Rabat- The Marrakech-based Cadi Ayyad University (UCA) has once again been designated the leading higher learning institution in Morocco, the Maghreb area, and Francophone Africa at large, according to a recent university ranking published on March 20 by the London-based Times Higher Education (THE).
In 2018, UCA managed to maintain its leadership in Morocco and Francophone Africa, ranking above universities such as Morocco’s Mohammed V University, Senegal’s Cheick Anta Diop University, Tunisia’s El Manar University, and many others. Overall, UCA ranks 11th in Africa and 19th in the Arab world.
This important international validation, which is based on a university’s excellent teaching and research record and alumni employability, is an acknowledgement of the university’s continuous investment in excellent teaching, high quality research, and skill-building programs and majors that take into account the changing environment of the work setting, UCA said in press release that celebrated the university’s new ranking.
The Times Higher Education praised the Marrakech-base university for its excellent research facilities, while acknowledging that UCA is still to improve in many of its newly established academic fields, especially in social sciences and the humanities. “Scientific research is a great source of pride for the university, and with more than 1,400 research professors and 146 research facilities it has become a leading scientific and technological centre in Morocco,” THE said in its ranking, specifically citing the MOS project, which has recently led to some groundbreaking discoveries in the Atlas Mountains.
In its own press release, the university also mentioned its recent improvements in research. The press release nonetheless pointed out that much work is still needed, not only to improve the university’s future global standing, but also to hone its facilities and teaching programs in order to help it stay on top of the critical trends and challenges of a globalized and changing world.
“Thanks to its futuristic vision and the dedication and devotion of its researchers, the university has succeeded in boosting and consolidating its research facilities, making it a national and international educational hub,” the press release said. But, recognizing the numerous challenges ahead, it added: “It is true that UCA is striving to maintain what it already has, but that does not mean that we should not project ourselves towards realizing the dream of tomorrow’s university.”
