A new stage in the Russian-Moroccan partnership: Hassan II University's visit to SPbPU

Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University welcomed a delegation from Hassan II University (Casablanca, Morocco), led by Vice-President for Research and Cooperation Professor Mustapha Lkhyder. This is the only Moroccan university included in the prestigious Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). The visit marked an important stage in developing the partnership between the universities within the framework of the Russian-African Network University (RAFU) consortium, which is coordinated by SPbPU.

The Moroccan delegation included leading university representatives: Dean of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Social Sciences Professor Fatima Zahra Alami, Deputy Dean for Internationalization Professor Adam Chati, Head of the Department of Public Law Professor Abdelfettah El Fatin, as well as directors of key engineering schools — the National Higher School of Electrical Engineering and Mechanics, the National Higher School of Arts and Crafts, and the Higher School of Technology of Casablanca.

The visit program began with a tour of the Main Academic Building and a visit to the Fundamental Library of SPbPU. The parties agreed on mutual access to the electronic library resources of both universities. The guests then familiarized themselves with the university’s research and educational infrastructure: the Center for Open Education, where the parties agreed on joint work in the field of VR, and the Graduate School of Technological Entrepreneurship within the Technopolis-Polytech research complex. Negotiations were also held with the directors of the higher schools of the Institute of Energy.

Opening the negotiations with the Hassan II University delegation, SPbPU Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arseniev emphasized that the partnership between the two universities is developing most intensively among all the university’s African contacts: Compared to other African universities, I think we have the most active joint work. He recalled that the first visits to Casablanca took place as early as 2024. An important stage was a joint conference on sustainable development, where, according to the Vice-Rector, professors from Hassan II «gave very good presentations,» and the parties «realized what we can do together.» During this current visit, Dmitry Arseniev put forward three proposals: to send two lecturers from the Institute of Energy to give lectures and develop scientific contacts, to invite young Moroccan scientists for a week-long «Technological Entrepreneurship» program, and to develop joint master’s programs, including double-degree ones.

The Moroccan side proposed a reciprocal exchange of lecturers and invited a postgraduate student from the Graduate School of Technological Entrepreneurship of SPbPU’s Advanced Engineering School to participate in its 2026 summer school.

The meeting resulted in an agreement to continue dialogue on additional areas (economics, IT, biotechnology, architecture) in the format of online meetings, which, according to Vice-Rector Dmitry Arseniev, will become the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration.

It should be noted that Hassan II University joined the RAFU consortium in December 2024. In April 2026, a delegation of SPbPU and other Russian universities from RAFU visited Morocco to participate in the International Student Forum in Casablanca and hold RAFU Days at Hassan II University. The current visit is a reciprocal step, confirming the mutual interest of the parties in long-term and fruitful cooperation.