Al Akhawayn University
Encyclopedia
Al Akhawayn University is a university located in Ifrane
, Morocco
, just 60 kilometers away from the imperial city of Fez, in the midst of the Middle Atlas Mountains. The creation of Al Akhawayn University was largely funded by the King of Saudi Arabia from a large endowment intended for the cleanup of an oil spill off the coast of Morocco. However, the cleanup was never realized as the wind blew the oil spill away and the endowment was used to create the university. Al Akhawayn University was founded by Royal Decree (Dahir) in 1993 and officially inaugurated by the former King of Morocco, Hassan II, on January 16, 1995.
School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS):
Bachelor degree programs:
Master's degree programs:
The School of Science and Engineering (SSE):
Bachelor's degree programs:
Master's degree programs:
School of Business Administration (SBA):
Bachelor degree programs:
Master's degree programs:
All courses are taught in English
. The University also gives special attention to the teaching of Arabic
and French
at all levels and in all branches of education.
Approximately 10% of the students body is international with a goal to reach 25% over the next 5 years. Each semester there are 60-70 exchange and study abroad students. The Summer Arabic and North African Studies program attracts about 100 undergraduate and graduate level students largely from the USA although there is an increasing number of students from Europe.
complements the distinctive building style of Ifrane, characteristic of mountain chalets with their high-pitched tile roofs and wooden beams. The steep roofs are designed to move the large quantities of wet heavy snow each winter. The fully networked and residential campus, of approximately 80 hectares of rolling wooded terrain, consists of large chalets grouped around pleasant squares. The campus contains a total of 38 buildings, which include dorms, academic buildings, sports center, facilities, etc. The University has four restaurants and a cafeteria operated by international catering companies.
, ESSEC
, Bentley College
, Beloit College
, Binghamton University
, Boston College
, European Foundation for Management Development
, Georgetown University
, University of Washington
, George Washington University
, Idaho State University
, Indiana State University
, University of Joensuu, Osaka University
, Kansai Gaidai University
, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), Shawnee State University
, University of Arizona
, University of Arkansas
, University of Montana, United Nations Development Programme
, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, University of North Florida
, University of Texas at Austin
, Virginia Military Institute
, West Virginia University
, University of Kansas
, World Bank
, among others.
Al Akhawayn University is also a founding member of the Consortium of Academic Stewards for The Scholar Ship
.
Ifrane
Ifrane [p] is a town and ski resort in the Middle Atlas region of Morocco .Ifrane is 1665 metres in altitude and is part of the Meknès-Tafilalet region...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, just 60 kilometers away from the imperial city of Fez, in the midst of the Middle Atlas Mountains. The creation of Al Akhawayn University was largely funded by the King of Saudi Arabia from a large endowment intended for the cleanup of an oil spill off the coast of Morocco. However, the cleanup was never realized as the wind blew the oil spill away and the endowment was used to create the university. Al Akhawayn University was founded by Royal Decree (Dahir) in 1993 and officially inaugurated by the former King of Morocco, Hassan II, on January 16, 1995.
Mission
Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane is a Moroccan independent, private, not-for-profit, coeducational university committed to educating future citizen-leaders of Morocco and the world through a globally oriented, English-language, liberal-arts curriculum based on the American system. The University enhances Morocco and engages the world through leading-edge educational and research programs, including continuing and executive education, upholds the highest academic and ethical standards, and promotes equity and social responsibility.Academics
With approximately 1,700 fulltime students living and studying together on a beautiful, comfortable, and modern campus in the Middle Atlas town of Ifrane, Al Akhawayn offers a number of undergraduate program options in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Engineering, and Business Administration – all connected by a University Common Core of courses based on the American liberal arts model.School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS):
Bachelor degree programs:
- Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development (BSHRD)
- Bachelor of Arts in International StudiesInternational studiesInternational Studies generally refers to the specific University Degrees and courses which are concerned with the study of ‘the major political, economic, social, cultural and sacral issues that dominate the international agenda’...
(BAIS) - Bachelor of Arts in Communication StudiesCommunication studiesCommunication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
(BACS) - Intensive Summer Arabic and North African Studies program (Arabic and North African Studies Program Website)
Master's degree programs:
- Master of Arts in International StudiesInternational studiesInternational Studies generally refers to the specific University Degrees and courses which are concerned with the study of ‘the major political, economic, social, cultural and sacral issues that dominate the international agenda’...
and DiplomacyDiplomacyDiplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
(MAISD) - Master of Arts in North African and Middle Eastern Studies (NAMES)
The School of Science and Engineering (SSE):
Bachelor's degree programs:
- Bachelor of science in Computer ScienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
(BSCS) - Bachelor of science in General Engineering and Management Science (BSEMS)
- Bachelor of science in General Engineering (BSGE)
Master's degree programs:
- Master of Science in Computer ScienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
(MSCS) - Master of Science in Software EngineeringSoftware engineeringSoftware Engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these approaches; that is, the application of engineering to software...
(MSSE) - Master of Science in Computer Networks (MSCN)
- Master of Science in BiotechnologyBiotechnologyBiotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
- Master of Science in Software Engineering and Management Science (MSSEMS) (in combined BS/MS formula only)
- Master of Science in Information Systems Security (MSISS)
- Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Management (MSSEM)
School of Business Administration (SBA):
Bachelor degree programs:
- Bachelor of Business AdministrationBachelor of Business AdministrationThe Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
(BBA) in FinanceFinance"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
, ManagementManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, MarketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, and International BusinessInternational BusinessInternational business is a term used to collectively describe all commercial transactions that take place between two or more regions, countries and nations beyond their political boundary...
.
Master's degree programs:
- Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business AdministrationThe Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
(MBA) - Executive MBA (EX-MBA)
- Master of Science in LogisticsLogisticsLogistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
& Supply Chain ManagementSupply chain managementSupply chain management is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers... - Master of Science in Corporate FinanceCorporate financeCorporate finance is the area of finance dealing with monetary decisions that business enterprises make and the tools and analysis used to make these decisions. The primary goal of corporate finance is to maximize shareholder value while managing the firm's financial risks...
(MsCF)
All courses are taught in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The University also gives special attention to the teaching of Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
at all levels and in all branches of education.
Approximately 10% of the students body is international with a goal to reach 25% over the next 5 years. Each semester there are 60-70 exchange and study abroad students. The Summer Arabic and North African Studies program attracts about 100 undergraduate and graduate level students largely from the USA although there is an increasing number of students from Europe.
Campus
The architecture of the campusCampus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
complements the distinctive building style of Ifrane, characteristic of mountain chalets with their high-pitched tile roofs and wooden beams. The steep roofs are designed to move the large quantities of wet heavy snow each winter. The fully networked and residential campus, of approximately 80 hectares of rolling wooded terrain, consists of large chalets grouped around pleasant squares. The campus contains a total of 38 buildings, which include dorms, academic buildings, sports center, facilities, etc. The University has four restaurants and a cafeteria operated by international catering companies.
Partnerships
Al Akhawayn University has over 80 academic and institutional partnerships around the world. Among the partners are: University of DaytonUniversity of Dayton
The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...
, ESSEC
ESSEC
ESSEC is one of the foremost business schools and Grandes Écoles in France and one of Europe’s top business schools. It was created by Jesuits in 1907 and was originally located in the heart of Paris, next to the University of Paris II: Panthéon-Assas, rue d'Assas...
, Bentley College
Bentley College
Bentley University is a private co-educational university in Waltham, Massachusetts, west of Boston. Founded in 1917 as a school of accounting and finance in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, Bentley moved to Waltham in 1968...
, Beloit College
Beloit College
Beloit College is a liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin, USA. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and has an enrollment of roughly 1,300 undergraduate students. Beloit is the oldest continuously operated college in Wisconsin, and has the oldest building of any college...
, Binghamton University
Binghamton University
Binghamton University, also formally called State University of New York at Binghamton, , is a public research university in the State of New York. The University is one of the four university centers in the State University of New York system...
, Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, European Foundation for Management Development
European Foundation for Management Development
The European Foundation for Management Development is an international membership organization, based in Brussels, Belgium. Europe's largest network association in the field of management development, it has over 700 member organizations from academia, business, public service and consultancy in...
, Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, Idaho State University
Idaho State University
Idaho State University is a public university located in Pocatello, Idaho. It has outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls....
, Indiana State University
Indiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
, University of Joensuu, Osaka University
Osaka University
, or , is a major national university located in Osaka, Japan. It is the sixth oldest university in Japan as the Osaka Prefectural Medical College, and formerly one of the Imperial Universities of Japan...
, Kansai Gaidai University
Kansai Gaidai University
, almost always abbreviated Kansai Gaidai , is located in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. It is a private university focusing on foreign language studies. Kansai is the proper name of the large region where it is located, which includes the cities of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. Gaidai is a contraction of...
, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), Shawnee State University
Shawnee State University
Shawnee State University is a public university in southern Ohio. It is Ohio's newest state-supported university and lies on the north bank of the Ohio River in the city of Portsmouth in Scioto County.Shawnee State University was established in 1986...
, University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
, University of Montana, United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, University of North Florida
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
, University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
, West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
, University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, among others.
Al Akhawayn University is also a founding member of the Consortium of Academic Stewards for The Scholar Ship
The Scholar Ship
The Scholar Ship was a recognized academic program aboard a modified passenger ship hosting both undergraduate and postgraduate students on semester-long voyages around the world. Participants from diverse cultural backgrounds came together to create a transnational learning community designed to...
.