The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) have recently signed a memorandum of understanding to promote academic collaborations between the two universities. Both universities committed themselves to promote “innovation on a global scale” and collaborate on areas of mutual interest, namely agriculture, business, pharmacology, natural sciences, mathematics and computer engineering, UM6P underlines in a release.

HU President Professor Asher Cohen welcomed the agreement, saying that “Hebrew University has long promoted a vision of tapping our academic prominence to forge bonds with the international community. We take pride in being one of the first Israeli universities to formalize a relationship with our esteemed Moroccan counterpart. We look forward to the many ways this collaboration will benefit our two countries and the region, at large.” “We are pleased to concretize this collaboration between UM6P and Hebrew University as one of the first formal partnerships between Universities from Morocco and Israel. I am looking forward to see UM6P and HU working closely together on joint high level research activities, in addition to academic exchanges where faculty and students will benefit from the expertise of both institutions in sciences and technology”, said Hicham El Habti, President of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, as quoted in the release.

Inaugurated by HM King Mohammed VI in 2017, UM6P is a research university located near Marrakech in Ben Guerir, with additional campuses in Rabat and Laayoune. UM6P numbers 2,180 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Its goal is to train the pioneers who will lead the field of applied research and innovation in Africa.

The agreement further sets in place a framework for the exchange of publications and academic materials, mutual access for PhD and master’s students and the development of formats for online education and information sharing. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) is Israel’s leading academic and research institution, serving 24,000 students from 80 countries. Founded in 1918 by visionaries including Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, HU is ranked among the world’s 100 leading universities. To date, HU faculty and alumni have won 8 Nobel Prizes, 1 Fields Medal and 1 Abel Prize.