Ben-Gurion University to Team With Second Academic Institution in Morocco

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel and Université Internationale de Rabat (UIR) in Morocco signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the study of Moroccan Jewry, in addition to research and education.

A focus will be on the cultural heritage of Moroccan Jews, as well as the intertwined destiny of Jews and Muslims in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Joint activities will also relate to “people of the MENA region,” encompassing humanities, social sciences, and natural and health sciences.

“It is especially noteworthy that this historic collaboration between BGU and UIR will delve into the long history of the Jewish people in Morocco, which dates back more than two millennia,” said Doug Seserman, chief executive officer of Americans for Ben-Gurion University. “This remarkable partnership will undoubtedly lead to great strides within Middle East Studies and beyond.”

Americans for Ben-Gurion University is partnering with the university through a variety of community outreach and fundraising programs nationwide. The organization is dedicated to developing the Negev Desert region and ensuring Israel’s future by supporting BGU’s innovation, research, education and significant collaborations such as this one.

 “We can’t wait for COVID-19 to subside so we can meet in person, both in Rabat and in Beersheva,” said representatives from BGU and UIR. “In the meantime, we are excited that the academic collaboration has begun.”

This represents the second joint agreement between BGU and a Moroccan academic institution after a signing with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University just a year after the Abraham Accords were signed on Sept. 15, 2020.

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