During her visit at VUB Mrs Hakima Fassi Fihri met some of UIR’s students who spent their Autumn semester as exchange students at VUB studying Aerospace Engineering.
The cooperation between UIR and VUB has been in place for a number of years now. With the Erasmus+ KA107 projects (international credit mobility) in 2015-2017 and 2017-2019, we’ve seen 3 staff from UIR come over to VUB, 6 incoming students from UIR at VUB (studying social sciences, political sciences and aeronautics) with a grant, and three VUB students have gone to Morocco in the framework of their studies in Social and Political Sciences. There are several more interested VUB students on the list to go to UIR in 2019-2020. It has created a momentum for both universities to work more towards a mobility critical-mass.
During Mrs Fassi Fihri’s visit more links were set up with the VUB’s Computer Sciences department, Faculty of Arts & Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering (aeronautics) and with the Faculty of Social Sciences & Solvay Business School. [continue reading below the pictures]
Laura Gruyaert and Emilie Flambeaux, programme coordinators for Erasmus+ at the VUB International Relations office, will be spending a week in Rabat learning more about UIR’s strategic partnerships across the Euromed region, and find out how Morocco has benefited from the Erasmus+ projects as one of the partner countries. In addition to this, UIR’s Study Abroad Fair will take place on Tuesday 12 February, with VUB representation. It’s a great opportunity for the VUB colleagues to meet with colleagues from UIR and forge new alliances during the rest of the week when there will be presentations and networking moments with UIR’s expansive group of partners.
Morocco is a priority country both from an EU and a Belgian Development Cooperation perspective. It takes years to build up a trustworthy relationship and these initiatives since 2015 all help towards this deepening of collaboration.
The Université Internationale de Rabat is a young university (founded in 2010) but one that is making a name for itself very quickly. Its partner network is growing at a rapid pace. The university currently welcomes 5,000 students on its 27-hectare campus, and with a 50-strong academic staff. Internationalisation is key to its strategic vision in terms of its teaching and research, with up to 50% of courses offered being taught in English. The university is very clear in its internationalisation goals for education: offering its students international academic openness, giving its students equal opportunities irrespective of social background, presenting international curricula by inviting professors from partner universities, and making its campus international by hosting students for a semester or a year.
If you want more information, feel free to contact Laura or Emilie on erasmusprojects@vub.be
VUB International Relations: www.vub.ac.be/en/international
VUB International Relations Facebook page: www.facebook.com/VUBInternationalRelations
UIR website : http://www.uir.ac.ma/
UIR Facebook page : www.facebook.com/UIR.DRI/