Rabat – The growing partnership between Morocco and the UK in higher education and innovation took another step forward with “Casablanca Connect” – a networking evening jointly hosted by the British Education Group (BEG), its Moroccan institution SIST, and Cardiff Metropolitan University (CMU).
Held at SIST Casablanca, the event gathered students, alumni, and professionals from Morocco’s business community for an evening of exchange and collaboration that went beyond academia.
A meeting point between education and industry
Unlike a traditional academic gathering, the “Casablanca Connect” evening aimed to connect classroom learning with the realities of industrial innovation.
The highlight of the event was a presentation by The Technology Partnership (TTP), a UK-based engineering and development company working closely with the British Consulate and Moroccan institutions.
Charles Cooke, TTP’s Sustainable Energy Technology Lead, described the occasion as an opportunity to merge education with applied science.
“We’re here with the British Consulate for a special edition of Casa Connect, focused on commercialising new technology,” Cooke told Morocco World News (MWN).
“Our work is about taking ideas from an early stage all the way through to industrialisation, and Morocco is an incredibly exciting place to do that.”
Cooke said Morocco’s renewable energy potential, coupled with its industrial ambitions, makes it a natural partner for British firms seeking to scale sustainable technologies.
“With Morocco’s abundant solar and wind resources, you can use renewable electricity to produce hydrogen, which can then be turned into ammonia, a key component in fertiliser production,” he explained. “It’s a virtuous circle that connects clean energy to one of Morocco’s strongest industries.”
The expanding footprint of British education
For the British Education Group, events like “Casablanca Connect” are part of a long-term strategy to ensure its students are not only academically trained but also industry-ready. SIST, which has partnered with Cardiff Met for over two decades, continues to play a key role in delivering UK-accredited degrees in Morocco.
The collaboration also gains new significance following Morocco’s recent decision to automatically recognise UK university degrees – a move that opens greater professional mobility for Moroccan graduates and deepens institutional trust between the two countries.
Through partnerships with universities like Cardiff Metropolitan and Coventry University, the British Education Group has built a pipeline linking Moroccan students with British standards and international job markets, a relationship increasingly rooted in shared innovation goals.
“An exciting time to be here”
Beyond policy and institutional ties, there was a strong sense of optimism among participants at the Casablanca event. Cooke described his interaction with Moroccan students as a highlight, calling it “a chance to see the next generation of engineers and innovators up close.”
“It’s the recess, so I’m grateful they came back just to attend the session,” he said with a smile. “Hopefully, some of them will be people we’ll work with in the near future.”
That sentiment reflects the growing bridge between British education and Morocco’s emerging sectors, one where academic partnerships are increasingly intertwined with the country’s green industrial transition and its drive to nurture globally connected talent.
Earlier this year, Cardiff Metropolitan University representatives spent three days touring SIST campuses across Morocco to strengthen institutional collaboration.
The visit featured open discussions with students, organized alongside SIST Student Union members, allowing participants to share candid reflections on their academic and social experiences without faculty present.
Also this year, the British Education Group (BEG) marked 25 years of delivering British higher education in Morocco through Open Day events held across its campuses.
The celebration reaffirmed the enduring partnership between SIST and Cardiff Metropolitan University, a collaboration that began in 2001 and has since shaped the landscape of UK-accredited education in Morocco.
As an associate college of Cardiff Met, SIST pioneered access to British degrees within Morocco, giving students the opportunity to earn globally recognized qualifications without leaving the country, and offering pathways to complete their studies in the UK.
