Days of Russian Education in Morocco

On December 3, a delegation of RAFU universities, headed by Dmitry Arseniev, Vice-Rector for International Activities of SPbPU, arrived in Morocco. The delegation included Maxim Zalyvsky, Head of the Project Office of the Russian-African Network University (RAFU) consortium; Alla Mazina, Secretary of the RAFU Presidium and Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Department of SPbPU; and representatives of Russian universities participating in RAFU: LETI, RSU, and SVFU.

The RAFU Russian Education Day started with a meeting with students, graduate students, and staff of Hassan II University in Casablanca. 
4 RAFU universities presented their main educational programs, features, and ways of admission (quota of the Government of the Russian Federation, International Olympiad “Open Doors: Russian scholarship”) in person; 3 more Russian RAFU universities told about their educational programs in online format.

More than 400 Moroccan students and professors got acquainted with RAFU universities; more than one and a half thousand people joined the online broadcast. The participants were able to ask their questions about undergraduate and postgraduate studies in joint graduate programs, scientific cooperation, development of academic mobility, and joint short-term programs (summer and winter schools). Dmitry Arseniev and Vice-Rector for Science and International Cooperation Mustafa Lhider signed the Memorandum of Accession to RAFU of Hassan II University.

Mustafa Lhider, Vice Rector for Science and International Cooperation of Hassan II University, welcomed the Russian delegation: "We are already partners of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, and today we are taking an important step by joining the RAFU consortium. A step towards new opportunities for scientific and technical cooperation with Russian universities. Hassan II University is ready to actively support the development of academic mobility for students, creating favorable conditions for exchange and joint projects with Russian universities. We hope that this cooperation will be the basis for new opportunities and inspiration for the future generation of professionals."

The Russian Education Day in Casablanca continued at the Higher School of Management, Commerce, and Governance (EDGE). During the working meeting with the Director of EDGE, Mounir Trifeh, to which were invited the President of Atlantic University, Rachid M'Rabe, General Director of EFET Group (Higher School of Technical Education) Mohammed Jalil Loukili, General Director of the Center for Applied Science Education Abdessalam Benara, and RAFU universities, the consortium's activities, prospects, and benefits for the participants were presented.
The Graduate School of Management, Commerce and Governance (EDGE) as well as Atlantic University (UNA) signed memorandums of accession to RAFU during the meeting.

"This partnership is a continuation of our endeavor to develop strategic cooperation with prestigious institutions around the world. Joining the RAFU consortium will expand our opportunities in providing world-class education, as well as promote academic and cultural exchange that will benefit our faculty and students,” Munir Trifeh emphasized.

As part of further cooperation, it is planned to create joint educational programs, programs of additional professional education, joint postgraduate courses, and scientific projects. 

“Cooperation between SPbPU and Moroccan universities, their joining the RAFU consortium, will not only strengthen the existing educational ties between our countries but also open new prospects for students and teachers from Morocco. Polytechnic University can offer joint work in such areas as intelligent systems, additive technologies, civil engineering, and humanities. Already today we plan to develop new joint programs in engineering areas, as well as at the master's and postgraduate levels, conduct joint research, and initiate new joint projects,” summarized Dmitry Arseniev, Vice-Rector for International Activities of SPbPU.