Al Akhawayn University Students Show Solid Commitment to Social Development

Ifrane, December 1, 2011 – Al Akhawayn University students and executives celebrate the official launch yesterday of the annual campus "solidarity campaign," part of the 14th Annual National Solidarity Campaign initiated by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity. This year, the campaign's objective is to sell 5,000 solidarity badges to Al Akhawayn University community in Ifrane as well as the town's population, thus raising money to support the Foundation's work on behalf of community and social development nationwide.

The campaign is a project of the student-run club Hand in Hand, which works to strengthen strengthening the University's commitment to local and national development. Al Akhawayn University has also launched various other social development projects in the region of Ifrane that have been supported and carried out by other student organizations, such as the Rotaract Club, Health Care Club, Students in Free Enterprise, Future Entrepreneurs Club, and the Azrou Center for Community Development. Several activities are carried out throughout the year, ranging from school bag and clothes distribution in small villages, to medical campaigns, to fund raising events and training workshops for local business cooperatives.

“Al Akhawayn University is proud to be part of the National Solidarity Campaign. This initiative is launched by student associations committed throughout the year to raising funds for local and regional development projects,” said President Driss Ouaouicha. He applauded students’ efforts in "thinking global and acting local," referring to the recent activities by student members of both Hand in Hand and Rotaract Club who respectively donated 50 bicycles to school kids in rural areas in Ifrane, and who distributed 60 tons of wood to low-income families in Ifrane as winter approaches.

The Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity was established by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in 1999. Its main fields of action focus on humanitarian relief, reaching out to vulnerable populations, sustainable development and supporting NGOs, under the motto "Ready to help the needy."

Al Akhawayn University Launches New Graduate Program in Islamic Studies

Ifrane, November 28, 2011 – Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane has announced a new Master of Arts degree in Islamic Studies, offering a unique, high-level graduate program in the humanities and social sciences and the liberal arts to advanced students with a strong background in Islamic and religious affairs.

The program has been operating in a pilot phase for nearly a year, with over a dozen students with various levels of professional experience in the Moroccan Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs studying English, humanities, and the social sciences at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. Dr. Connell Monette, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Al Akhawayn University, has been part of the program’s faculty and serves as the its coordinator. In reflecting on the program, Dr. Monette noted that “this new graduate degree at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane represents another milestone in the university’s efforts to promote the liberal arts and the humanities and social sciences as a key way to advance Morocco’s national development through advanced education for its citizen-leaders.”

The program was developed in partnership with the Ministry, which provides substantial financial support. The curriculum and approach was developed with input from many individuals and institutions with expertise in Islamic Studies, including Dr. Baber Johansen of Harvard University, among others, and includes in its courses on the connections between religious affairs and the humanities, social sciences, and liberal arts. The Master of Arts in Islamic Studies at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane is based in the university's School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Al Akhawayn recently signed a new agreement with the Ministry, and anticipates that approximately 15 new students will start the program each year, with a total of about 50 comprising its student body over the next few years. Students will continue to be admitted on merit, and are expected to demonstrate a solid grounding in traditional Islamic Studies.

“The students who will come through the university in this will be key players in Islamic and religious affairs nationally and internationally,” Monette added. “We are very proud that Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, with its distinctive mission and founding mandate, is part of such an innovative approach to graduate education in Islamic Studies.”

Al Akhawayn Students Tackle Corporate Social Responsibility Concepts

Ifrane, November 25, 2011 – A group of Al Akhawayn University students attended a workshop on “The CGEM Label for Corporate Social Responsibility: Principles, Auditing and Compliance,” organized by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the student-run Human Resources Club on November 25, 2011.

Presenting the case of the General Confederation of Enterprises of Morocco (CGEM), Mrs. Rajae Tazi Sidqui, who is responsible for the Studies, Ethics and Conduct Committee at the CGEM, elaborated on the notion of today’s company, the different roles it plays at both national and international levels, strategies of businesses, sustainable development, and finally the social responsibility of a company.

Founded in 1947, the CGEM is a private association of entrepreneurs of Morocco. It represents businesses of all sizes and in all sectors (industry, trade, and services). It is a key correspondent with public authorities and social partners. Being a source of business competitiveness and prosperity of the Moroccan economy, the CGEM tackles the national-level economy to promote private initiative. On the international scene, it is actively involved in the promotion of the Moroccan economy and foreign investment to Morocco. For more information, please visit CGEM website.

Al Akhawayn Hosts International Workshop on Nano-Materials and Renewable Energies

Ifrane, November 17, 2011 -- From November 18-19, the Al Akhawayn University School of Science and Engineering is organizing, in collaboration with Fez University, NSF, the Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Materials and Renewable Energies, and the University of Central Florida, a two-day workshop entitled the "U.S.-Morocco International Workshop on Nano-Materials and Renewable Energies." The event is a platform for promoting scientific collaborations on nano-materials between researchers from the U.S. and those from North Africa, in particular from Morocco, and will also facilitate interaction between students from the U.S. and from North Africa with researchers from Europe.

The workshop will include presentations from world experts on nano- materials in Europe, the US and North Africa. The focus will be on the potential use of these materials in renewable energies. These presentations will be delivered at an introductory level, and an overview of the recent advances on nano-materials, and their possible applications for renewable energies will be provided. Roundtable discussions between U.S. scientists and those in Morocco will be held to explore possible collaborative projects, with special attention being paid to materials for solar energy applications.

The workshop will bring unique experience for students and young scientists to build, and develop long-term relationships. The workshop will give opportunity for scientists to contribute to the quest for energy independence in Morocco as well as strengthening scientific research on nano-materials that have direct applications in renewable energies.

Click here to view a document containing the program of the workshop and the abstracts of the presentations.

Unique Conference at Al Akhawayn Focuses on Islam, Business, and Management

Ifrane, November 17, 2011-- A number of eminent guest speakers are attending the conference on “Practical Wisdom for Management from the Islamic Tradition” at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane from November 17-18, 2011.

Organized in collaboration with international organizations such as the Academy of Business in Society (EABIS), the European Foundation for Management Development, and Yale University, the conference's opening day featured remarks by His Excellency Ahmed Taoufiq, Moroccan Minister of Religious Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Professor Gillbert Lessen, President of EABIS, and participants from different international universities and institutions over the world, including the University of Nevada in the United States, Manchester Business School in the UK, the University of Oxford, and the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

“The choice of the conference theme does not denote an intellectual luxury or snobbism. On the contrary, it shows the will to fill a certain gab and acknowledges that in the legacy of Islam there is a source of wisdom that may be explored and updated,” said Minister Toufiq in his opening remarks. He further stated that “when establishing Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, His Majesty the late King Hassan II made it a unique niversity that embodies Islamic heritage and culture within universal values.”

The presentations during the conference revolved around the importance of the use of wisdom as rooted in Islam, the impact of religion on business decision-making, Islamic banking and finance, and management and human resources development practices and spirituality in Islamic tradition.

“Our academy is a worldwide network of business schools and universities and Al Akhawayn University is a member of this network. We are studying the importance of wisdom in management from various traditions, the Christian, the Jewish, the Hindu, the Buddhist, and here in Morocco the Islamic tradition. We believe that these traditions have wisdom that can be applied to enrich management education and business…the successful business person is also a wise business person,” commented Professor Gillbert Lessen, President of EABIS.

In collaboration with several national and international partners, Al Akhawayn University hosts on November 17-18 a conference on "Practical Wisdom for Management from the Islamic Tradition", featuring the participation on the opening day of His Excellency Ahmed Toufiq, Moroccan Minister of Religious Endowments and Islamic Affairs, as keynote speaker. Photograph by Rajae Saidi.

Al Akhawayn to Host International Conferences on Management and Science

Ifrane, November 16, 2011 — Al Akhawayn University will host this week two international conferences on Practical Wisdom for Management from the Islamic Tradition and on Nano-Materials and Renewable Energies. Both conferences will see the participation of experts in the fields of management in Islam and renewable energies, respectively.

The Conference on Practical Wisdom for Management from the Islamic Tradition is co-organized with Yale University, EFMD, and the Academy of Business in Society. It will consist of a two-day presentation sessions (starting November 17) whereby scholars and researchers will review the different aspects of management in the Islamic tradition. For a program of the conference, click here.

The US-Morocco Workshop on Nano-Materials and Renewable Energies will also bring together experts in energy management and nano-technology, who will have the opportunity to present their findings and theories to Al Akhawayn community members. For a program of the Workshop, click here.

Stay tuned for more information on these events and more.

Al Akhawayn Business Students Win National Marketing Prize

Ifrane, November 16, 2011 – A team of four Al Akhawayn students won the Marketing Prize in the "Tournoi de Gestion" (Management Tournament), a national Moroccan business competition, held on November 3, 2011 in Casablanca.

Under the supervision of Harit Satt, Lecturer of Accounting at Al Akhawayn University, students Nada Lahrech (’12), Naoufal Loukane (’12), Hicham Stephane Guennouni (’12), and Mehdi Bouamama (’12) represented the Al Akhawayn School of Business Administration in the competition, and competed against seven other teams from different Moroccan business schools and higher education institutions.

"It was an honor for me to coach Al Akhawayn students for this competition. We were very happy to bring a trophy to our university, but our real pride is that we confirmed, one more time, our students’ positioning in Morocco," said Satt.

Organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Regional Council of Casablanca (l'Ordre des Experts-Comptables du Conseil Régional de Casablanca ) at the headquarters of the Casablanca Stock Exchange, the competition created a virtual business environment in which the teams own different companies competing against each other within a market for the sale of boats. Each team had to make business decisions based on three challenges: profitability, marketing, and treasury. The decisions ranged from general ones such as the investment in machinery and equipment, to specific ones such as the percentage of sales commission.

The competition was a good opportunity for the participants to compare their theoretical business knowledge against real-world experience, and to meet with scholars and business professionals.

Al Akhawayn business students have participated in several national and international competitions and have won considerable prizes. Al Akhawayn School of Business Administration is also one of the top business schools in Morocco, and has, earlier this year, earned accreditation for its Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Program Accreditation System (EPAS). The BBA program is the first in Al Akhawayn’s School of Business Administration to be accredited, and is the first program in Morocco and Africa to be accredited by EPAS.

Read more about the BBA accreditation by EPAS here.

For more information about the competition, click here.

Al Akhawayn University Extends its Partnership Network to Southeast Asia

Ifrane, November 2, 2011 - Following its strategic objective to expand the scope of its partner network around the globe, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Ifrane on joint collaboration and exchanges with the International Islamic University in Malaysia (IIUM) on November 1, 2011. IIUM is now, officially, the first academic partner of Al Akhawayn from Southeast Asia.

The MOU particularly focused on the relationship between Al Akhawayn School of Science and Engineering and IIUM Kulliyah of Information and Communication Technology. Both schools will work on the implementation of academic exchange programs for their students and faculty. They will also join efforts in reviewing, developing, and implementing curricula in science, engineering and ICT.

“Universities cannot survive on their own. We need to establish correlations and join our efforts to succeed. This partnership is a good beginning for both our institutions,” declared Zaleha Kamaruddin, Rector of IIUM.

Besides officials from both universities, His Excellency Jamal Bin Hassan, Ambassador of Malaysia to Morocco, was present during the MOU signature. Ambassador Jamal applauded this initiative, stressing on the good and flourishing cooperation between his country and Morocco at different levels.    

Al Akhawayn University has over 90 active international agreements for research and education. Over 40 percent of Al Akhawayn fulltime students benefit from academic exchange programs to several countries. In line with its globally-oriented vision and curriculum, Al Akhawayn University encourages its students to develop an international mindset, while remaining conscious of local priorities and being part of the development of Morocco.

Al Akhawayn Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Earns ABET Accreditation

Ifrane, October 31, 2011 – Al Akhawayn Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) has recently earned accreditation from the US-based Computing Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The program is the first of its kind to be accredited by ABET in Morocco, and is the fourth to be accredited in Africa, after South Africa and Egypt.

The accreditation of Al Akhawayn’s BSCS is proof that the academic program has met the standards necessary to produce competent graduates equipped with the necessary tools to succeed in the job market as professionals, and capable of leading the way in innovation, emerging technologies, and in the anticipation of welfare and safety for the public.

“ABET accreditation of our BSCS demonstrates the program’s commitment to providing quality education to its students during their time at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.  Faculty and staff from the School of Science and Engineering, with support from other University units, worked diligently towards this recent achievement and are today proud to offer Computer Science students an ABET-accredited program that will open up even more opportunities for them in their professional careers,” declared Ahmed Legrouri, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.

This accreditation is yet another achievement of Al Akhawayn University in its continuing efforts to improve the quality of its academic programs and services at both national and international levels. The BSCS is now the third accredited program at Al Akhawayn, following the Language Center (first CEA-accredited center in Africa in 2009) and the Bachelor of Business Administration (first EPAS-accredited program in Morocco and Africa in 2011).

Accreditation, as done by ABET, is a voluntary, peer-review process that requires the institutions to carry out a self study for their academic programs and make them undergo comprehensive, periodic evaluations. The evaluation, which is conducted by teams of volunteer experienced professionals within the different ABET disciplines, focus on program curricula, faculty, facilities, and institutional support. The team of evaluators visits the institution, meets with the University President and the School Dean, and interviews faculty, students, alumni, and employers.

Founded in 1932, ABET is the internationally recognized accrediting body of college and university programs. It provides world leadership in assuring quality and in stimulating innovation in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology education. Currently, ABET accredits over 3,100 programs at more than 650 colleges and universities in 23 countries, amongst which 268 programs are offered outside of the United States.

For more information about ABET, please visit: www.abet.org. For more information about Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane School of Science and Engineering, please visit: www.aui.ma/sse

Al Akhawayn University celebrates the Amazigh Day

Al Akhawayn University Students Represented at International Conference on the Arab Spring

Ifrane, October 24, 2011 - Representing Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, a group of students took part in an international conference on "The Arab Spring" on October 13-16 in Paris, France. Organized by the Institute of Religion, Politics and Culture of Washington College, the conference brought together professors and students, both graduate and undergraduate, from the University of Delaware and Washington College in the United States, Oxford University, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, and De La Salle College in Philippines, to share their continuing research on the revolutions in the Arab World and their global implications.

Participating from Al Akhawayn University were professor Angelos Sepos, Assistant Professor in European Politics, and students at the International Studies program at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Iman Moussaoui (Class of 2012), Tachfine Baida (Class of 2013), and Kenza Yousfi (class of 2013) who presented papers that examined the role of Europe, social movements and media, as well as other causes of the recent events in the North Africa and Middle East region. The participants also reflected on several key issues such as prospects for democracy, the rise of Islamism, and the socio-economic and political conditions that propel and shape change.

More information on the conference program can be found here.

U.S. Ambassador to Morocco celebrates outstanding students of Al Akhawayn University

Photograph by: Rajae Saidi

Photograph by: Rajae Saidi

Photograph by: Adel El Bouzagaoui

Ifrane, October 20, 2011 – The U.S. Ambassador to Morocco, Samuel L. Kaplan, visited Al Akhawayn University on October 18, 2011 to attend celebrations of outstanding Al Akhawayn students. The one-day campus visit contained a rich program of encounters and interactions between Ambassador Kaplan and students at the University campus in Ifrane.

Ambassador Kaplan was the invited speaker of a recognition dinner hosted by Al Akhawayn President, Driss Ouaouicha, honoring students who made it to the President’s List. The President’s List designations are given to undergraduate students with a semester GPA of 4.00, which is the highest grade a student can attain in a semester.

In his address, Ambassador Kaplan reviewed US – Morocco relations. Al Akhawayn students enthusiastically discussed with the Ambassador various issues ranging from the relationship, the politics, and the history of the two countries; to the academic cooperation between Morocco and the United States. Both Ambassador Kaplan and the students exchanged personal experiences about living in Morocco and in the United States, respectively.
After congratulating the students for their outstanding academic performance, Ambassador Kaplan said “Al Akhawayn University is an extraordinary institution that is carefully putting together the best methodology for teaching combining American processes with the uniqueness of Moroccan culture, making it rhyme very well with the globalized world.”

The recognition dinner was an occasion to award 70 Moroccan and international Al Akhawayn students on the President’s List with certificates of achievement in the presence of Al Akhawayn executives.

Iman Moussaoui (’12), an undergraduate student of International Studies said “I am delighted to be in this gathering honoring outstanding students and to meet Ambassador Kaplan. I very much enjoyed exchanging ideas with him.”

Ambassador Kaplan was the honorary guest in two classes on The United States and the Middle East and the United States-Maghreb Relations. He also met with his compatriot US students at Al Akhawayn University. “What you do now will set the path for what you will do in your future,” said Mr. Kaplan, addressing the students.

“With Change Comes Opportunity for Success”
President of Coca-Cola’s Eurasia and Africa Group Ahmet Bozer Addresses Akhawayn Students

Photographs by: Adel ElBouzagaoui

Ifrane, October 12, 2011 – International business leader Ahmet C. Bozer, the Coca-Cola company’s president for Africa and Eurasia, visited Ifrane on October 11, 2011, to address Akhawayn students as part of the 2011 Presidential Lectures on Globalization series held at the University’s campus in Ifrane.

“The world today is at a crossroads,” said Bozer, as he shared his insights into the vast array of opportunities available in our globalized world. He spoke in depth about the multitude of communications media the world has developed, and the intermingling exchanges that drive the increasingly free and quick flow of information directly to individuals and audiences with shared interests. Bozer also discussed the interplay between innovation, entrepreneurship, and globalization, as well as Coca-Cola’s long-lasting core business values that frame the legendary 125-year-old company’s success. Bozer also reflected on his own life trajectory, replete with personal anecdotes and stories of how he entered the business world.

As president of the Eurasia and Africa Group of The Coca-Cola Company, Ahmet Bozer leads the Coca-Cola’s business activities in over 90 countries. Headquartered in Istanbul, the group consists of eight business units, covering Turkey, the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine-Belarus region, Southeastern Eurasia, India and Southwest Asia, North and West Africa, East and Central Africa, and South Africa. His full biography can be viewed here.

In his address to the University community, Bozer advised Al Akhawayn students to “explore the many different ways you can approach and effect change in the world, and always look for opportunity. Focus on your strengths.”

“You, here at Al Akhawayn, have a remarkably broad perspective, which will serve you well whatever your profession becomes or how your working lives develop. You ought to strive to be connected with as many people and institutions as you can. See change as an opportunity that leads to innovation, without losing sight of your own core values, your faith, and the optimism and confidence of your own inner potential.”

Bozer’s visit to Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane was a key part of his trip to Morocco, and this was his first visit to the country. “I look forward to coming back to your beautiful country soon,” he said to a student following his presentation.

Ahmet Bozer’s Presidential Lecture on Globalization at Al Akhawayn was capped by the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the University, the Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa Group, and the Morocco office of the Coca-Cola Export Corporation. The MOU outlines collaboration on student internships, research projects, and joint development of field-based case studies, business conferences, and more.

On signing the MOU for Coca-Cola, Bozer reflected on the Coca-Cola Company’s long-standing commitment to education and its interest in academia, which he said is a tremendous source of innovation and talent that merges theory and practice. “This partnership is important to The Coca-Cola Company in a changing world where business is no longer about selling a good product or offering a good service with a good price.”

“People no longer judge us by what we do, but rather by who we are,” he emphasized.

The Al Akhawayn University Presidential Lectures and Fellowships address global issues from various perspectives. In particular, visiting lecturers and fellows discuss with Al Akhawayn students, faculty, and staff the myriad ways in which economic development and dynamically changing cultural identities, especially as a result of evolving new technologies, are redefining forms of global culture.

Ahmet Bozer was the third speaker in the series, following Tim Sparapani, Director of Public Policy at Facebook, and Eugene Rogan, Director of the Middle East Center at Oxford University. For a complete schedule of upcoming lectures in the series, and other events and programs at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, please consult www.aui.ma frequently.

Al Akhawayn Explores Deeper Partnership with Leading Austrian University FHS Kufstein

Enhancing University Towns and Local Development

Ifrane, October 11, 2011 – Senior executives from the Fachhochschule (FHS) Kufstein Tirol University of Applied Sciences (Austria) and Al Akhawayn University met in Ifrane on October 10, 2011, in order to explore enhanced cooperation between the two institutions so as to further the development of their respective towns and adjacent communities.

Fachhochschule (FHS) Kufstein Tirol University is located in the Austrian town of Kufstein at the center of Europe near Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Visiting Al Akhawayn for the meeting were Thomas Madritsch, Chief Executive Officer of FHS Kufstein; Noureddine Rafili, Head of the International Relations Office at FHS Kufstein; Driss Ouaouicha, President of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane; Amy Fishburn, Director of the Office of International Programs at Al Akhawayn; and other senior Al Akhawayn executives. The visit by Madritsch as the new CEO of FHS Kufstein, is the result of earlier conversations between the two partner universities to collaborate to mutually enhance each institution’s mission, as well as to innovate for local economic development in their home towns, which bear remarkable similarities and opportunities for experience sharing.

In particular, Al Akhawayn and FHS Kufstein talked about developing a “Sister City” program between Kufstein and Ifrane. The two universities are both in mountainous towns, have relatively small but growing populations, are home to internationally renowned universities, and are important tourist destinations in Morocco and Austria, respectively.

Al Akhawayn and FHS Kufstein themselves also share many common features. Possible joint activities include efforts to leverage the universities’ resources for the benefit of the development of their home towns, to diffuse and develop the very notion of “university towns,” and to exchange students between each university and university town both during and following their studies abroad.

In fact, over the past ten years 25 Al Akhawayn and FHS Kuftstein students have participated in mutual exchanges, and in the summer of 2011 two FHS Kufstein professors and several students visited Morocco and Al Akhawayn as part of their coursework. And this Fall 2011 semester, another FHS Kufstein student, Felix Lechner is at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.

“I am so excited to be here in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco,” Felix said in a recent interview. “It reminds me so much of my home university, and the town and mountains where I live in as a student. I am sure that there are many ways in which my alma mater and my temporary adopted town of Ifrane can help their communities and learn from each other, especially on ways to engage globally minded young people.”

For more information on FHS Kufstein and Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, please visit www.fh-kufstein.ac.at and www.aui.ma.

Al Akhawayn University Launches New Graduate Program in International Trade

Ifrane, October 11, 2011 – In the wake of the September 30, 2011 signature of a comprehensive partnership agreement, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane has announced that it is launching a new master’s program in International Trade, to begin in the Spring 2012 semester. The new degree program will appeal to and produce professionals with educational and real-world experience in global trade, so as to help Morocco’s labor force respond to high demand for world-class human resources by export- and trade-related organizations in the private business community as well as in the public-sector.

To create and implement the new program, Al Akhawayn University is collaborating with the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Department of Higher Education, Training, and Scientific Research, the General Confederation of Moroccan Businesses (CGEM), and the International University of Rabat. As many as half a dozen other state-funded public Moroccan universities may be added to this initial consortium in 2012-2013.

Al Akhawayn Alumni Reconnect with Alma Mater for a Fun-filled Ifrane Fall Weekend

Ifrane, October 7, 2011 – The 2012 Fall Alumni Reunion weekend, organized by the university’s Alumni Association witnessed over 50 Al Akhawayn alumni from all around Morocco coming back to campus in Ifrane from October 1-2, 2011 for the annual Alumni Reunion organized by Al Akhawayn Alumni Association.

Formal Al Akhawayn Alumni Reunions are held twice a year, once in the fall and once in the springtime, and are special occasions for Al Akhawayn University graduates to reconnect with their alma mater by coming back to the campus in Ifrane, see their former professors and classmates, plus current students, and share stories of how their lives have unfolded since their commencements.

This year, the 5th reunion of the Class of 2006 and the 10th reunion of the Class of 2011 are being honored, and the October 1-2 program included meetings with President Driss Ouaouicha and University executives about the status of Al Akhawayn’s strategic plan, the state of the Alumni Association itself, along with entertainment, sports, and outdoor activities and excursions that capitalized on the glorious fall weather in Ifrane’s 1,600-meter-high mountain region.

A fun-filled reunion dinner at a favorite local restaurant on Saturday night provided a special highlight for the Al Akhawayn Alumni who returned to recall old days, brainstorm and develop future plans, and  plan the Spring 2012 reunion, where distinguished alumni from the classes of 2002 and 2007 will be honored.

The Al Akhawayn Alumni Association was established in 2003, and there are currently some 2,750 graduates of the University; the goal of the Association is to maintain and strengthen the bonds among and between Al Akhawayn alumni and the University itself. For more information, please visit www.aa.ma.

Al Akhawayn Students Keep Abreast of the Latest Job Market Opportunities

Ifrane, October 6, 2011 – Business specialists and experts in human resources addressed Al Akhawayn students during an talk entitled “Building a Successful Career: The Role of Emotional Intelligence,” held on campus on October 5, 2011, and organized by the Department of Development and Communication’s Office of Career Services.

“Today’s world is seeing ongoing changes in economics, technology, society, and more; but it is mostly in industry and commerce where the essence of productivity and performance can be most clearly measured – especially the quality of service. And that level of service can only be delivered with the appropriate and best-quality human capital,” said Hamza El Hajoui, Director of Human Capital at the Groupe Caisse de Dépot et de Gestion.

El Hajoui went on to explain the importance of “emotional intelligence” in today’s dynamic job market, saying that “human capital is the central focus within a complex business environment where emotional intelligence plays a key role in addressing such complexity, It is essential in assisting organizations to manage within their constraints and to optimize their existing human capital and future requirements.”

Joining El Hajoui at the event, Hamza Amor, president of the business intelligence firm Amorsys, focused on the unique characteristics and qualities of Al Akhawayn University graduates entering the job market. He drew on the example of three Al Akhawayn alumni working at his company, and said that “Al Akhawayn graduates display high emotional intelligence, which is a vital asset closely related to the leadership and life skills they gain during their education at Al Akhawayn University.”

21st Century Renowned and Influential Thinker Tariq Ramadan Addresses the Self, the Other, and Perceptions.

Ifrane, September 29, 2011 – over 700 Moroccan and foreign students, staff, and faculty filled Al Akhawayn University’s Grand Auditorium to attend Tariq Ramadan’s conference on “The Illusion of the Clash of Cultures”, in what could be the semester’s most attended event.

Organized by the student-run Islamic Art and Culture Club*, the timeliness of the event could not be more apparent. As the world is writing its history on political negotiations, cultural clusters, and more globalized approaches to its issues, Tariq Ramadan’s conference opened the floor to scholarly discussion, not on the clash of civilizations, but rather on the clash of perceptions, which very often bypass universal human values and play havoc with the world peace all human beings long for.

“The way we look at things is as important as the way these things are, because we translate them into realities and into knowledge”, said Ramadan. He went on to insist that the West and the Muslim nations have to bridge the gap between them and open up dialogue on their common values and hopes, while avoiding to disseminate ignorance, which nurtures the clash of civilizations and that of perceptions.

Following its tradition of creating a crossroads for ideas and debates on contemporary issues, Al Akhawayn University welcomed Tariq Ramadan, one of the top 100 most influential people in the 21st century (Time Magazine 2004), who analyzed and framed concepts such as faith, identity, diversity, tradition, tolerance, respect, equality, freedom, and knowledge; concepts which he related to the necessity of knowing oneself and knowing the other for the achievement of peace and balance in the world.

“One humanity. A diversity of cultures”, declared Ramadan before he stressed on the importance of the idiosyncrasy of every culture and every individual. According to Ramadan, people who know who they are and have a coherent personality can be more successful than those who have power and money. “One’s own culture, language, history, and identity are what make a rich individual who can contribute to the overall richness of world civilizations”, said he.

Ramadan’s lecture came to inspire dialogue and openness to the others; and to give hope of a better tomorrow led by a young generation who “not only knows its rights, but understands its responsibilities towards its community and the world.”

The debate was not only inspiring for Al Akhawayn audience, but also provided them with a new approach to understanding the real clash of cultures and to developing critical thinking and constructive self-criticism based on knowledge.

“The topic of the talk is central to Al Akhawayn University’s mission”, said Al Akhawayn President Driss Ouaouicha. “It is a commitment to communicate on diversity and co-existence in a multi-cultural environment such as Al Akhawayn University”.

For a complete biography of Tariq Ramadan, please visit www.tariqramadan.com/biography.html

Click here to view the complete web stream.

* The Islamic Art and Culture is a student-run club that aims at the celebration of Islamic architecture, poetry, music, art, and values. The club organizes several on-campus events; as well as visits to museums and historic sites, and awareness campaigns in the Ifrane region.

Chinese and European Scholars Meet at Al Akhawayn for a Better Understanding of Islam

Ifrane, September 26, 2011 – Al Akhawayn University, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Oslo Coalition jointly organize the international conference on “Islam and Society in the Twenty-first Century” on September 26-27, 2011 at Al Akhawayn University.

“This is a very important meeting. We are happy to hold this meeting at Al Akhawayn to discuss Islam from its various aspects,” said President Driss Ouaouicha in his opening and welcoming speech during the first session of the conference.
Professor Connell Monnette, a faculty at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences presenting his paper on "Islam in Morocco" said “As it was visional by His Majesty the Late King Hassan II, Al Akhawayn University was meant to be created as a place of interfaith, discussion and dialogue of the three religions of the book.”

“Islam and Society in the Twenty-first Century” has gathered a dozen of scholars from China, Oslo, and Morocco to discuss Islam and its different aspects. The various panel themes address mainly the Fundamentals of Islam, Sufism, and Power and Politics in the Muslim Majority States.

Members of the organizing institutions attended the two days’ program to name a few, Dr. Driss Ouoouicha, President of Al Akhawayn, Professor Jeremy Gunn, Associate Professor of International Relations at Al Akhawayn, Professor Zhuo Xinping, a faculty at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, Dr. Kari Vogt, a member of the University of Oslo and Oslo Coalition, Professor Faouzi Skali, a Moroccan Anthropologist, and many others.

Dr. Zhuo Xinping expressed his full satisfaction with the meeting saying that “It is very important for us, Chinese scholars, to understand contemporary issues of Islam. Religion is important in our life and the contradictions we face through politics and other daily matters made us join the conference for a much better understanding of a religion such as Islam. We are pleased with the atmosphere here.”

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) was established in 1977 and now it is the premier academic research organization in the fields of philosophy and social sciences of the People's Republic of China. CASS is now made up of 35 research institutes, more than 90 research centers, and one graduate school (Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences). CASS is also in charge of 105 national academic communities throughout China and currently has over 3,200 resident scholars.

The Oslo Coalition is based at the Center for Human Rights at the Law School of the University of Norway. Founded in 1998, the Coalition is an international network of representatives from faith communities, NGOs, international organizations and the academia, with the aim of promoting freedom of religion or belief and strengthening interfaith co-operation worldwide.

International Events Spark Discussion and Dialogue at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane

Photo by: Adel ElBouzagaoui

Photo by: Adel ElBouzagaoui

Photo by: Thomas Hartwell

Ifrane, September 26, 2011 – The 2011 Al Akhawayn University student-run conference “Mohamed V: Righteous Among Nations,” organized by the Al Akhawayn University Mimouna Club as the student club’s third annual “Moroccan Jewish Days,” concluded on September 23 in Casablanca after opening on September 21 in Ifrane. Over the course of the 3-day event, distinguished Moroccan and international participants focused on Morocco’s unique identity and heritage, and its actions under the late King Mohamed V aimed at preserving a legacy of social and religious diversity, responsibility, and the historically strong connections between Jews and Muslims in Morocco.

The 2011 event was co-sponsored by the American student association KIVUNIM and the Museum of Moroccan Judaism, based in Casablanca. “Mohamed V: Righteous Among Nations” featured a rich program of art, music, cooking, and academic discussions and debates on many topics – among them the role of Morocco, the late King Mohamed V, and the nation’s Jewish community during the period of the Second World War era and the Holocaust – plus a popular book exhibition.

And on the evening of the opening day at the Al Akhawayn University campus in Ifrane, the legendary Moroccan Jewish singer Maxime Karoutchi headlined a musical celebration of Morocco’s multi-faith and multi-cultural identity, attended by hundreds of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and visiting dignitaries alike.

The poster for the conference can be seen here, the program and list of dignitaries in attendance can be downloaded here, and the complete video of the event in Ifrane, which streamed live on the Internet, is viewable here.

Many other international and national conferences, events, performances, and programs take place regularly at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, as part of its founder the late King Hassan II’s institutional mandate to encourage dialogue and understanding among and between peoples, nations, faiths, cultures, and societies at a English-language, liberal arts Moroccan university based on the American model.

For example, on Monday, September 26, 2011 a group of leading Chinese scholars from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences launched three days of meetings on the theme “Islam and Society in the Twenty-first Century.” This gathering of experts from Morocco, China, and Norway is organized by Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

And, further enriching the Al Akhawayn University community’s ongoing discussion about key issues of the day, on Thursday, September 29, Tariq Ramadan, Fellow at St. Antony’s College at Oxford University, will deliver a widely anticipated talk on “The Illusion of Clash of Cultures” on the Al Akhawayn campus. The Tariq Ramadan event is organized by the Al Akhawayn student-run Islamic Art and Culture Club, together with the student Social Science Club, Multicultural Club, Explorer’s Club, and Public Speaking and Debate Club, with support from the Al Akhawayn University Alumni Association.

For details on the program with Tariq Ramadan, click here to view the poster. For information on other upcoming activities and programs at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, please visit www.aui.ma.

Moroccan-Jews and Muslims meet at Al Akhawayn University to Celebrate Morocco’s Values of Tolerance and Co-existence, as best embodied by the Late King His Majesty Mohamed V

Ifrane, September 22, 2011 – Within the framework of student activities at Al Akhawayn University, the student-run Mimouna Club organized from September 20-23 its annual event, the Moroccan-Jewish Days, under the theme “Mohamed V, Righteous among Nations” in collaboration with the Moroccan-Jewish Museum in Casablanca and the youth association KIVUNIM interested in learning about the world through cultural programs.

The event drew on several interested individuals and prominent members of the Moroccan-Jewish community, such as Mr. André Azoulay, Advisor to His Majesty King Mohammed VI; Mr. Serge Berdugo, Moroccan politician; and Simon Levy, Director of the Moroccan Jewish Museum of Casablanca.

During the presentations, some speakers addressed the holocaust, drawing the background against which the Late King His Majesty Mohamed V took bold decisions to protect Moroccan citizens, regardless of their faith. The event celebrated Morocco’s Moroccan-Jewish cultural heritage, which contributes to the overall richness of the Moroccan culture.

True to its mission, Al Akhawayn University remains a crossroads for open academic dialogue and debate in all disciplines, thus encouraging the exchange of ideas liable to contribute to the understanding of the other and to the pursuit of knowledge.

For more details and for reference, please read the coverage of this story in Maghreb Arab Press and in the Moroccan daily newspaper, L’Opinion.

Moroccan Universities’ Scholars Meet at Al Akhawayn to Discuss the Use of ICT in Language Teaching and Learning in Morocco

Ifrane, September 21, 2011 – Over 30 university professors researching and experiencing the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) attended the forum on the Use of ICTs in Languages Teaching and Learning in Morocco held at Al Akhawayn University and co-organized with IRCAM.

Organized by different units at Al Akhawayn (the Center for Learning Technologies, the Language Center, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences) and sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the event was an opportunity for the participants to exchange ideas and experiences and to encourage the use of ICT in teaching.

A series of presentations questioned the value of the use of ICT as a must or as a possible option, and analyzed various aspects of this approach. The themes went around the ICT in Moroccan education and its challenges and perspectives, and particularly basing teaching foreign languages on the information technology support. Specific projects were presented, cases were analyzed, and statistical figures about the use of ICTs among different demographic categories were explained thoroughly.

Mr. Abdelmajid Bouziane, a faculty member at the School of Letters and Humanities at Hassan II University in Casablanca said that “I will go home with two things. First, exploring and knowing more about ICT projects in Morocco and people behind these projects. The second thing is the usefulness of ICT for learning and teaching languages.” 

Dr. Ahmed Legrouri, Vice President for Academic Affairs expressed his pleasure to see all the presentations taking multi-disciplinary actions and engaging the university to support the use of ICT in teaching in general.

The participants involved were from different Moroccan Universities and institutions namely Hassan II University in Casablanca, Moulay Ismail University in Meknes, Royal Institute for Amazigh Culture in Rabat, and the Ministry of Education in addition to Al Akhawayn faculty.

Al Akhawayn and the University of Michigan - Dearborn Collaborate on Career and Counseling Workshops

Ifrane, September 19, 2011 - American experts from the University of Michigan - Dearborn have been at Al Akhawayn University leading workshops on leadership development and career counseling for Moroccan professionals in the field. Over 20 participants from cities around the country are involved, with the goal of improving their abilities in academic and career counseling as well as other services that support students and graduates entering the job market.

The 2-day workshops, run from September 19-20, 2011, have been conducted by career services and counseling experts associated with the University of Michigan-Dearborn, including Surry Scheerer, Leadership Development Coach, Barbara Peitsch, Program Manager, and Brian Balasia, Chairman and CEO of Digerati, an IT company in Detroit.

The program is designed to expose Moroccan professionals, primarily high school, vocational school, and university teachers and administrators, to the American system of academic and career counseling/coaching, and strengthening the institutional relationship between Al Akhawayn University and the University of Michigan. The collaboration also hopes to introduce University of Michigan faculty and administrators to Moroccan and Middle Eastern culture, to further their mutual goal of globalizing the universities and provide unique networking opportunities for the participants.

Mohammed Moubtassim, a faculty and program coordinator at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Sidi Mohamed Benabdallah University in Fez, said that "these workshops offer an opportunity for behavioral change. For sure, I will take back new ways of coaching to my students." And Fouad Moustakim, a high school teacher in Azrou, echoed those sentiments, saying, "I have learned alot, and gotten valuable new perspectives and ideas that are already making a difference in how I think about my professional -- and personal -- approach to career options and opportunities."

“Participation in the workshops has been extraordinary, and what I appreciate most of all is the participants’ readiness to share knowledge with each other," said Surry Scheerer, Leadership Development Coach at the University of Michigan - Dearborn.

This program is a follow-up workshop to the first session of the University of Michigan - Dearborn's "Engineering Pathways to Employment" Fellowship program, which is organized in the framework of the U.S. State Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative and targets MENA-region professionals who work with young people on their career development.

Al Akhawayn Mourns the Passing of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Aicha

Al Akhawayn University community is mourning the passing of HRH Princess Lalla Aicha, sister of the University’s founder the late King Hassan II, and the aunt of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the University’s Honorary President. She was also the grandmother of Al Akhawayn student Lalla Malika Benabbes Taarji, Class of 2015 (Business Administration).

The daughter of the late King Mohammed V, HRH Princess Lalla Aicha was born in Rabat on June 17, 1930. During her life, she was distinguished, among other things, as having been the first woman ambassador from the Arab world, serving in the United Kingdom (1965-69), Greece (1969-70), and Italy (1970-73). She was active in the Red Crescent Society, and was awarded many honors, including Grand Cordon of the Order of the Throne of Morocco (1963), Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy (1970), and Honorary Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (1980).

May Her soul rest in peace and may Allah grant the Royal family patience and endurance in these trying times.

We are God's and unto Him we shall return.

Al Akhawayn Students and Faculty Start Fall Semester; New University Facilities Take Shape

Ifrane, September 2, 2011 – On the first day of classes, 21 new faculty members from 9 different countries joined 259 new students in opening the Fall 2011 semester at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. As registrations continue, final enrollment is expected to exceed 260 new students, bringing the total size of the University’s student body to over 1,700.

Of the new students enrolling this fall, 234 are undergraduates and 25 are graduates pursuing master’s degrees in nearly a dozen different fields. Over100 international students are also on campus this fall, the vast majority of them on exchange from many leading American colleges and universities.

All in all, the new student population represents approximately 24 percent of the over 1,100 candidates who applied for Fall admission to Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.

“The enrollment figures are very strong, and show how competitive admissions is at Al Akhawayn University.  The high demand for an Al Akhawayn degree also affirms our conviction that we can achieve the strategic goal of 2,000 world-class students by 2015,” said University Vice President for Student Affairs Cherif Bel Fekih.

The 21 new faculty members joining the University also demonstrate the University’s commitment to providing appropriate academic resources for a growing student body. In addition, the size and breadth of the new faculty cohort underscores the international appeal of teaching at the University and living in Ifrane.

Faculty from the United States, Morocco, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France are new this semester, teaching in the Schools of Business Administration, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Engineering, the Language Center, the Center for Academic Development, and at the K-12 Al Akhawayn University School of Ifrane.

Investments in Infrastructure, New Housing Options
To accommodate its growing student and faculty population, Al Akhawayn University is investing heavily in facilities and infrastructure. In June 2011, members of the University Board of Trustees attended a ceremonial groundbreaking on the site of a new 10,000 square meter residence hall (dubbed “Building 39”). Construction has continued at a rapid pace over the summer, and visitors can now see the skeleton of the new structure across from Building 38 on the eastern side of campus, overlooking Lake Zerruqa and the road to Fez.

When it opens in Fall 2013, Building 39 will have 280 beds in 151 rooms, with 109 doubles, 22 singles, 20 studios, 3 kitchens, and several common areas. “The new residence will also be accessible and friendly to the physically challenged, with specially equipped rooms and ramps to facilitate access,” noted Vice President Bel Fekih.

Other new infrastructure projects include the recently completed conversion of the entire below-ground level of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Building 8) into climate-controlled, secure, archival and storage space. And over the summer, University leadership reached the final stages of planning a new academic building, which will house state-of-the-art classrooms, faculty offices, meeting rooms, computer and multimedia labs, an amphitheater, plus common areas and an atrium.

Along with new construction on the main campus, the University continues to pursue its strategic goal of integrating into the Ifrane community. While many students, faculty, and staff already live in and around town outside the central campus, this fall more will join them as over 30 Al Akhawayn students will live in 2-, 4-, and 6-person apartments at the new Arz Village in Ifrane.

Built by the Moroccan-Kuwaiti company CMKD, managed by the American chain Best Western, and known commercially as the Farah Inn and Resort, the Arz Village is the newest major player in Ifrane’s commercial and residential life and is working closely with Al Akhawayn to provide resources for University students, faculty, and staff.

“It is a spectacularly comfortable place and a logical extension of the University’s residential offerings in Ifrane,” commented Bel Fekih.

“The apartments are new, spacious,  and well-furnished, with living rooms and kitchens, and there are indoor heated and outdoor swimming pools, various restaurants, and recreation facilities.”

Bel Fekih also said that “the University is providing free shuttle bus service between Al Akhawayn and the Arz Village. Considering all its amenities and the opportunity to live close by in Ifrane but away from campus, the prices we’ve negotiated are also extremely attractive."

By early 2012 the Arz Village is expected to complete construction of Ifrane's newest discotheque, and the region's first 4-screen movie theater.

Students interested in exploring off-campus living options should contact the Al Akhawayn University Housing Office.

University Alumni Explore Social Media and Public Opinion at Annual “Ftour Debat”

Casablanca, August 18, 2011 – Nearly 150 Al Akhawayn University alumni and guests from the political and media worlds attended the 8th annual “Ftour Débat,” organized by the Alumni Association the evening of August 17, 2011. The topic of the 2011 event was “The Impact of Social Media on the Formation of Public Opinion,” with guest speakers Nabil Benabdellah, general secretary of the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), Driss Ksikes, writer and director of studies at the Social Center for Social Economic and Managerial Studies (CESEM), and the blogger Anas Filali.

In the presentations, Benabdellah suggested that social media are providing a new platform for public debates, which is encouraging the emergence of new, as yet unstructured, freedoms of expression and a form of “collective intelligence.” Ksikes noted that the political debate is about to move definitively online, and social media are already positioned as alternatives to traditional media. And Filali said that the web has “loosened tongues” with regard to many political, institutional, social, and cultural issues, but stressed the need to strengthen the “culture of participation.”

The vigorous discussion that followed focused on the emergence of a new political elite, the concept and definition of “justice” among citizens, youth involvement in politics and the role of the political establishment, and the rapid social evolution enabled by new technologies.

The Al Akhawayn University Alumni Association represents the nearly 2,800 graduates of the University, and organizes dozens of gatherings throughout the year to connect alumni with each other, provide networking opportunities while enriching key national debates on topics of current interest, and to advance and support the mission of Al Akhawayn University. For more information please visit www.aa.ma.

“Set Your Sights Upon the Stars”
14th Commencement at Al Akhawayn Celebrates Discovery, Exploration and the Pursuit of Dreams

Ifrane, June 21, 2011 – The Class of 2011, the largest class in University history with 283 graduates, was awarded degrees in Ifrane on Saturday, June 18, at the exciting and historic 14th Commencement at Al Akhawayn University.

University Chancellor Abdellatif Jouahri, Governor of Bank Al Maghrib, proclaimed that “I remain confident—considering the high-quality education you received here and the difference Al Akhawayn alumni are making on a daily basis—that you will manage to rise to the challenges and effectively contribute to the development process our country is engaged in at all levels, including infrastructure, productive capacity and regional development.”

“Class of 2011, after long years of commitment, hard work and sacrifices made by you and your families, who have been impatiently but proudly looking forward to this day, a chapter of your life is closing today. A bright future awaits you, and be sure that nobody writes your destiny but you!”

Addressing the graduates, their parents and families, and the hundreds of guests at the ceremony, University President Driss Ouaouicha said that “the Class of 2011 is special in many ways,” noting that 72 percent of the 69 students earning masters degrees are women, as are 58 percent of undergraduates, and that 37 percent of the graduating class has spent at least one semester abroad.

The ceremony was attended by HRH Princess Lalla Meryem, whose son Moulay Driss Filali graduated with an expected degree in Business Administration.

The Commencement speech, “Humanity’s Reach for the Stars – From the Apollo Moon Landing to Global Space Cooperation in the 21st Century,” was delivered by Dr. Buzz Aldrin, the astronaut and scientist who walked with Neil Armstrong on the moon during the historic 1969 Apollo 11 lunar mission.

Aldrin told the Class of 2011 that “my hope is that you will each find a way to embody that quest in one of its myriad forms. And though all of you may not walk on Mars or become scientists, each of you can become explorers in spirit, opening yourselves to those things that expand your imagination, stretch your understanding, and nurture a sense of wonder.  This requires curiosity, creativity, and self-reflection.  It means not mistaking a hectic personal life for a connected and meaningful one.”

In reflecting on the moon landing and the opportunities ahead, Aldrin encouraged the new graduates “to find solutions to the challenges humanity faces today.  It is by working together that we can achieve bold outcomes that can transform the future.  You may work toward your goals “not because they are easy, but because they are hard” as President John F. Kennedy once described the moon mission.  You may encounter obstacles and face significant challenges.  But with a united effort, you can achieve great things and set your sights upon the stars.

“I hope that each of you have the courage to risk the abyss—to set sail for the edge and find, instead, new worlds beyond imagination,” Aldrin said.

The valedictorians with the best GPA results in each school were Amal Abahmaoui from the School of Business Administration, Fatima-Zohra Filali-Adib from the School of Science and Engineering, and Matthew Ryan Lehnert from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Scenes from Al Akhawayn University's 14th Commencement on Saturday, June 18, 2011: HRH Princess Lalla Meryem attends the ceremony as her son Moulay Driss Filali graduates; and astronaut and scientist Buzz Aldrin and University Board Member Andre Azoulay, Advisor to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, award student honor; members of the Class of 2011 celebrate on earning their degrees; the Class of 2011 presents a clock to the University as a gift to enhance the campus. Congratulations Class of 2011!

Student achievement was celebrated at the 14th Commencement for the first time, with students Hind Saddiki, Nada Lahrech, Rim EI Atlassi, Mohammed Zakariae El Bastami, and Mohammed Taha El Grain, honored for winning, respectively, the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship for Women in Technology, the MENA Investment Challenge from Arqaam Capital, the Public Speaking National Competition, and the first prize in the Zayed University competition in IT (Abu Dhabi) in the uObserve Software Specification Category.

Marking another new tradition, outstanding faculty were also recognized. The Class of 2011 voted for a “Teacher of the Year” from each school – faculty who, in the opinion of the members of the class, had the most positive impact on them during their time at the University. Professor Nicolas Hamelin from the School of Business Administration, Professor Carlos Jacques from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Professor Hamid Harroud from the School of Science and Engineering won the awards for 2011.

The Class Speaker, Younes Ezzaki drew applause when he said that “We will all meet in 10 years, same time, same place. We will see what we have become. We will gather not to see who has the most beautiful car, the highest salary, or the most beautiful wife or handsome husband, but to see who was crazy enough to chase his or her wildest dreams.”

The Class of 2011 also continued a tradition begun in 2010, by raising money from among themselves to present a gift to the University. The gift in 2011 was a large clock, to be installed in a prominent location on campus, and was given to President Ouaouicha by graduating student Yasmina El Fathouni on behalf of the class.

Available here for download are PDF versions of the speeches by Jouahri, Ouaouicha, Aldrin, Ezzaki, and Alumni Association President Khalid Baddou.

Al Akhawayn Professor Connell Monette Appointed Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ifrane, June 17, 2011 -- Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane has announced the appointment of Dr. Connell Monette as Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs. In this capacity, Dr. Monette will be responsible for providing operational support to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Legrouri, to ensure effective translation of strategic goals, objectives, and decisions into actions, to support faculty and curriculum development and accreditation processes, and work to enhance faculty contributions to improved recruitment, integration, retention, and promotion, among other key priorities.

Dr. Monette has been on the faculty of Al Akhawayn since 2007 as Assistant Professor of Literature and Religious Studies in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and will remain on the faculty with the new appointment. He has a BA in Classical Studies from University of Ottawa, and an MA and PhD in Medieval Studies from University of Toronto. His major area of research is in Medieval Literature and Religion, and he is the author of The Medieval Hero: Christian and Muslim Traditions (2008), and a contributor to Islamic Horizons, Comparative Islamic Studies, The International Journal of Euro-Mediterranean Studies, and the Journal of Indo-European Studies.  Before joining Al Akhawayn University, he taught part-time at University of Toronto from 2001 to 2006. He lives in Ifrane with his wife Fatiha and his daughter Miriam.

Legendary Astronaut Buzz Aldrin to Address Al Akhawayn University Class of 2011
Ifrane, June 3, 2011 – Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane has announced that Buzz Aldrin, the celebrated astronaut and scientist who walked with Neil Armstrong on the moon during the historic 1969 Apollo 11 lunar mission, will be the keynote speaker at the University’s 14th Commencement ceremony on June 18, 2011. Aldrin will address the Class of 2011, the University’s largest ever with over 283 students expected to receive diplomas, at the ceremony in Ifrane, Morocco.

"I am honored and delighted to have the chance to address the Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane Class of 2011, their families, and the University community on June 18," said Aldrin in anticipation of his visit.

"I am eager to visit Ifrane and Al Akhawayn, to meet the students, and to see Morocco -- such an important country in the world, with its many contributions to science, space, technology, development, and international understanding. Morocco's young people today have an incredible opportunity to lead humanity into a new age of exploration, discovery, and global awareness," he said.

Aldrin's Commencement address will address the topic “Humanity’s Reach for the Stars – From the Apollo Moon Landing to Global Space Cooperation in the 21st Century.”

His remarks are expected to touch on key themes such as the importance of science education in advancing human development in all fields, the value of the spirit of exploration and discovery to drive progress, the global perspective that allows students to see beyond borders and push boundaries, and appreciation for ways in which advancements in technology and engineering have not just taken humanity to the moon and beyond, but continue to redefine all areas of human endeavor.

The formal announcement that Aldrin will be the speaker at Commencement 2011 confirmed weeks of excited speculation among students that Aldrin would be this year's speaker.

In making the announcement, President Driss Ouaouicha said that “We are absolutely thrilled that such a legendary worldwide celebrity in space exploration and science has accepted our invitation to celebrate the Al Akhawayn Class of 2011 and join the University community here in Ifrane for such an important international event.”

“Buzz Aldrin’s story is an incredible example of one person who made history by virtue of passionate study, hard work, and the pursuit of dreams. His extraordinary achievements show the world that anything is possible,” added Ouaouicha.

"Dr. Buzz" Aldrin was educated at the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating third in his class with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. He went on to earn his Doctorate of Science in Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and wrote his thesis on Manned Orbital Rendezvous.

He then joined the United States Air Force, where he served as a pilot in Korea and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Selected by NASA in 1963 into the third group of astronauts, Aldrin was the first with a doctorate and became known as “Dr. Rendezvous.”  The docking and rendezvous techniques he devised for spacecraft in Earth and lunar orbit became critical to the success of the Gemini and Apollo programs, and are still used today. Dr. Aldrin also pioneered underwater training techniques, as a substitute for zero gravity flights, to simulate spacewalking.

In 1966, on the Gemini 12 orbital mission, Buzz Aldrin performed the world’s first successful spacewalk, and set a new EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) record of 5 ½ hours.

Then, on July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on another world.

Aldrin and Armstrong spent 21 hours on the lunar surface and returned with 46 pounds of moon rocks. The largest worldwide television audience in history – an estimated 600 million people, witnessed this unprecedented heroic endeavor.

Upon returning from the moon, Aldrin was decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest American peacetime award. A 45-day international goodwill tour followed, where he received numerous distinguished awards and medals from 23 other countries.

Since retiring from NASA and the Air Force, Col. Aldrin has remained at the forefront of efforts to advance human space exploration. He devised a master plan for missions to Mars – the “Aldrin Mars Cycler” – a spacecraft transportation system with perpetual cycling orbits between Earth and Mars. Aldrin has received three U.S. patents for his rocket systems and schematics.

Asteroid “6470 Aldrin” and the “Aldrin Crater” on the Moon are named for him, and Buzz and his Apollo 11 crew have four “stars” on each corner of Hollywood and Vine streets on the renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame. Aldrin reaches out to today’s youth with his illustrated children’s books: Reaching for the Moon and Look to the Stars, both New York Times best sellers.  His 2009 New York Times bestselling autobiography, Magnificent Desolation,has inspired the lives of readers worldwide.

To learn more about Buzz Aldrin, read his complete biography, and download photos and more information, please visit www.buzzaldrin.com.

For media and press inquiries, please contact Amina Lahbabi, External Communication Officer, at +(212)-(0)-535-862-104 or a.lahbabi@aui.ma.

Al Akhawayn University Holds Expert Seminar on Constitutional Reform in Morocco

Ifrane, June 2, 2011 – International and Moroccan experts on constitutional law and reform gathered at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane for a 2-day seminar to develop recommendations for the Moroccan Commission for Constitutional Reform.

Among the experts participating at the seminar were Nizar Messari, associate professor of International Studies at Al Akhawayn University; Professor Abdelihah Fountir, Directeur des Affaires G énérales, Secrétariat Général du Government (Rabat) ; Abdelaziz Nouidi, Professor of Constitutional Law, Université Mohamed V (Rabat) and Former Adviser to Prime Minister Abderraham Youssoufi; Professor Angel J. Sanchez Navarro of the Universidad Complutense (Spain); Dr. Cheryl Saunders, Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law at the University of Melbourne (Australia); and Professor Michael Willis, University Research Lecturer and King Mohamed VI Fellow in Moroccan and Mediterranean Studies, Oxford University (United Kingdom). T. Jeremy Gunn, associate professor of International Studies at Al Akhawayn University, was the principal coordinator and organizer of the seminar, participated as an expert in the seminar, and was a discussion co-chair and co-rapporteur with Nizar Messari.

To view the agenda of the seminar, click here.

Germany and Morocco Focus on "Green" Technology at Al Akhawayn Seminar

Ifrane, May 23, 2011 – More than 30 international experts in the fields of the environment and "green" technology opened a 4-day seminar on "Green Information and Communication Technology: Between Lifestyle and Sustainability" at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane today. The event is organized by Al Akhawayn University, through its School of Science and Engineering, in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and brings together experts from 17 different countries, all of whom are TUM alumni working in disciplines related to green technology.

Over the years, teams from Al Akhawayn University and TUM have collaborated at different levels focusing on environmental issues and practices, thus highlighting the strong relationship between Morocco and Germany in the areas of water sanitation, renewable energies, energy efficiency, education, and sustainable economic development.

According to Thomas Weich, Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Rabat, these five areas are “crucial to the development and reform dynamics in Morocco” and represent key sectors of German expertise.

“I am happy that the collaboration between Al Akhawayn and TUM has been very fruitful since the beginning, and has, throughout the years, contributed to strengthening the relationship between Morocco and Germany,” said Weich.

Ahmed Legrouri, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Al Akhawayn and currently acting Dean of the School of Science and Engineering, concurred. “The German Embassy in Morocco has always been supportive of Al Akhawayn University. TUM and Al Akhawayn work on several joint projects on renewable energies, and this seminar is an example of a successful collaboration and partnership that will certainly have an impact nationally and internationally,” said Legrouri, who is also a TUM alum.

The seminar offers a platform for the exchange of ideas about the important role information technology plays in the daily life of the world's population, and how to optimize IT for a sustainable environment in the future. Among the experts participating in the workshops and the discussions are Moroccan alumni from TUM and Al Akhawayn researchers, who together will share ideas, develop projects, and shed light on the relationship between green technology and environmental sustainability in Morocco.

The Al Akhawayn School of Science and Engineering has launched several environmental initiatives in the Middle Atlas region, such as water management in rural areas, water treatment, solar energy, among others. Many of these projects have been implemented in cooperation with German institutions and the Embassy of Germany in Morocco, and it is expected that the May 23-26 seminar will further deepen German-Moroccan expertise, partnerships, and joint in the field of environment science and engineering.

Among the topics to be discussed over the course of the 4 days are green supercomputing, new environmental applications, ICT for environmental sustainability, IT for water demand management, the challenge of green ICT in the automotive industry, ubiquitous environmental monitoring, and more.

Legrouri Assumes Responsibilities of Al Akhawayn Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ifrane, May 12, 2011 – Ahmed Legrouri formally assumed the duties and responsibilities of Vice President for Academic  Affairs  at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane on May 11, 2011, an occasion marked at a handover dinner hosted by President Driss Ouaouicha and attended by University executives.

At the event, President Ouaouicha praised the “moment of opportunity, the change through continuity, and the bright future for Al Akhawayn” represented by Legrouri’s appointment, as well as the end of an interim period during which Abdelhamid Lotfi, Director of the Mohammed VI Library, also served as VPAA.

“Our University is fortunate to have such capable leaders willing and able to serve above and beyond the call of duty,” said Ouaouicha. “Now we can move ahead even more quickly with confidence and strength as a new, permanent VPAA takes the reins during an important time of development and growth.”

Ouaouicha also thanked Dr. Lotfi for his extensive service “keeping the ship on an even keel and always moving forward,” and presented him with a plaque to commemorate his successful time as interim VPAA.

Legrouri expressed confidence and optimism about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, in the leadership team assembled by President Ouaouicha, and expressed his "sincere pleasure at the opportunity to serve this remarkable institution in such an important capacity at this time, and with such collaborative and professional colleagues."

Lotfi, for his part, commented on the “great learning experience serving as interim VPAA has been,” and relished being able to focus anew on the “myriad opportunities at hand to make the Mohammed VI Library ever more at the center of campus intellectual life, a powerful resource for the University and beyond, and even more fun at the same time.”

Ahmed Legrouri Named New Al Akhawayn University Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ifrane, May 5, 2011 – University President Driss Ouaouicha has announced the appointment of Ahmed Legrouri, Dean of the School of Science and Engineering since 2007, as Al Akhawayn University’s new Vice President for Academic Affairs. The appointment is effective May 11, 2011.

In a statement to the University community, President Ouaouicha congratulated Legrouri on his appointment, and praised his leadership and long service to the University for sixteen years. “As the dynamic and visionary Dean of the School of Science and Engineering since 2007 and a popular professor at the University since its earliest days, Legrouri has long been a proven leader at Al Akhawayn,” Ouaouicha said.

“Dr. Legrouri’s keen understanding of academic programs and priorities will prove essential in his new role of coordinating the university’s academic affairs as the process of strengthening programs and faculty, in line with the University Strategic Plan, accompanies the drive for institutional accreditation at an exciting time of rapid change, development, and growth throughout Al Akhawayn University."

Legrouri will continue to oversee the School of Science and Engineering until a new dean is appointed.

The Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) is the chief academic officer of the University. The VPAA reports directly to the President, assumes the President’s duties, responsibilities, and obligations, as assigned, during his absence, and provides leadership to the University community in academic planning, policy formulation, and management.

In an interview following his appointment, Legrouri stated that “our young and successful University needs to capitalize on the exciting opportunities open to it, while dealing with challenges. I am happy to have this chance to serve as VPAA and continue working with the entrepreneurial and inspiring team of University officers, led by President Ouaouicha,  the committed faculty and staff, and of course our inspirational students. As VPAA in a student-centered institution, I intend to provide effective leadership in articulating our long-term vision, guiding the development of academic affairs throughout the University, and helping achieve the full potential of its mission."

Speaking about the future of the University, Legrouri said that “There is an opportunity now to build on the achievements of our University and help attain our collective desire to make it the premier University in the region.”

“I envision an even brighter future for Al Akhawayn University through the strategic mobilization of its resources and the expansion of our cooperative efforts with national and international partners,” he said.

Legrouri concluded by citing three “three main projects will allow us to foster excellence throughout Al Akhawayn University, namely: strategic plan implementation, accreditation and quality assurance, and regular program and learning outcome review and enhancement.”

Ahmed Legrouri earned his PhD in materials chemistry from the University of Glasow, Scotland, and also pursued graduate studies at the National Polytechnic Institute in Toulouse, France, and Mohamed V University in Rabat. He has taught at Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, the University of Glasgow, and Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech. He joined Al Akhawayn University in 1995, its first year, as a professor in the School of Science and Engineering, was Undergraduate Coordinator at the School for nine years, as served as Dean for four years.

A distinguished chemist, Legrouri is an active member of many leading organizations focusing on water and applied chemistry, the environment, development, and technology, and he has participated in all of the University’s major academic projects. Among his many international distinctions, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Arab Water Council and the Board of Directors of the Arab Water Academy, and has served on the advisory board of the Arab Knowledge Report for the United Nations Development Programme.  

Legrouri has also published dozens of scholarly books and articles on the chemistry of water, the relationship between water and soil, climate, the environment, nanoscience, innovation and technology, education, among many other topics, and is the recipient of a number of international study and research grants.

In naming Legrouri to the position of VPAA, President Ouaouicha also thanked Abdelhamid Lotfi, Director of the Mohammed VI Library at Al Akhwayn, for his exemplary service as interim Vice President for Academic Affairs for over two years.

Ouaouicha praised “Dr. Lotfi’s steady hand as interim VPAA for guiding our growing academic programs, and managing many complex issues, all in the context of developing the strategic plan and quickening the accreditation process. At the same time, he has continued to shoulder his considerable responsibilities as Director of the Mohammed VI Library.”

“I am pleased that Dr. Lotfi will now be able to focus on his important position as Director of the Library, a vital institution that lies at the heart of our commitment to academic excellence and the liberal arts. And, he will no doubt be part of future important University projects in the future; the entire University community is grateful for his service and continued leadership,” Ouaouicha said.

Google Comes to Al Akhawayn; Engages and Encourages Students

Ifrane, May 4, 2011 – More than 60 Al Akhawayn University students, mostly studying engineering and business, attended a May 3, 2011 talk by two high-ranking Google representatives, Noha Salem, University Relations Manager in Middle East and North Africa, Google Egypt; and Parisa Tabriz, Information Security Engineer at Google. The event represented an advance of the University’s relationship with the Internet giant, and exposed students to the latest thinking behind key industry practices and trends.

Highlighting the opportunities available through the relationship with Google, many Al Akhawayn students were invited to explore employment opportunities at Google and encouraged to join special programs such as Google Ambassadors, the Online Marketing Challenge, Google Advertising Professionals, and the Anita Borg Scholarship (of which Al Akhawayn student Hind Saddiki was the 2010 winner), among others.

Noha Salem praised the involvement of Al Akhawayn students and encouraged participation in the Google Ambassadors program. “You have such amazing energy, self-motivation, and creativity – key traits that Google values highly among youth leaders and the Internet professionals of tomorrow,” she said.

Parisa then presented Google’s mission, and focused on one of its primary goals: to protect user data. She explained the Google security process, speaking about the principle of hacking “with no evil intent.” During the discussion, the knowledge of Al Akhawayn students was challenged through examples and questions about hacking techniques, with gifts presented for correct answers.

Al Akhawayn Students Awarded First Prize in Zayed University IT Competition

Abu Dhabi, UAE, May 3, 2011 – Al Akhawayn students Mohammed Taha El Graini (Class of 2013) and Mohammed Zakariae El Bastami (Class of 2011) have won first place at the IT Competition held in April, 2011, at the College of Information Technology at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. They competed in the uObserve Software Specification category and won a prize of 10,000 dh.

The IT Competition also included other categories, such as the ZISE Web Application and IT Project. The participation of the Al Akhawayn students was made possible in part by University student mobility funding.

The College of Information Technology at Zayed University seeks to create a learning environment to help students find solutions for existing IT problems. The main goal of this competition is to bring information technology students together and expose them to the latest emerging technologies, the opportunity to participate in discussions and share ideas on IT, and the chance to ask experts for feedback on the challenges they face in the competition.

To learn more about the competition, please visit: http://www.zu.ac.ae/zise.

New Databases Strengthen Holdings at Al Akhawayn's Mohammed VI Library

Ifrane, April 22, 2011 -- The Mohammed VI Library at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane has added two new databases, ZETOC and Europa World Plus, currently available on a trial basis through its electronic resources page at www.aui.ma/library.

ZETOC provides access to the British Library's Electronic Table of Contents of about 20,000 current journals and around 16,000 conference proceedings published each year. The database covers the period 1993 to the present, and is updated daily.

Europa World Plus is the online version of the Europa World Year Book and the nine-volume Europa Regional Surveys of the World series. Europa World Plus provides "key documents," recent and historical, covering a variety of regional and international conflicts and political developments.

The Mohammed VI Library at Al Akhawayn has a growing collection of over 90,000 print volumes, 40,000 electronic journals, 355 print journals, 1,850 audiovisual items, and 26 databases. The Mohammed VI Library was the first open stack library in Morocco when it opened in 1995, and the first to use the U.S. Library of Congress Classification System. “Open stack” means that students, faculty, and staff have direct and full access to all library resources, without having to go through a librarian to retrieve a book from the shelves.

For more information and to access the library online, please visit www.aui.ma/library.

Local Women’s Empowerment Group Wins 2011 Al Akhawayn Leader of the Year Award

Ifrane, April 13, 2011 – The Kaouthar Association for Women’s Empowerment in the Atlas Region won the Leader of the Year prize, awarded by the Al Akhawayn University Leadership Development Institute at an April 12 awards ceremony. Prize money of 10,000 dh will support the association, which helps local woman gain social and economic independence through activities such as sewing, ceramics, painting, aerobics, and more.

The Leader of the Year award is an annual prize given by the students in the Al Akhawayn Leadership Development Institute to recognize and publicize the efforts of leaders in the Ifrane region working for social development.

“This is a very nice surprise. People in the association will be very happy and will redouble their efforts,” said the winner, Meriem Alaoui Rachidi, who serves as the general secretary of Kaouthar Association.

“With the prize money we will buy more sewing machines for the women benefiting from our services,” she said.

The University cash prize for the 2011 award was supplemented by a private contribution of 10 computers, donated by the Rabat-based company Collectique Informatique.

The multiple purposes of the Leader of the Year award include strengthening the effectiveness of community leadership in Morocco; assisting development in Morocco by helping build community leadership; strengthening the relationship between the University and its surrounding community; and recognizing outstanding leadership, regardless of status, power or position, in an association in the Ifrane-Azrou area.

The Kaouthar  Association helps women gain social and economic independence through workshops and activities such as sewing, ceramic, painting on glass, aerobics and other activities.

The winner of the 2010 award was Khadija Azizi Alaoui, who heads an Azrou-based theater association called Adwae al-Masrah(Theater Lights).

In closing the 2011 ceremony, Dr. Cherif Bel Fekih, the University’s Vice President for Student Affairs, addressed the Leadership Development Institute’s students, commending their initiative and noting that “after graduating, you may well remember the remarkable things you have done in this program more than what you learned in the classroom.”

The first leadership program in Morocco and the second in North Africa, the Al Akhawayn University Leadership Development Institute was initiated in 2009 to develop and to enhance student leadership skills. The program supports existing courses with leadership skill-building workshops, speaker-discussion events, and student involvement in service to campus and community.

Al Akhawayn Fun Run Raises Funds for Local Schools

2011 Job Fair Connects Al Akhawayn Students and Alumni With Leading Employers

Ifrane, April 11, 2011 - Hundreds of Al Akhawayn University students visited the 2011 Job Fair on April 8 to explore career openings and to be interviewed by over two dozen major Moroccan and international companies. The Moroccan Minister of Youth and Sports, Moncef Belkhayat, opened the fair along with the president and board of directors of the Al Akhawayn University Alumni Association, other University alumni, and Al Akhawayn executives and faculty leaders.

"This annual fair enables networking between alumni, current students, and the companies," said Khalid Baddou, president of the Alumni Association. Minister Belkhayat praised the initiative of the Alumni Association in organizing the fair and commended the companies present for their confidence in Al Akhawayn students' competitiveness in a challenging job market nationally, regionally, and internationally.

Among the companies participating in the 2011 Job Fair were Procter & Gamble, HP, Renault, Bank Al Maghrib, the Ecole de Gouvernance et d'Economie de Rabat, Banque Centrale Populaire, Sagem Sécurité, Lazrak Immobilier, Groupe Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, L'Office Nationale de L'Eléctricité, Rekrute.com, Mars, Banque Marocaine pour le Commerce et l'Industrie (BMCI), Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), Unilever, L'Oréal, Dell, Intelcia Group, AD4Game, CV-Search, Transworld Protection, and Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.

Students and Faculty Explore Regional Politics and Change at Al Akhawayn Roundtable

Ifrane, April 7, 2011 - Over 150 Al Akhawayn University students, faculty, and staff came together at a special University event on April 6 to discuss the dramatic, fast-moving political developments taking place across North Africa and the Middle East. Hosted by the Al Akhawayn School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the roundtable discussion on "Politics and Change in the Arab World: Views from Al Akhawayn" helped catalyze fuller, well-informed debate and analysis of the monumental changes and upheavals affecting many countries in the region.

In opening the discussion, Mohammed Dahbi, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the moderator of the roundtable, said that "what we are witnessing is nothing less than historic. These recent months and those still to come are already changing history as pivotal moments in the region's -- indeed the world's -- development."

"Students here in Morocco at Al Akhawayn, like youth elsewhere in our neighborhood, are living through incredible times; your futures will be deeply shaped by what is happening in the Arab world today," he said before the overflowing crowd.

Participating in the roundtable were five distinguished members of the Al Akhawayn University School of Humanities and Social Sciences faculty, all of whom with deep expertise in development, politics, history, communications, and international affairs. They included Jack Kalpakian, Associate Professor of International Studies; Driss Maghraoui, Associate Professor of History; Nizar Messari, Associate Professor of International Studies; Ahmed Rhazaoui, Visiting Professor of International Studies; and Bouziane Zaid, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies.

Driss Maghraoui provided historical perspective to kick off the discussion, and commented on the relative lack of democracy in the Arab world and some of the early lessons to be learned from recently upheavals. Jack Kalpakian then discussed the nature of social movements affecting regional states, pointing out that "there is no escaping reform, and governments need to be accountable to their populations and have the courage to step down, or step up to the plate."

Ahmed Rhazaoui provided further thoughts on the reasons for the unrest, and emphasized that recommendations for fundamental changes in Arab countries, from governance to development to education and more, have been made for many years but almost never enacted in practice, causing the region to hit the inevitable "brick wall."

Nizar Messari speculated about the "domino effect" of events in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, and others on countries further afield, drawing parallels to the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe, and the collapse of the Berlin Wall. And Bouziane Zaid analyzed the role of the media, from newspapers to television to the crucial effect new social media have had on the recent revolutions and uprisings in the Arab world.

Al Akhawayn students participated actively in the intense discussion that followed the presentations, voicing many probing questions and exploring topics such as the relationship between repression and democracy, the unique role of electronic social media among the region's younger generations, the role and policies of the United States and Europe, the ongoing processes of positive change, development, and reform in Morocco, and its particular position in the region's political landscape.

Click here for a video of the event: Part1 Part2 Part3 Part4

Al Akhawayn University Launches Morocco Encounter Summer 2011
New International Summer Program for High-School Students Begins June 24, 2011

Ifrane, April 1, 2011 - Al Ahkawayn University in Ifrane has launched a new summer program, Morocco Encounter, designed to provide American and Morocco high-school students with a unique summer study and travel experience. The innovative 5-week program includes a timely 3-credit college-level course on contemporary North Africa, seminars on college applications and essays, volunteer work, and travel around Morocco. More information and application information can be found at www.moroccoencounter.org.

Al Akhawayn’s Morocco Encounter program addresses several key priorities of the University’s strategic plan, among them accelerating the University’s internationalization, developing and growing, and leading in educational innovation. By targeting high-school students between their junior and senior years, the program is also designed to increase Al Akhawayn’s international visibility and appeal among prospective full-time undergraduate students, thereby contributing to the key strategic priority of increasing the student body to 2,000 by 2015 and attracting more international students to the University.

Al Akhawayn University President Driss Ouaouicha hailed the launch of the program as a milestone in the University’s commitment to innovative educational programs and internationalization.

“Our new summer program will be an exciting, unparalleled experience for qualified high-school students,” Ouaouicha said, “It will play an important role in catalyzing a new dimension of the University’s global role, expose Al Akhawayn to new audiences, and make the campus and Ifrane an ever-more stimulating place to live, to learn, and to explore throughout the year.”

The Morocco Encounter program is specifically designed so that each activity allows students to learn valuable college, social, and life lessons. There will be sessions on aspects of Moroccan culture, a course in “survival Arabic,” and much more. Students from the United States will be participating in the program alongside Moroccan students for a diverse international program experience.

Participating students will also be involved in volunteer activities, including designing fun games for and playing with children, painting and repairing a local school, and repairing hiking trails on the Al Akhawayn University campus. Each volunteer experience is designed to provide students with unique perspectives on social and environmental issues in North Africa and in the University’s region of the Atlas Mountains.

Another unique aspect of the Al Akhawayn program is its college application preparation component, through which experienced University admissions professionals from the United States will work with the students in seminar settings to share their insights into the selective college and university admission process, including the writing of essays.

Applications for admission to Morocco Encounter Summer 2011 are now being accepted online. For more information about program components, admissions, tuition, and more, please visit www.moroccocounter.org.

Al Akhawayn University Mole Cricket Makes Surprise Aboveground, Daytime Campus Visit

Ifrane, April 1, 2011 - Al Akhawayn University staff members today made a long-awaited announcement describing the recent sighting of a mole cricket crawling toward Building 17 in an surprising, aboveground, full daylight, campus exploration by the normally subterranean insect. The sighting confirms the presence of a thriving mole cricket population on the Al Akhawayn campus, boosting community pride in the rich biodiversity of the University's environment.

The mole cricket was about 10 cm long and was spotted on March 25, 2011, by Al Akhawayn staff member Amina Lahbabi on a walkway near the University's main auditorium. Lahbabi, who was performing an advance site inspection before a VIP campus tour, had a camera at hand and quickly photographed the creature before it returned underground.

"Strange," wrote Lahbabi in an email alert that was validated by an expert task force in advance of the April 1 announcement.

"Strange,” Lahbabi explained, “because even though mole crickets are relatively common, they are nocturnal critters and spend almost all their lives underground in extensive tunnel systems -- it's extremely rare to see one of these fellows during the daytime; pretty uncommon for their lifestyle. Al Akhawayn should count itself privileged!"

Al Akhawayn is indeed fortunate; in some places mole cricket numbers are declining due to soil erosion and habitat destruction.

The mole cricket, known scientifically as Gryllotalpa Brachyptera, lives on every continent of the world, except Antarctica, and is usually found in agricultural fields, lawns, and golf courses. The mole cricket’s easily recognized chirping song is amplified in the underground burrows the crickets carefully sculpt into the shape of double exponential horns, which act as megaphones. To hear a sample of the sound, click here.

A second University staffer, Adel Elbouzagaoui, confirmed the March 25 Al Akhawayn sighting. "I saw it too," he said. "You can hear them at night, but I thought they only emerged, rarely, in the dark," he mused. "Like Batman."

Mole crickets compose the family Gryllotalpidae, a group of thick-bodied insects usually about 3-5 centimeters long, with large beady eyes and shovel-like forelimbs highly developed for burrowing and swimming. These forelimbs so closely resemble human hands that some experts say that mole crickets are the only insects with hands.

Mole crickets can also fly: an adult may take to the skies for as far as 8 kilometers during mating season. They are omnivores, eating worms, grass, larvae, and more.

The announcement of the unusually large Al Akhawayn mole cricket seen out in the daytime has spread quickly around campus, sparking excitement among faculty, students, staff, and administrators alike in the wide variety of animals that share Al Akhawayn's richly forested Middle Atlas location with humans. Foxes, cats, the occasional wild boar, snakes, toads, turtles, scorpions, and many more species abound. And well over a hundred varieties of birds inhabit the University campus as well, as detailed in the best-selling 2010 book Birds at Al Akhawayn.

One Al Akhawayn student in the School of Business Administration said, "It's great that mole crickets feel safe coming out in the daytime here. Our campus is so secure, even for animals, and there are so many fascinating living things to see and learn from," she added excitedly.

"I even saw a worm the other day, shining quietly in the sunrise after a rainstorm, right in the middle of the street! You don’t see that in Casablanca often,” she sighed.

Faculty member Kolin Goncalves, an expert on local flora and fauna and a member of the project team preparing the forthcoming Al Akhawayn University Hiker’s and Walker’s Guide to Ifrane and the Middle Atlas,enthused at the news.

“Not since the legendary mole cricket viewing of 2006 has there been such an exciting event in the arthropod world at Al Akhawayn,” he declared.

The latest mole cricket sighting has come to be known in certain circles as the Building 17 Mole Cricket Sighting. With a seating capacity of 650 and widely admired for its distinctive ornamental wood- and plasterwork decorations, Building 17 remains known only by its number pending the identification of a major donor able and willing to grace it with a name.

Given its soaring popularity, some members of the University community are suggesting that the mole cricket be named the official Al Akhawayn University mascot, instead of the Atlas (Barbary) lion.

To view a photograph of the mole cricket, please click here.

Al Akhawayn’s Renewable Initiatives Focus of Visit by Professor Blunier of France’s Belfort-Montbeliard University of Technology

Ifrane, March 24, 2011 – Professor Benjamin Blunier, Coordinator of the Energy and Environment track at Belfort-Montbeliard University of Technology (UTBM) in France, visited Al Akhawayn University from March 23-24, 2011. Blunier explored Al Akhawayn’s renewable energy infrastructure, including wind and solar projects, and its academic programs, while preparing for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two Universities focusing on education and research in a variety of renewable energy fields.

Blunier met with Al Akhawayn President Driss Ouaouicha, as well as with Dean of the Al Akhawayn School of Science and Engineering Ahmed Legrouri and Director of the Center for Learning Technologies Hassan Darhmaoui. Additional working sessions with physics and engineering professors Asma Khaldoun and Khalid Loudiyi deepened discussions about enhancing existing collaboration in renewable energies between the two institutions. Blunier’s visit builds on previous visits by UTBM’s Vice President for Research Affairs Professor Abdellatif Miraoui, who helped Al Akhawayn develop its masters degree program in Sustainable Energy Management.

Among the activities envisioned in future joint programs are instruction by Professor Blunier in graduate courses offered at Al Akhawayn; visits of Al Akhawayn faculty to UTBM for experience-sharing and joint research; co-supervision of masters degree student projects; and student exchange, which is expected to be highly productive given the excellent synergies between masters-level courses offered at Al Akhawayn and UTBM in the fields of renewable energy and management.

Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane is a national leader in the development of sustainable energy expertise and technology, and recently launched a new masters degree program in Sustainable Energy Management through its School of Business Administration. For more information, please visit http://www.aui.ma/VPAA/sse/mssem.html

Korea University Leaders Explore Biotechnology Collaboration During Al Akhawayn Visit

Ifrane, March 18, 2011 – Within the framework of the collaboration between Al Akhawayn University and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World, the Director of Korea University’s Biotechnology Initiative and two faculty members from its College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology visited Al Akhawayn University on March 18, 2011, and held meetings with counterparts from the Al Akhawayn University School of Science and Engineering.

The visit to Ifrane by the Korean delegation focused on ways to enhance collaboration between the two universities in the areas of faculty and student exchange as well as joint research and development projects. The delegation met with professors from the School of Science and Engineering, Fouad Berrada, Abdelghani El Asli, and Khalid Sendide, and identified a number of ways to collaborate.

Among the activities to be undertaken are sabbatical semesters by the Korean professors at Al Akhawayn, and reciprocal faculty visits to Korean to work on joint research projects. In addition, Korea University stated its readiness to accept some Al Akhawayn masters graduates in biotechnology and help fund their doctoral work.  Students would be admitted based on merit and recommendations from Al Akhawayn University. A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed by the presidents of both universities to formalize the framework for these joint efforts.

The Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World is a body working within the framework of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) specializing in supporting universities and institutions of higher education institutions of the same level in the Islamic World and encouraging cooperation between them and with institutions with similar interests in other parts of the world.

Al Akhawayn and Harvard Students Bridge University Cultures Between Cambridge and Ifrane

Ifrane, March 18, 2011 – For the second year running, a group of seven Harvard students has spent a week at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, staying on campus with Al Akhawayn students and attending classes and special seminars throughout the week of March 13-18, 2011. And from March 21-25, eleven Al Akhawayn students will visit their Harvard counterparts in Cambridge, Massachusetts, exploring American university life and studying globalization with a focus on Africa.

The special reciprocal program, part of the Harvard College Students in Africa Initiative, provides students on both sides of the Atlantic with an exploration-based academic and cultural exchange. During the visit to Al Akhawayn University, the Harvard students stayed with their Moroccan host students in their dormitories and experienced daily campus life. They also attended lectures on “The History of the Arab World” and “History and Culture of the Berbers,” participated in a Moroccan cooking workshop hosted by the University restaurant, and traveled to Volubilis, Meknes, Fez, and Rabat, where they were briefed at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Al Akhawayn students who will visit Harvard include Tachfine Baida, Amal Bourhrous, Bemah Kone, Driss Lahjouji, Iman Moussaoui, Kawtar Amrani, Lamyaa Eloussi, Mariam El Mezouar, Mohamed Wael Khobalatte, Salma Gaouzi, and Soumaya Graine. They are being accompanied by Professor Jeremy Gunn, Associate Professor of International Relations at Al Akhawayn and a Harvard University alumnus (PhD, 1991).

The Harvard College Students in Africa Initiative (HSAI) is an undergraduate, student-run cultural exchange program between Harvard and undergraduate campuses in Africa. The exchanges are built to develop mutual understanding of the beauty of the cultures, landscapes, and history as well as a mutual understanding of the difficulties of society, economy, and government within all participating countries. The HSAI was founded in 2008 and had its first exchange in 2010 with a conference at the Harvard campus in February and one at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane in March, 2010.

Al Akhawayn Welcomes Prominent Cambridge University Scholar Yasir Suleiman

Ifrane, March 17, 2011 – During a British Council-sponsored visit to Morocco, noted expert on Islam and Arabic Studies Professor Yasir Suleiman of Cambridge University addressed an audience of faculty, students, and University executives on March 16 at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.

Suleiman’s talk on “Contextualizing Islam in Britain” focused on a project at Cambridge involving Muslim scholars from around Britain, representing diverse aspects of the Muslim community in the country, in an effort to reach consensus on the main issues facing Muslims in Britain today. The project covers a wide range of social, cultural, religious, demographic, socioeconomic issues, including multiculturalism, Islamophobia, secularism and the role of religious groups in secular states, human rights and the Sharia, ethics and morals, and citizenship. The project has involved events in Cairo at Al Azhar University, in Afghanistan, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and now Morocco.

“Having a scholar of Yasir Suleiman’s stature here at Al Akhawayn University is a tremendous honor,” said Mohamed Dahbi, Dean of the Al Akhawayn University School of Humanities and Social Sciences. “His observations about Islam in Britain and the related global political-religious issues are extremely timely and relevant to the dynamics we see in the modern Muslim world,” Dahbi added.

Yasir Suleiman is currently His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Sa‛id Professor of Modern Arabic Studies and Fellow of King's College, Cambridge University. His research covers the cultural politics of the Middle East, with special focus on identity, conflict, diaspora studies, and modernization in so far as these issues relate to language, modern Arabic literature, translation, and memory.

Among his many published works are Arabic, Self and Identity: A study in Conflict and displacement (forthcoming, 2011), A War of Words: Language and Conflict in the Middle East, The Arabic Language and National Identity: A Study in Ideology, Language and Identity in the Middle East and North Africa, and Living Islamic History.

Suleiman is Chair of the Panel of Judges, British-Kuwaiti Friendship Society Book Prize on Middle Eastern Studies, and a Trustee of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce Charitable Fund, the International Prize for Arab Fiction (in association with the Man-Booker Prize), the Banipal Trust for Arab Literature, and the Gulf Research Centre-Cambridge. He is also Board Member of the Islamic Manuscript Association, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and has served as Head of the Department of Middle Eastern Studies and Founding Director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies.

Ekland-Olson Addresses Al Akhawayn University President’s List Students

Ifrane, March 15, 2011 – Prominent University of Texas expert Dr. Sheldon Ekland-Olson discussed “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides?” at a special University dinner on March 14, honoring Al Akhawayn students who were on the President’s List for having earned straight As in the Fall 2010 semester. Seventy-one Al Akhawayn University students received certificates for this academic achievement.

President Driss Ouaouicha and other University executives presented the students with their certificates at the event, which also honored exchange and study abroad students who were on the President’s List at their home institutions, and Al Akhawayn students who scored highest on the recently administered ETS Proficiency Profile Test.

In addressing the students, Ekland-Olson delved deeply into difficult issues of life and death, discussing a range of topics from euthanasia to suicide and introducing the audience to his newly published book, entitled Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decides? Abortion, Neonatal Care, Assisted Dying, and Capital Punishment (Routledge, 2011).

Responding to a range of student questions and opinions, Ekland-Olson said, “I am incredibly impressed by the thoughtfulness and insight Al Akhawayn students possess.”

“It is precisely your ability to think through difficult issues, ask probing, out-of-the-box questions, and see the connections between disparate topics that shows the value of the liberal arts education you are receiving here at this excellent University,” he added.

A sociologist by training, Sheldon Ekland-Olson earned his PhD at the University of Washington and before that did post-doctoral work at the Yale University School of Law. He has taught at Yale and at the University of Texas, Austin, and since 1971 has served, inter alia, as Special Assistant to the Chancellor for the entire University of Texas system, as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas, Austin, and from 1998-2006 as Executive Vice President and Provost at the University of Texas, Austin. He now serves as the Director of the Division of Statistics and Scientific Computation at Austin and teaches a popular course on law, ethics, and society.

Over his long and distinguished career, Dr. Ekland-Olson has received a number of teaching and service awards, has held the Audre and Bernard Rapoport Centennial Endowment in Liberal Arts, and has published numerous books and articles on such topics as social research, criminal justice, and the role of universities in society.

Al Akhawayn and University of Texas at Austin Executives Discuss future Admissions Strategies

Ifrane, March 15-18, 2011 – Dr Bruce Walker, Vice Provost for Special Projects at the University of Texas at Austin, held a series of meetings with Al Akhawayn Vice President for Student Affairs and Admissions Director on the implementation of different admissions actions falling under the University’s 2010-2014 Strategic Plan. The meetings reviewed this and next years strategic recruitment agenda for outreach and admissions while stressing on the importance of further training international recruitment staff at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. With the Director of Enrollment, Dr Walker finalized a plan for the 2011 international summer camp to be held at AUI this coming July.

Al Akhawayn Students Introduced to Women in Latin America

Ifrane, March 15, 2011 – Dr Victoria Rodriguez, President of the Association of the University Graduate Deans, gave a lecture to Al Akhawayn Humanities class of Women and Culture about Women in Latin America. Dr. Rodriguez emphasized the role of women in developing countries. “That was a very good opportunity for us to learn about women in Latin America especially that there are several similarities between our two cultures” said Mariam, a student from the class. She added that “the lecture inspired us to reflect on the situation of women in Morocco especially after the recent government reforms”.

Victoria E. Rodríguez is Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies at The University of Texas at Austin and holds the University’s Ashbel Smith Professorship at the LBJ School. She teaches courses in policy development, women in politics and public policy, and theory and philosophy of public policy. Prior to joining UT Austin in 1991, she held teaching positions at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Texas at El Paso. She was also a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge and has served as a consultant for the World Bank. In 2000, Professor Rodríguez received jointly with Professor Peter Ward the Ohtli Medal, the highest honor granted by the Mexican government outside Mexico. In 2002, Hispanic Business named her as one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the United States.    

Al Akhawayn School of Ifrane Triumphs in National Badminton Tournament

Ifrane, March 15, 2011 - In a first for the young athletes of the Al Akhawayn University School of Ifrane (ASI), the school's badminton team won the overall championship trophy for the first time in its 14-year history in the recent Moroccan-American Schools Athletic Consortium (MASAC) badminton tournament hosted by the school in Ifrane from March 12-13. The victory was especially sweet as ASI beat several much larger schools with longer histories of success in badminton.

Al Akhawayn not only came away with the championship, but scored 7 first place finishes, 5 second place finishes, and several third place. Other schools competing in the tournament included past champions Casablanca American School, Rabat American School, and George Washington Academy.

The team's victory was honored by a pizza banquet sponsored by the Office of the University's Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Abdelhamid Lotfi, and cheered on by University President Driss Ouaouicha, who remarked that, "Great things often come in small packages: the fact that ASI excels nationally is proof positive that the school is providing a wonderful education and great team athletics for our amazing young people."

The coach of the winning Al Akhawayn team was Omar Boutaleb, and the students who competed included (grade 6) Zahra Benmekka, Rim Bouia, Ibrahim Charifi, and Muhammad Khan; (grade 7) Amine Naitlho and Mamoune Naitlho; (grade 8) Kenza Naitlho; (grade 9) Aisha Barrou and Hafsa El Bouji; (grade 10) Salim Tananim, Elias Ghecchi, and Safae Alaoui; (grade 11) Yassine Kharraz and Nizar Naitlho; and (grade 12) Chafik Derakaoui and Youssef Gehchi.

Earlham College's Gregory Mahler Highlights the Liberal Arts in Al Akhawayn Address

Ifrane, March 10, 2011 - "The liberal arts uniquely empowers people to be socially aware, globally engaged thinkers and leaders," said Gregory S. Mahler, Academic Dean and Vice-President for Academic Affairs of Earlham College in an presentation at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane on March 9.

Mahler's visit to Al Akhawayn occurred in the context of a continuing and deepening University-wide celebration of the meaning and value of the liberal arts as an approach to higher education in the global age. Earlier in the year, Al Akhawayn hosted the high-level meeting of presidents of members of the Global Liberal Arts Alliance, including the president of Earlham College.

In addition to his leadership in higher education, Mahler has become one of the most respected voices on the political climate of the Middle East. He has served as a visiting professor at both Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University in Jerusalem, has done extensive international speaking for the U.S. Department of State, and has received a Malone Fellowship for Arab and Islamic Studies. He has conducted a week-long seminar on civic education in Jerusalem and Ramallah for the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, and in 2007, he led a democratization workshop in the West Bank.

Gregory Mahler received his B.A from Oberlin College, and his Ph.D. in political science from Duke University. Prior to joining Earlham, Mahler was provost at Kalamazoo College and from 1990 to 1997, he was professor and chair of political science at the University of Mississippi. He has authored and edited more than two dozen volumes, and his most recent work is Politics and Government in Israel (2004).

Al Akhawayn's Azrou Center to Create New Center Focusing on HIV/AIDS

Ifrane, March 9, 2011 -- Al Akhawayn University has signed a partnership agreement with the Association de Lutte Contre le Sida in Morocco (ALCS), under which the University's Azrou Center for Community Development will host a center providing information, free, anonymous HIV/AIDS testing, diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, as well as awareness sessions on family planning.

"This new center will be very important and successful in the region, as a major effort to reach out to the local population and increase awareness about sexual and reproductive health, and we are very happy to be able to work with Al Akhawayn University on this initiative," said the President of the ALCS, Ms. Hakima Himmich, at the signing ceremony.

The ALCS is the first association of its kind in the North Africa and Middle East region. Created in 1988, it is committed to preventing HIV/AIDS infection, and providing treatment, care, and advocacy for people living with the disease, with full respect for human rights and ethical principles of neutrality and confidentiality.
The Al Akhawayn University Azrou Center for Community Development was established in 2002 in order to contribute to the socioeconomic development of the Ifrane-Azrou region.

New Alumni Association Board Meets at Al Akhawayn; Announces Bold Initiatives

Ifrane, February 28, 2011 – The newly elected Board of Directors of the Al Akhawayn University Alumni Association met on campus on Saturday, February 26, to present its plans for the year and to advance a number of new initiatives, including an pioneering effort to raise funds for student scholarships.

The Association reported a healthy financial situation and a renewed commitment to connecting the University’s nearly 2,500 alumni with each other and with their alma mater. Traditional activities such as the annual Job Fair (April 8, 2011), regular networking events around the country, and the Ftour Debat, among many others, will remain core elements of the Associations’ program.

And, to enhance the alumni experience and extend the reach of the network, the Association is exploring new activities such as after-work get-togethers, more alumni presence on campus and interaction with students, honoring distinguished alumni, and hosting students at the workplace to provide real-world insights into the job market. In addition, many members of the Association have expressed a strong willingness to raise funds for financial aid and scholarships.

“The University’s alumni represent the value of an Al Akhawayn degree and the collective achievement of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane; the Alumni Association is doing a terrific job in connecting our graduates with the University today” said President Driss Ouaouicha following the discussion. The meeting was the first time the Board of Directors had met with the Association’s recently constituted Board of Advisors, which comprises key University executives plus former leaders of the Alumni Association and student representatives.

“Our alumni are a source of great pride for the University, and their renewed enthusiasm for the University’s mission and strategic plan – expressed solidly through their interest in strengthening our scholarship funds – indicates a very bright future for the University, its alumni, and its future students,” Ouaouicha added. “We are very grateful for the support of our alumni, and look forward to working with the Board and with all alumni in the months and years to come.”

For more information about the Al Akhawayn University Alumni Association, please visit www.aa.ma.

Al Akhawayn’s Bachelor of Business Administration Program Earns EPAS Accreditation

Ifrane, February 22, 2011 – Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program has gained accreditation from the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Program Accreditation System (EPAS). The BBA program is the first in Al Akhawayn’s School of Business Administration to be accredited, and is the first program in Morocco and Africa to be accredited by EPAS.

The accreditation, which is valid for three years, means that Al Akhawayn’s BBA program meets EPAS standards and criteria related to all facets of program provision, including the institutional, national, and international environment; program design and delivery; program outcomes; and quality assurance. EPAS standards particularly emphasize academic rigor, practical relevance, and internationalization.

Wafa El Garah, Dean of the Al Akhawayn University School of Business Administration, announced the news, saying, “We are proud and delighted that our Bachelor of Business Administration program is now EPAS-accredited. The accreditation is a systematic and rigorous process that has helped us identify our key strengths and areas of improvement, and the self-study process allowed us to step back and see the big picture.”

“The accreditation process offered us a period of thoughtful reflection, forced us to think of innovative ways to improve our processes, and most importantly permitted us to develop and build internal systems for continuous improvement,” El Garah said.

She added, “This achievement falls within our vision and strategic objective to become the leading business school in Morocco and North Africa.  EPAS accreditation is an important milestone, and would not have been possible without the dedication and efforts of faculty, staff, and students alike.”

The EPAS accreditation for the BBA program at the School of Business Administration is an important advance in Al Akhawayn University's continuing effort to gain accreditation for specific programs and units, as well as for the entire University. Al Akhawayn now has two accredited programs -- the BBA and the Language Center, which gained CEA accreditation in 2010.

The European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) is an international membership organization, based in Brussels, Belgium, and EPAS is the EFMD accreditation for international degree programs in business and management. With more than 730 member organizations from academia, business, public service, and consultancy in 82 countries, EFMD provides a forum for information, research, networking and debate on innovation and best practice in management development. It is recognized globally as an accreditation body of quality in management education and has established accreditation services for business schools and business school programs, corporate universities, and technology-enhanced learning programs.

In gaining EPAS accreditation, the BBA program at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane joins other leading international programs and institutions that have also recently earned EPAS accreditation. Among them are programs at the Graduate School of Business Administration of Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia), Groupe Sup de Co La Rochelle at La Rochelle Business School (France), HEC Management School at the University of Liege (Belgium), the Higher School of Finance and Management at the Academy of National Economy (Russia), and the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Zagreb (Croatia).

For more information about EPAS and EFMD, please visit www.efmd.org. For more information about the Bachelor of Business Administration program at the Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane School of Business Administration, please visit www.aui.ma/sba.

Al Akhawayn Signs Development and Education Agreement with Telecommunications Giant Alcatel-Lucent

Ifrane, February 22, 2011 - Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane and the pioneering telecommunications firm Alcatel-Lucent signed an important agreement on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 and participated in a discussion with students about the future of global telecommunications. The agreement offers students training, certification, and development opportunities, and brings Al Akhawayn into the exclusive Alcatel-Lucent Application Partner program.

Pictured here at the signing are Al Akhawayn University President Driss Ouaouicha and the CEO of Alcatel-Lucent in Morocco, Mounim Ghetreff, who noted that “Al Akhawayn University in Morocco is the first university to be certified as an ‘Academic Partner for Alcatel-Lucent’ in the Middle East and Africa region.” For more information about the agreement, click here to download the press release.

Global Liberal Arts Leaders at Al Akhawayn Call for Advancement, Growth

Ifrane, February 7, 2011 -- Members of the the Global Liberal Arts Alliance met at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane to discuss the achivements and future of the influential group, while agreeing to explore new initiatives to enhance and strengthen the role and understanding of liberal arts higher education in the global era.

The Ifrane meeting of members of the Global Liberal Arts Alliance at Al Akhawayn University, from February 3-5, 2011, included the presidents of 14 colleges and universities from around the United States and throughout the world who are committed to the liberal arts approach at their respective institutions. During three days of discussions, they analyzed the meaning of the liberal arts as an educational approach, debated ideas about ways to communicate its values and value more effectively -- particularly internationally -- and discussed possible future projects such as collaborative degree programs, summer institutes, and more.

The participants also discussed fast-moving political events in North Africa and the Middle East in a special session animated by the president of the American University of Beirut, Peter Dorman, and the president of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Driss Ouaouicha.

The Global Liberal Arts Alliance is a partnership of the presidents of 25 liberal arts colleges and universities, and was formed as an initiative of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Alliance programs link educational leaders, faculty, and administrators throughout the network to exchange expertise and experience in order to develop stronger capacities in the member institutations and advance the traditional notion of the liberal arts and sciences.

Among the participants were the following presidents of global liberal arts colleges and universities: Samuel Abraham of the Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts; Peter Armacost of Forman Christian College; Doug Bennett of Earlham College; Grant Cornwell of the College of Wooster; Peter Dorman of the American University of Beirut; Donna Randall of Albion College; David Horner of the American College of Greece; David Huwiler of the American University of Bulgaria; Erik Nielsen of Franklin College of Switzerland; Driss Ouaouicha of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane; Franco Pavoncello of John Cabot University; Celeste Schenck of the American University of Paris; Patrick White of Wabash College; and Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran of Kalamazoo College. Also in attendance and chairing the meeting was Rick Detweiler, President of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, which oversees the Alliance's programs.

Throughout and on the margins of the meeting, accompanying spouses and meeting participants alike enjoyed Al Akhawayn University-organized excursions around the Ifrane area, and to Azrou, Meknes, Fez, Rabat, Marrakech, and Casablanca.

For more information about the Global Liberal Arts Alliance, please visit http://www.liberalartsalliance.org/.

Al Akhawayn Alumni Association Announces 2011 Board of Directors

Casablanca, January 26, 2011 – The Al Akhawayn University Alumni Association has announced a new Board of Directors for 2011, named following the recent elections on January 22. The composition of the 2001 board represents continuity and stability for the association, while also introducing a number of new alumni to the association’s leadership.

Khalid Baddou (Class of 2001) was re-elected as President for 2011, as were Senior Vice Presidents Hind Sabiry (Class of 1999) and Khadija Idrissi Janati (Class of 2004). The presidential responsibilities will be split during the current 3-year term, with Baddou and Sabiry alternating as President.

Ayoub Youssefi (Class of 2005) will serve as Vice President in charge of Alumni Affairs, Amine Benmoussa (Classes of 2001 and 2004) will be Vice President in charge of Partnerships, and Imane Amzil (Class of 2009) will be Vice President in charge of Human Resources.

Fatima Zahra Daraoui (Class of 2010) was elected to serve as General Secretary in charge of Student Affairs, and Oussama Sefrioui (Class of 2003) will be the association’s Treasurer in charge of Social Responsibility.

In addition to the makeup of the 2011 board, the Alumni Association announced the composition of its Board of Advisors, a permanent body created in the recently revised constitution of the association and intended to provide guidance and support to the Alumni Association in its continuing growth and development.

The Board of Advisors consists of statutory and elected members in various capacities. They include Dr. Driss Ouaouicha, President of Al Akhawayn University; Simon O’Rourke, Director of Development and Communication of Al Akhawayn University; Salim Zekri (Class of 1999), former Alumni Association President; Youssef Ittobane (Class of 2003), former Alumni Association President; Charif Houachmi (Class of 2000), former Alumni Association Vice President (elected); Youssef Benslim (Class of 1999), Former Alumni Association General Secretary (elected); Yassine El Mahdi (Classes of 2001 and 2005), former Alumni Association Treasurer (elected); and Hamza Boulifa (Class of 2011), President of the Al Akhawayn University Student Government Association (Observer).

More information about the Al Akhawayn University Alumni Association can be found at www.aa.ma.

Al Akhawayn University Mourns the Passing of University Trustee Ambassador Abdellah El Maaroufi

Ambassador Abdellah El Maaroufi (1944-2011)

Ifrane, January 9, 2011 - The Al Akhawayn University community is mourning the passing in Washington on January 8, 2011, of His Excellency Ambassador Abdellah El Maaroufi, former Ambassador of Morocco to the United States and a long-standing member of the Board of Trustees of Al Akhawayn University.

Born in 1944 in Casablanca, Ambassador El Maaroufi studied at the American University of Beirut, Harvard University, and Princeton University, and had a masters degree in public affairs specializing in modernization and economic development.

Starting in 1969, Ambassador El Maaroufi worked at the World Bank, where held a number of high-level positions around the world, including serving as Director of the European office of the Bank from 1995 to 1998. He was subsequently appointed as President and CEO of Banque Populaire from 1998-2000 before being named Ambassador of Morocco to the United States of America, a post he held from 2000-2002.

Ambassador El Maaroufi was married and the father of two children.

"Morocco and the world have lost a great leader and a wonderful person. He was a tremendous force for positive change, working with dedication and commitment, and always with passion imbued with natural good humor and a zest for challenges of all kinds," said Al Akhawayn University President Driss Ouaouicha in a statement.