Rabat – Coventry University inaugurated their first campus in Morocco on Tuesday, making it also the first British university campus in the country.

The new campus is located in Bouskoura, near the Moroccan city of Casablanca.

The opening comes amid rising demand for English-language education in the country, especially among younger generations who have been more exposed to the language through the internet and other media.

The campus is the first of a planned three to be built across Morocco over the coming years, university officials said during the event.

The new campus was inaugurated in Bouskoura.

“It’s a partnership between two excellent institutions,” British Ambassador to Morocco Simon Martin said during the opening. “Coventry University on one side, and the British Education Group on the other.”

Martin also stressed that the new campus would not only help its students broaden their horizons, but also strengthen ties between Morocco and the UK.

Adding that Britain is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Moroccan students, the ambassador said the two countries would be holding an annual ministerial meeting next month to discuss higher education cooperation.

Speaking to Morocco World News, Martin mentioned that the new campus is the result of higher education cooperation between the two countries.

UK Ambassador to Morocco Simon Martin speaking at the opening ceremony.

Over 1,000 Moroccan students are currently pursuing their education in UK universities, a record high number.

For Coventry University, the new campus is the latest in their ever-expanding network of international branches.

Vice Chancellor of the university John Latham stressed that the institution intends to open two additional campuses in the North African country in the future, and that Coventry University hopes to serve as a contributor to economic growth.

The university is one of the UK’s largest in terms of student population in Britain, as well as its student population in its international campuses.

Speaking to MWN, Latham also added that the campus presents an opportunity for Coventry University to further its presence in Africa and the Middle East.

Coventry University Vice-Chancellor John Latham.

English in Morocco

With Morocco’s youth becoming more and more exposed to the English language, the demand for British education in the country has been on a steady rise.

“This is a response to the desire of many Moroccans – not just young Moroccans, but particularly young Moroccans – to speak and to operate in English,” Martin told MWN during the opening ceremony.

The diplomat added that the growing popularity of English does not mean that Arabic, Amazigh, or French will decline.

“It’s a different tool for people looking to succeed in an increasingly globalized business environment,” he added.

Martin at the opening ceremony.

The new Coventry University campus comes as Morocco exerts more efforts to support the use of English, especially in higher education, as the language becomes more important to conduct business internationally.

In September 2022, Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education Abdellatif Miraoui announced that Ph.D. candidates will need to provide proof of their English skills through TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test scores.

The ministry also said it’d introduce programs in higher education to help students reach at least an intermediate level in the language.