Days of Russian Education in Morocco

On December 3, a representative delegation from Russia, headed by Dmitry Arseniev, Vice-Rector for International Affairs 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 the RAFU project: SPbSETU LETI, RSHU, NEFU.

SPbPU has been actively developing international cooperation with African countries for many years. This is facilitated by the fact that SPbPU is the coordinator of the Russian-African Network University consortium. Now it has more than 100 members, of which more than 35 are African universities.

In the morning, the Russian delegation visited Hassan II University in Casablanca for the Days of Russian Education.

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 make an important step by joining the RAFU consortium. A step towards new opportunities for scientific and technical cooperation with Russian universities.

More than 400 Moroccan students and teachers got acquainted with Russian universities, more than 1,500 people joined the online broadcast. Universities presented their main educational programs, features and ways of admission (quota of the Russian Government, International Olympiad «Open Doors: Russian scholarship») both in person and online. The participants were able to ask questions they were interested in about Master’s degree and PhD studies in joint postgraduate programs, scientific cooperation, development of academic mobility, joint short-term programs (summer and winter schools). Dmitry Arseniev and Vice-Rector for Science and International Cooperation Mustafa Lhider signed the Memorandum on joining Hassan II University to RAFU.

The conference was attended by representatives of the Association of SPbPU Alumni in Morocco (AMPSP), which facilitates employment of graduates and organization of joint cultural and scientific events. The delegation included Omar Sabri, President of the Association, and Jamal Esoulamani, a graduate of Polytechnic’s Electromechanics Department. The Russians held a meeting with SPbPU alumni to discuss cooperation and joint initiatives. The participants exchanged views on the importance of alumni in the development of the educational system and their role in strengthening ties between universities and society. Thanks to the assistance of the SPbPU Alumni Association in Morocco, representatives of Russian universities organized and successfully held the Days of Russian Education in Casablanca.

The Russian Education Day in Casablanca continued at the Higher School of Management, Commerce and Governance (EDGE). During the working meeting with EDGE Director Mounir Trifeh, to which Mohammed Jalil Loukili, Director General of EFET Group (Higher School of Technical Education) and Abdessalam Benara, Director General of the Center for Applied Science Education were invited, RAFU universities presented the consortium activities, prospects and benefits for the participants.

As part of further cooperation, it is planned to create joint educational programs, additional professional education programs, joint postgraduate studies and research projects. Special attention will be paid to the study of Russian language and culture, where SPbPU will act as one of the leading centers in Russia in the field of teaching Russian as a foreign language. At the end of the meeting, representatives of Moroccan universities signed memorandums on joining RAFU.

Cooperation between SPbPU and Moroccan universities, their joining the RAFU consortium will not only strengthen the existing educational ties between our countries, but will also open new prospects for students and faculty from Morocco. Polytechnic University can offer joint work in such areas as intelligent systems, additive technologies, civil engineering, and humanities. Already today we are planning 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, summed up the results of the meetings Dmitry Arseniev, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of SPbPU.