Rabat – Morocco’s International University of Rabat (UIR) and Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have signed an agreement aiming to cement collaboration in scientific research and student exchange.
President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Daniel Chamovitz signed the agreement on Wednesday with UIR President Noureddine Mouaddib.
In a social media post, Chamovitz said that the agreement is cementing interactions between the institutions, adding that the Abraham accords have allowed the university to “develop important academic collaborations with Israel’s neighbors especially (but not only!) around sustainability and climate change.”
“We already have exchanged students, and I look forward to building an even stronger basis of the collaboration,“ Chamovitz added.
In September 2021, UIR and BGU signed a memorandum of understanding, further strengthening collaboration in education and research with a particular focus on the study of the cultural heritage of Moroccan Jews.
Almost a year later, BGU and Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) launched the first exchange program between the Abraham Accords partners, leading to more cooperation in scientific research.
This month, UIR partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to boost knowledge transfer and develop joint research projects in information technology engineering, aerospace, and automotive industries
A few days prior to the UIR-IAI partnership, UM6P inaugurated the first university synagogue in Morocco and the Arab World next to the university’s new mosque.
With only one wall separating the two houses of worship, UM6P and its partners OCP Group, American Sephardi Federation, and Jewish communities in Marrakech-Essaouira wanted to highlight and celebrate Morocco’s long history of religious coexistence and tolerance through the project.
Over the past months, Morocco and Israel have been focusing on advancing strategic partnerships to advance knowledge development and exchange. The two countries have also launched several initiatives to boost bilateral trade and reinforce political and security cooperation.
