University opens second branch campus – this time, in Canada

The seven-year-old Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco has opened its second international branch campus – this time, in Canada (UM6P Canada) – as part of efforts to foster cross-continental collaboration by promoting knowledge exchange, technology transfer and capacity-building.

The launch of the Canadian campus on 13 September follows the opening of Morocco’s first international branch campus in France, at the start of the 2024 year.

UM6P prioritises research and innovation relevant to Morocco and Africa and has 5,684 students of more than 20 nationalities, mainly from Sub-Saharan Africa, at its three local campuses in Benguerir, near Marrakech, Rabat and Laayoune in Morocco.

Its two international branches, UM6P France and UM6P Canada, act as a bridge to link Africa and Morocco with Europe and North America respectively.

Technological agendas

Fatiha Charradi, general director of UM6P Canada, told University World News the new campus is “strongly committed to several substantial technological agendas linked to several of the African continent’s vital sectors, including energy, water, climate change, AI and sustainable development”.

Charradi added that UM6P launched the Canada campus because “Africa is determined to emerge, particularly in terms of technological sovereignty, and research and innovation are key drivers in achieving this goal.

“To accelerate this technological agenda, we have chosen to work with the best in their fields around the world, and Canada is naturally a destination of choice for us.

“Canada also boasts a very high concentration of Moroccan and African diaspora strongly involved in Canada’s research and technology sectors,” she said.

A bridge between Canada and Africa

“This constitutes an invaluable breeding ground to create a bridge between Africa and Canada, for scientific collaboration and technological partnerships of mutual interest.

“Besides serving as a bridge between Canada and Africa, as well as facilitating collaborations that connect the Global North and South, UM6P Canada provides a platform for entities seeking to engage with Africa, leveraging UM6P’s extensive network and expertise across the continent to support meaningful partnerships.”

She said UM6P Canada will encourage collaborative research initiatives between Canadian and African universities, enhance access to technological expertise and help to make connections between academia and industry stakeholders.

“UM6P Canada aims to play a significant role within Canada’s innovation ecosystem by supporting scientific advancements in developmental sectors as well as promoting solutions that address global challenges with real-world impacts,” Charradi said.

She added that collaboration opportunities may vary according to each province.

“We are interested in various technological topics related to energy, agriculture, sustainable development and artificial intelligence, which are of interest for several provinces as part of their strategic priorities with different forms or formulas.

“In this regard, we are highly engaged in working with the different provinces based on their priorities.

“In anticipation of the challenges we might face, we took time to comprehend in a nuanced way the priorities of each province, as well as how they align with our expectations in terms of technological development, technological collaboration, and research collaboration.”

Academic diplomacy

Dr Abdennasser Naji, president of the Amaquen Institute, an education think tank in Morocco, told University World News that Morocco’s vision to be an important player in Africa at the economic and political levels is linked to its “capacity to lead at the knowledge level”.

“The university is the best way to do it, despite the fact that Morocco hasn’t many successful universities,” Naji said.

Moroccan universities do not rank highly in global rankings, despite having one of the world’s oldest universities – the University of Al-Karaouine. Currently, the country ranks 114th out of 133 countries in the higher education sector, according to the Global Knowledge Index 2023, which measures knowledge performance worldwide.

However, Naji said the National Plan to Accelerate the Transformation of the Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation Ecosystem (ESRI 2030 PACT) aims to build universities aligned with international standards and allow them the necessary resources to perform.

“One of the levers to the success of this plan is establishing international branches which can help to transfer competencies and knowledge, and also reinforce academic diplomacy,” he said.