Marrakech – The United Nations Chair for the Alliance of Civilizations at Euromed University of Fez (UEMF) received the prestigious “Alliance University of the Year” award at the Triple E Awards 2025.
The ceremony took place on Tuesday at Prague’s historic Lobkowicz Palace during the Global ACEEU Forum, which gathered over 150 decision-makers from around the world.
The Chair was ranked first among hundreds of universities and institutions worldwide that competed for this recognition. The Triple E Award represents the first global recognition dedicated to universities’ “Third Mission” – their role beyond teaching and research, serving otherness, Alliance of Civilizations, and development.
Organized by the Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (ACEEU), the only global accreditation body focused on university engagement and entrepreneurship, this award distinguishes the most innovative institutions committed to societal transformation.
This international distinction comes at a crucial time for the only UN Chair in this field, as the world faces increasing tensions, fragilities, and geopolitical instability.
To maximize its effectiveness and visibility, the UN Chair for the Alliance of Civilizations has been equipped with an academic Master’s program in “Conflict Management and Alliance of Civilizations” and a doctoral program, both accredited by the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education.
The Chair serves as a vector for scientific production, as evidenced by recently published books and journals. It also provides a space for debate where students from various countries engage in forward-thinking discussions about the future of societies through organized meetings.
One such event was the Euro-Mediterranean and African Youth Meeting held on February 14, 2024, at the Moroccan Parliament during the General Assembly of Parliaments of Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) member countries.
During these meetings, young people from thirty countries exchanged views and debated issues and challenges facing the Euro-Mediterranean and African region, producing and reading a “Call for the Future” before the presidents of UfM member parliaments.
The Chair also organized conferences, debates, and exchanges on the subject of the Alliance of Civilizations on December 6-7, 2024. These events featured several personalities from various countries and approximately 1,600 students.
The activities organized by the Chair align perfectly with Morocco’s widely praised peaceful vision and with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) strategy. The Triple E Award was presented on Tuesday to the Chair’s President, Abdelhak Azzouzi, and Tayeb Ouazzani Chahdi, Director of Audit and Quality Assurance, at Prague Castle.
A sustainable hub bridging Mediterranean and Africa
Euromed University of Fez, where the UN Chair is housed, serves as a Euro-Mediterranean bridge for higher education, research, and innovation. It connects the North and South shores of the Mediterranean and extends naturally toward Sub-Saharan Africa.
The university is labeled by the Union for the Mediterranean and designed for intercultural exchange, mobility, and joint programs.
UEMF operates from a COP22-labeled eco-campus spanning approximately 40 hectares, with plans to expand to 100 hectares. The campus was built to high sustainability standards, incorporating renewable energy, water recovery, efficient materials, e-mobility, and waste sorting systems.
The university offers a range of programs through various schools and faculties, including the School of Digital Engineering & AI, the School of Architecture, Design & Urbanism, Euromed Business School, and faculties of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry, among others.
UEMF reports a multinational community on campus with approximately 3,000 students and teachers from around 43 nationalities, with growth plans to reach about 6,000 students by 2026.
The university provides numerous opportunities for student mobility and double degree programs with Euro-Mediterranean partner institutions, stressing international experience as core to its educational model.
