Graduates of Rabat Business School Told to Face Labor Market with Swagger

As the Rabat Business School (RBS) at the International University of Rabat (UIR) celebrated this past Friday the graduation ceremony of its students, the university’s administration and alumni of its prestigious business program urged the new graduates to continue being confident, hard-working, and persevering as they prepare to swagger their way to successful or fulfilled careers in a competitive world.

More than 660 students graduated from the RBS this year with either a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, and the administration, professors, and alumni celebrated the university’s tenth cohort — UIR was launched in 2010 but organized its first graduation ceremony in 2013 — by reminding them that they are expected to sustain UIR’s reputation for excellence and competitiveness.

UIR Alumni’ High Employment Rate

“It was a wonderful moment that we shared with all our students as they started a new phase in their life, and we wish them a lot of success in their professional career,” Olivier Aptel, Dean of the Rabat Business School at UIR, told Morocco World News during the event.

“We are sure that our graduates will be ready to enter the job market. 85% of our old graduates find a job within three months of their graduation, in different sectors and companies. We accompany them in this journey to start their professional career, and they are usually very successful,” Ahmed Ennasri, the school’s Academic director and Sub-dean, expressed his extreme joy to mark this special event.

“We are very proud of our graduates that integrate very easily to the job market,” Ennasri told Morocco World News in an interview. “As for those who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree, they have the choice to either continue with us within the offered Master’s programs, or go abroad to the best Business schools to continue their studies,” Ennasri said.

He also extended his congratulations to the new graduates and their loved ones, saying: “Congratulations to our graduates, to their parents, friends, and relatives, who make a lot of effort so that the students can enjoy this moment. And we all know how much parents sacrifice with their children to help them reach that.”

Zineb Mdarhri, Alumni Responsible at the Rabat Business School, also spoke of a unique feeling of pride and happiness as she celebrated the new graduates. “We are very proud of our graduates, and we are extremely glad to celebrate with them today their graduation ceremony. It is not the end of the journey for them, it is really the beginning of a new adventure, a new career. We wish them a wonderful one,” she told Morocco World News.

“And as an Alumni Responsible at the RBS, it is my duty to assist them in this new phase. We will stay in touch with them because we are all going to experience this new journey together, with the RBS Alumni Association.”

Equipped to Thrive in the Face of Challenges

She added that although the job market is a constantly shifting world “filled with challenges,” graduates of the Rabat Business School have been adequately equipped to lead successful careers and fulfilled professional lives.

“Our degree is … is very strong and accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB),” she noted, stressing: “We are not worried about the future of our graduates. We believe in them! Our past graduates since 2013 are living examples of good leaders and excellent entrepreneurs that succeeded in the job market.”

In addition to the various traditional Bachelor’s and Master’s programs that the school offers, RBS also proposes to its students a form of executive education intended for mid-career professionals who are employed full-time. Currently, the school offers several executive Bachelor’s and Master’s, and one executive MBA program.

The students who enroll in these programs receive their degree as well with the other students coming from the other regular degree programs. “It was a mix of different generations, and this is what is really interesting in this kind of ceremony,” Olivier said in this context.

“Today is a special day since it is the graduation day. I am very honored to take part in it and share my happiness, not only with family, but also my professors and classmates. Though today was just one moment, it is the fruit of my work in these three years and the support of my family,” Nisrine Ichou, who graduated with a Bachelor’s in International Program in Management (IPM) as part of the class of 2022, told Morocco World News.

“I think that the cool thing about the university is that it helps students integrate within the student life. So it just makes them feel at home, more than coming here and studying, which is something that can be missed in other universities,” she said.

She concluded by reminiscing about her own formative years on the university’ campus, crediting the classes she took and the extracurricular activities she was exposed to as having been foundational in her journey and essential for her intellectual and personal growth. “For instance, I was part of a club called Music For All Club,” she recalled. “This has been a very important opportunity to show your talents, not only in terms of the academic level, but as well in terms of our hobbies and interests generally speaking.”