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Morocco’s UM6P Partners with Israel Technology Institute

April 27, 2022

By Sara Zouiten

President of UM6P Hicham El Habti expressed his delight with the newly established cooperation with the Israel Institute of Technology Technion.

Rabat - The Israel Institute of Technology Technion has signed an agreement with Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) to promote academic cooperation between the two institutions.

On March 31, a Moroccan delegation led by the president of UM6P Hicham El Habti, paid a “historic visit” to the Israeli Institute, said Technion in a press release on Wednesday.

Technion President Uri Sivan, Technion’s Senior Vice President Oded Rabinovitch, and Vice President of Research Koby Rubinstein have signed the agreement, “the first of its kind to be signed between these two institutions”.

UM6P’s visit to the Technion, where the agreement was signed, “reflects a rapid and dramatic historical change in the region” Sivan said, adding that their institute is committed to “building bridges through education and research.” 

According to Sivan, the value of the collaboration between the two institutions goes beyond the academic sphere and is also an attempt to educate and prepare the youth of the region for the future.

Commenting on the signing of the cooperation, El Habti said that “what is more significant is what lies beneath it - the mutual desire for cooperation” that will lead to student exchanges between the two institutions.

El Habti added that he is honored to be a part of the “historic era”, calling for continuous strengthening and deepening of Moroccan-Israeli relations.

After signing the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, Morocco and Israel continue to explore new opportunities for cooperation in various sectors, including education and academic research.

Last month, Morocco’s Euro-Mediterranean University of Fes (UEMF) signed an agreement with Israel’s Sami Shamoon College of Engineering (SCE).

More than 15,000 Israeli tourists visited Morocco to celebrate Passover - a Jewish holiday- this year.

The North African country expects the arrival of 200,000 Israeli tourists this year, according to Morocco’s National Tourism Office (ONNMT).

In addition, since the signing of the Abraham accords, trade between the two countries has almost doubled, going from MAD 699 million ($70 million) in 2020 to MAD 1.2 billion ($130 million) in 2021.

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