AUI aim to promote more inclusive and culturally representative training data for large language models, contributing to the ethical advancement of artificial intelligence. The partnership also paves the way for a wide range of collaborative activities, including faculty and staff exchanges, student mobility programs, shared academic resources, co-developed courses and joint research projects. Opportunities for joint supervision of graduate students, co-hosted conferences, seminars and technical training programs are also envisioned. Both institutions have expressed strong interest in establishing a collaborative fund to support joint initiatives aligned with shared academic priorities. This agreement forms part of AUS' broader commitment to building strategic partnerships with leading institutions around the world. Through such collaborations, AUS aims to expand its global reach, foster innovation across disciplines and contribute to the development of knowledge ecosystems that address regional and global challenges. To learn more about AUS and its partnerships, visit
Ya Biladi
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Ya Biladi
Al Akhawayn University honors Izza Génini, Moroccan documentary pioneer
A heartfelt tribute was paid on Saturday in Ifrane to Moroccan filmmaker Izza Génini, a pioneer of documentary cinema in Morocco, during the seventh edition of the Al Akhawayn Short Film Festival. The honor celebrates an extraordinary career devoted to showcasing Morocco's cultural richness through a cinematic body of work that has preserved the country's heritage, people, regions, and foundational narratives. The event, organized by Al Akhawayn University (AUI), also featured the national premiere of Ms. Génini's latest documentary, Meqbouline: The Guests of Toumliline, which explores the history of the Benedictine monastery of Toumliline, active from 1952 to 1968 in Azrou. Speaking to MAP, Génini expressed her deep emotion and gratitude for the tribute, describing the moment as 'almost magical' as she presented her latest film in a premiere screening. The filmmaker emphasized the symbolic resonance of the screening taking place in Ifrane—close to Toumliline—and at a university whose name, she noted, «perfectly fits the film». She explained that the documentary revisits a unique chapter in Moroccan history, centered on a monastery that served as a space for exchange, reflection, and dialogue across cultures, religions, and generations. «Toumliline was an absolutely extraordinary experience», she said, «ahead of its time in what we now call interfaith dialogue and coexistence», highlighting the natural and spontaneous spirit of this spiritual and human cohabitation. With this tribute, Al Akhawayn University and the festival organizers honored not only a remarkable filmmaker, but also a guardian of collective memory—committed to preserving and passing on the values of openness, diversity, and shared heritage.
Morocco World
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
CDT Establishes New Union for Al Akhawayn University Staff
Rabat – The Democratic Confederation of Labor ( CDT ) hosted a founding general assembly last week to establish the union office for professors and employees of Al Akhawayn University. A statement from CDT noted that this aligns with measures seeking to expand its presence across different professional sectors. During the assembly, participants discussed different challenges affecting Al Akhawayn employees, stressing the importance of union organization in safeguarding their rights. The discussion also encompassed the need to improve benefits and reinforce social dialogue as a way to improve working conditions. In line with its principles, CDT emphasizes its commitment to supporting and accompanying the union office in its advocacy efforts to serve the interests of university employees. 'It also called on all staff members to unite under their union framework, strengthen their solidarity, and actively defend their rights, ' CDT said. The confederation has reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting all union-led advocacy initiatives as well as defending victims of exploitation and repression of union and democratic freedoms. According to the confederation website, CDT expanded its presence across Moroccan cities and regions to fortify union rights and push for their practical regional as well as to fulfill workers' demands. CDT is also committed to working at the international level, forging bilateral partnerships with European trade unions in Spain, France, Belgium, and Italy to strengthen international labor solidarity.
