One of Morocco’s best-known private business schools is preparing for its biggest change in nearly 40 years. HEM plans to become HEM International University through a merger involving Université Internationale Privée Averroès and LCI Africa Holding, the company that owns HEM. The move would turn the school into a multidisciplinary university with a wider range of programmes and a stronger international focus.
The merger comes as Morocco’s economy creates demand for more skilled workers in sectors such as industry, infrastructure, digital technology, artificial intelligence, healthcare, creative industries, and renewable energy.
LCI Africa Holding, based in Casablanca, owns 95% of HEM and all of Collège LaSalle International Maroc. It is fully owned by Luxembourg-based LCI Education SA, which belongs to the Canadian education group Collège LaSalle International Inc.
As part of the deal, Université Internationale Privée Averroès, a private university in Casablanca’s Sidi Maarouf district, will be absorbed into LCI Africa Holding.
The new university plans to offer programmes that are more closely linked to the job market. Students are expected to benefit from internships, work placements, real business projects, applied research, and hands-on learning.
The university also aims to prepare graduates for careers in management, engineering, entrepreneurship, law, and creative fields, expanding beyond HEM’s traditional focus.
The project builds on HEM’s long-standing reputation in Morocco and its network of graduates working across the country’s business sector. It will also draw on LCI Education’s international network, support from CDG Invest as an institutional shareholder, and existing partnerships with Paris Dauphine PSL and IAE Paris Sorbonne Business School.
HEM International University plans to operate in Casablanca and Rabat. The project also includes investment in a new campus designed to meet international standards.
