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Fez — Al Akhawayn University (AUI) celebrated its 29th graduating cohort in Ifrane on Saturday, bringing together students, families, faculty, trustees, alumni, and institutional leaders for a ceremony centered on achievement, transition, family values, and the future of work.
The event opened in a formal atmosphere before turning to messages of ambition, responsibility, and readiness.
Speakers repeatedly linked the graduates’ success to the university’s long-term mission to prepare young people to think critically, adapt quickly, and contribute meaningfully in Morocco and beyond.
A record graduating class
Abdellatif Jouahri, Governor of Bank Al-Maghrib and Chancellor of Al Akhawayn University, described this year’s ceremony as historic for the institution.
“This is the largest cohort Al Akhawayn has seen since its creation, with more than 800 male and female students,” Jouahri told Morocco World News (MWN). “This year, women represent 59% of the graduating class, compared to 55% last year.”
Jouahri said the university’s current strategy is shaped by digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and changing labor-market demands. He added that around 75% of AUI students receive job offers before completing their studies, presenting employability as a key measure of the university’s direction.
AUI has held accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) since 2017, while NECHE says the university was continued in accreditation in September 2022, with its next comprehensive evaluation scheduled for spring 2032.
Preparing graduates for AI
AUI President Amine Bensaid said the graduation comes at a defining moment, as the university surpasses 9,000 graduates while students enter a world increasingly shaped by AI.
“This graduation is special for Al Akhawayn because we are going over 9,000 graduates, but it is also special because the world is changing with AI,” Bensaid told MWN. “Our expectation is to make sure students are equipped to add value in this era.”
Bensaid said employers continue to value AUI graduates for their AI readiness, critical thinking, teamwork, and ability to stay grounded during fast change. He compared the moment to watching one’s children become ready to “fly on their own.”
The ceremony’s keynote speaker, Samir Lebbar, brought that message into focus through his own career. A 1999 AUI graduate, Lebbar is a senior executive at Procter & Gamble, serving as CEO for Saudi Arabia and Levant and Chief Sales Officer for Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, overseeing a portfolio generating more than $800 million in revenue and serving more than 100 million consumers.
Bensaid emphasized Lebbar’s professional trajectory, noting that the alumnus now oversees operations across dozens of countries, thousands of employees, and major revenue streams.
His address positioned AUI’s alumni network as proof that graduates can move from Ifrane into very important global leadership roles.
Bensaid also added a warmer, more personal note to the ceremony, encouraging graduates not to measure success only through careers. He urged them to seek prosperity, build stable lives, start families, and enjoy the journey ahead, giving his remarks a fatherly tone that balanced the day’s focus on AI, employability, and professional achievement.
Alumni and student voices
Hamza El Meray, President of the Al Akhawayn Alumni Association, welcomed graduates into the university’s global alumni community.
“Al Akhawayn Alumni is about gathering the alumni community from across the globe to connect, help each other, and have an impact by giving back to our country and our university,” El Meray told MWN.
He said the association supports full scholarships based on academic excellence and maintains connections through events, clubs, geographic chapters, conferences, magazines, and thought-leadership initiatives.
For graduates, the ceremony carried a deeply personal meaning. Aya Erradi, an undergraduate student at the School of Business Administration, described the day as a moment of pride for the full cohort, thanking AUI for its opportunities and her parents for their sacrifices.
Douaa El Ghafal, who graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a double concentration in Finance and Marketing, said her four years in Ifrane gave her knowledge, friendships, and a second home. She also pointed to her study-abroad experience in the US as one of the opportunities that shaped her path, thanks to AUI.
As the 29th cohort leaves Ifrane, AUI’s message was about graduation being a test of how well Moroccan higher education can prepare 29th Cohort as Graduates Enter AI Erayoung people for a changing global economy.
