1 Beginnings
Unexpected Beginnings
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
19 December 1989. The story of the founding of AUI begins with a catastrophic oil spill off the Atlantic coast of Morocco on 19 December 1989, caused by an explosion aboard the Kharg-5, an Iranian tanker carrying 270,000 tons of crude oil. Over the next two weeks, the tanker would continue to unload its cargo into the ocean, spelling disaster for the marine life and the beautiful beaches of the Kingdom. Help was not far away. Less than a month later, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia (r.1982-2005) offered a sum of $50 million to King Hassan II of Morocco (r.1961-1999) to aid in the cleanup of the waters. But fate had different plans: a series of fortunate events transpired over the next few weeks, including the surprisingly effective treatment of the waters and the successful attempts to tow the tanker to the Portuguese island of Madeira. This meant the $50 million remained largely untouched, and the Kingdom had to decide on how best to use it.
The University of the Two Brothers. King Hassan II had long considered the establishment of an American-style university on the model of those in Egypt and Lebanon, so he decided to use the money to do just that, and the idea of Al Akhawayn University – “The University of the Two Brothers” – in his beloved town of Ifrane was born.
The Creation of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
On 20 September 1993, a Royal Decree (Dahir) came into effect approving the creation of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI). It outlined the missions of the university, its organizational, academic and governance structures, the composition of its Board of Trustees, and the duties and responsibilities of its officials including the President. AUI is the first and only liberal arts institution in Morocco since 1995 it has been dedicated to preparing future citizen-leaders by offering higher education programs covering various fields of knowledge, mastery and utilization of advanced technologies, scientific and technical research, and continuing and executive education.
In his summer resort of Skhirat, on 4 August 1994, King Hassan received and nominated AUI’s inaugural Board and executive team, providing them with his royal instructions for the beginning of operations. In the same place a few weeks later, on 30 August 1994, King Hassan delivered an address where he defined AUI as a world-class institution of higher learning, where acquisition of state-of-the-art science and technology would go hand in hand with an education rooted in Morocco’s Arabic and Muslim traditions. With these instructions, the Board and inaugural executive team got to work to ensure the university was ready to receive its first group of students on the announced date of 16 January 1995.
The Royal Decree. 6 October 1993
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
Article 1. It is hereby established under the honorary presidency of our Majesty a non-profit institution of higher education and scientific research, a legal entity with financial autonomy, named Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.
Michel Pinseau (1924-1999)
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
It came as no surprise when the King selected Michel Pinseau (1924-1999), best known for the design of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, as the chief architect of the project. In his plans for the design of AUI, Pinseau drew on the city’s architectural heritage from the 1930s to the 1950s, envisioning a campus of red tiled roofs and flagstone-colored exteriors complemented with rich, dark wooden beams. It would be built on 50 hectares of oak and cedar woods in the northeast corner of Ifrane on the road to Fes. Its 37 buildings for study and research would preserve the forest environment that surrounded them.
Inauguration
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
On 16 January 1995 King Hassan II cut the ribbon announcing the opening of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. As for major state occasions, the King was accompanied by Crown-Prince Sidi Mohammed and Prince Moulay Rachid, as well as by most members of the Moroccan government. A Saudi delegation, headed by Crown Prince Abdallah Bin Abd al-Aziz representing King Fahd, also came to Ifrane to attend the ceremony.
2 The Liberal Arts Classroom
What are the “Liberal Arts”?
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
Of all the characteristics that distinguish AUI from other public universities in Morocco, the most fundamental is the university’s adoption of a liberal arts system. Most often associated with North America, the model has found success in many parts of the world.
At its heart, the liberal arts model seeks to cultivate well-informed citizens capable of thinking critically and independently, who pursue their chosen paths towards personal and social fulfillment and prosperity. The model is well equipped to prepare students for the complex world of the future where they will find that they need much more than technical expertise in a narrow domain to lead fulfilling, purposeful, and successful lives. Skills like empathy, communication, and negotiation, along with an understanding of society and culture grounded in the humanities, have become as important as technical know-how, and form the ingredients of a holistic liberal arts education.
This is translated into the undergraduate academic requirements for all AUI students, whatever their major, as they are required to take General Education courses in languages, communication, mathematics, sciences, humanities, arts, and social sciences. The liberal arts model thus enables AUI students to approach different fields of study with a multidisciplinary lens. Whether we are dealing with business, environment, or politics, students are challenged to look at different sides of an argument and address basic questions that will help them make decisions as they adapt to a rapidly changing world and become socially mindful and politically conscious citizens of Morocco and the world.
The University Honors Program
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
Honors programs, an American liberal arts tradition since the 1950s, aim to enrich education for high-achieving undergraduates through specially designed academic courses and co-curricular activities.
The Honors Program at AUI is unique in Morocco. It was established as an academic unit under the Academic Affairs Office in 2010 by Prof. Milton Duncan Rinehart in collaboration with senior faculty across the university. Rebranded as the University Honors Program (UHP) in 2013 to reflect its university-wide impact, the program emphasizes interdisciplinary research while being tailored to students’ specific academic purposes. The UHP’s current motto, “Seek Knowledge with Passion, Aim Higher, Lead with Care” mirrors its mission to educate gifted young Moroccans as community leaders.
3 Impact
Local Impact
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
Since its creation in 2002, the Azrou Center for Community Development has been committed to the socio-economic development of the Province of Ifrane and the Middle Atlas in general. The Center works in collaboration with various partners to promote education, technical skills training, vocational training, and to provide medical services.
The Azrou Center’s Technical Skills Training Program is designed for young college graduates seeking employment.The Literacy Program, which aims to help eradicate illiteracy has reached 6,315 women and men from the towns of Azrou, Ifrane, and surrounding rural areas.
The Non-Formal Education Program, which was launched in 2009, encourages primary school age dropouts to reenroll in the school system, vocational training centers, apprenticeships, or into the world of work. As part of another training and social support project for children in difficult circumstances, the Center also implemented a sign language training project.
The Non-Formal Education Program “Second Chance School” was launched in 2018 to offer new learning opportunities to teenage children who drop out at the middle-school level. The Center has taken charge of 374 students who have benefited from both school tutoring and vocational skills training. The Initiation to IT program aims to reduce the digital divide in the region. Since it was launched in 2005, the Unify Digital Program has benefited 10,541 participants, 57,42% of whom are women.
The Entrepreneurial Capacity-Building Program has promoted the economic empowerment of women through vocational training. Through this program, 1,411 women and girls learned about starting their own small businesses. It has resulted in the creation of 33 cooperatives and 28 entrepreneurs. Finally, the Azrou Center is committed to meeting some of the medical needs of the population, notably through medical consultations, multidisciplinary medical campaigns, HIV/AIDS screening and awareness-raising sessions. Since its creation in 2002, the Center has provided medical services to 65,825 people.
Regional Impact: The Executive Education Center
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
The Executive Education Center (EEC) in Casablanca’s Technopark emerged out of a collaboration between AUI and the American Chamber of Commerce in 2001. The initial aim of the center was to facilitate internships for AUI’s undergraduate and graduate students in the School of Business Administration.
As the center has grown, it has taken on a new role in creating full and part-time MBA programs, as well as a Master of Science in International Trade (MSIT) designed for working professionals in Morocco’s industrial and commercial hubs. Alongside formal degree programs, the EEC designs custom workshops and seminars designed to meet the needs of high and mid-level business executives.
Since 2010 the EEC has also operated locally in Ifrane, hosting conferences, seminars, and workshops in the Al Akhawayn Conference Center (ACC). Together, its two locations generate important revenue for the university, which allows the institution the freedom to continue its mission of providing Liberal Arts-style education to its core student body on the AUI campus.
Global Impact
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
The history of internationalization at AUI is rich in terms of partnerships and programs. As an American-oriented institution, many of the first agreements signed through the leadership of AUI’s first two Presidents, Ahmed Kerkour and Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah, were with prominent institutions in the United States such as Boston College or Georgetown University. Many of these early partnerships continue to the present day with institutions such as Mercer University, Haverford College, and George Washington University standing out as notable collaborators.
Outside of the US, AUI maintains close ties with Gaidai University in Japan, Bocconi University in Italy, and Technical University in Munich, Germany, to name a few. The impact of all these engagements is felt in the AUI community in several ways including, but not limited to, mobility programs and internationalization at home. In terms of mobility, AUI has sent abroad over 4600 students and received over 3300 from nearly 600 different institutions in over 40 countries.
This mobility of students contributes greatly to key outcomes desired for students such as an appreciation of diversity, improved autonomy, and leadership. In the job market, these international experiences are often what distinguish AUI graduates from others.
Lasting Impact
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
The Al Akhawayn Alumni Association (AAA) was founded in March 2003 and is a dynamic and active community that brings together AUI graduates from all over Morocco. Established with the goal of fostering lifelong connections and supporting the personal and professional growth of its members, the association plays a crucial role in maintaining strong ties among alumni and the University.
The association also plays an active role in promoting social and community engagement among its members. It organizes regular social events, reunions, and gatherings, providing alumni with opportunities to reconnect, reminisce, and build lasting friendships. Moreover, the association encourages its members to give back to their alma mater and society through volunteer activities, fundraising campaigns, and philanthropic initiatives.
4 The AUI Student Experience
AUI Student Publications
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
In 1995, AUI students took the initiative to create the institution’s first newspaper, “AUI News”. The publication featured content in English and Arabic and continued to be published until 2000, when its name changed to “AUI Bridge”.
In the same year, separate editorial teams began publishing an Arabic-language paper, “al-Hayat al-Jami’iyya”, and a French-language newspaper, “Avant Garde”. Both publications were published for the next decade. In 2013, the “Al Akhawayn Chronicle” replaced AUI Bridge and ran until its final issue appeared in 2016. University news has since shifted to different formats online, but its student publications in print represent an important chapter in the institution’s history.
5 Commencement
AUI Commencement Ceremonies
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
AUI’s commencement ceremony represents the culmination of each AUIer’s journey. Each ceremony is marked by a speech by a distinguished guest, who offers advice and inspiration to the graduating class as they head out into the world. These guests have includeded prominent women and men from both inside and outside Morocco, ranging from Prime Ministers and CEOs to those through their art or professional practice offer examples of passion, excellence, and purpose.
The information for the exhibit was prepared by Mr. Rachid Zegrane, head of the Collection & Access Services Unit at the M6L.
6 Institutional Accreditation
AUI’s Accreditation Journey
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
AUI embarked on its institutional accreditation journey back in 2010 and received its initial accreditation in November 2017 from NECHE (then NEASC.) This accreditation was granted to AUI for a period of 5 years, the maximum accreditation term possible for an initial accreditation. In March 2022, AUI was granted renewal of accreditation for the maximum reaccreditation period allowed of 10 years.
The Language Center (LC) Since 2009, the LC’s English programs have been accredited by the CEA. The latest CEA reaccreditation cycle took place in spring 2024. CEA’s response came in August 2024, and the Language Center has seen its IEP’s reaccreditation renewed for another ten years. It is now accredited through 2034.
The School of Business Administration (SBA). The BBA program has been accredited by EFMD (formerly EPAS) since 2011, with the latest re-accreditation granted in February 2022 for five years.
The School of Science and Engineering (SSE) SSE’s traditional programs have been accredited by ABET since 2010. The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) was the first program to be accredited by ABET, followed by the Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Management Science (BSEMS) and the Bachelor of Science and General Engineering (BSGE).
The School of Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities (SSAH). As there is no accrediting agency or body that reviews humanities and social sciences, SSAH (formerly SHSS) conducts regular program reviews with the help of internationally recognized experts from peer and partner US institutions, including George Washington University, Northern Arizona University, And the International Studies Association
7 institutional growth
Institutional Growth
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
With 273 students in its first semester and 437 the following Fall, AUI reached its first thousand students in 2000. The number doubled in 2013 and currently stands at a little above 4000. For several years, AUI functioned with 37 buildings (21 residential and 16 administrative, academic, or service buildings), but the rapid growth of the university coupled with the increasing demand for on campus housing made the construction of more residential buildings necessary.
One such building was completed in 2006, and in 2013, one more student dorm added another 280 beds to the tally. For a while, the university continued to function with a housing capacity of around 1800, while employing external housing options to cater to students who could not find room on campus. These off-campus apartment had the same services (internet, network, security) and access to the free shuttle service.
The 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, which called for a substantial increase in student population – and hence faculty – called for the construction of further residential buildings and a large new academic building with classrooms, labs and faculty offices. AUI can now host up to 4,330 students on the main campus and 194 in its Downtown Residence.
The infrastructure has also grown significantly with the addition of a large student center to house student life services, a food court, and student club spaces. An additional synthetic soccer field has also been completed by the main gate, providing additional training options for AUI’s soccer players.
8 ifrane & AUI
Ifrane & AUI
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
That AUI is located in the town of Ifrane is essential to its identity and integral to the entire project of creating an American-style liberal arts university in Morocco. The official name of the institution proudly states that it is “in Ifrane,” just as other such universities across the region are “in Beirut,” or “in Cairo.” For the students who come to AUI to pursue studies, living in Ifrane, whether in campus housing or “in town,” is one of the defining experiences of their college lives.
The “Small Town” Model
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
College towns – i.e. small towns which host large universities – are mostly a feature of the Anglo-American educational landscape. Early examples include England’s oldest universities: Oxford and Cambridge, as well as many younger ones (Durham, Lincoln). Most “Ivy League” universities in the US are also located in relatively small towns. These small-town locations contrast with the “continental” tradition, particularly strong in France, where the most important universities are located in the biggest cities, and in the national capital above all else. This is also the case with Morocco.
The College Town: A New Model for Morocco
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
According to the college town model of higher education, small towns, relatively isolated from the hustle and bustle of big important cities, are conducive to a certain quality of learning. Young adults leave the childhood security of the family home in the big cities where they grew up to spend a few years living, learning and socializing in a tranquil environment, developing as individuals. Ifrane is just far enough away from everyone’s hometown to permit this, while also allowing AUI students to return regularly to their family homes and social circles on weekends and holidays.
Ifrane, established 1928.
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
The establishment of AUI began a process of transforming Ifrane from a mountain resort into a college town. A colonial creation, the Protectorate administration established Ifrane to serve as a “hill station” in 1929, offering a place where colonial families could find respite from the heat of lower altitudes in the summer, or enjoy the snow in the winter. Ifrane was designed to remind its French residents of life in their homeland, with public buildings and chalet homes constructed in various “alpine” styles of architecture found in France. Trees and flowering plants from temperate France were even imported to perfect the illusion of being “back home.” This esthetic has been a hallmark of Ifrane ever since.
Ifrane after Independence (1956-1995)
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
Morocco’s independence brought major changes to Ifrane. French tourists were replaced by well-to-do Moroccan families, and infrastructure and housing were finally built for Ifrane’s Moroccan population which had been marginalized during the Protectorate. The town was endowed with its first mosque, Mosquée Niger, as well as a municipal market. A new working-class neighborhood, known officially as Hay al-Salam and colloquially as PAM, was erected nearby.
These developments culminated in 1979, with the creation of the Province of Ifrane with the town of Ifrane as the administrative seat. With the arrival of new government services and jobs, Ifrane ceased being merely a vacation resort, but because it could not accommodate all the new administrative activities owing to its configuration as a resort town, many provincial services, including the hospital, ended up being built in the nearby town of Azrou. Ifrane and Azrou have since been a little urban conurbation, neither entirely complete without the other.
Ifrane since AUI (1995-2025)
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
This was the state of Ifrane when the decision was taken to locate AUI here. This marked the beginning of a process of transforming Ifrane into a college town. AUI’s imprint on Ifrane is complex. First, there are two campuses: the main academic campus which shares a hill north of town with the Michlifen Hotel, and a mostly residential campus at the foot of the Koudiyat Volcano on the town’s western outskirts. This configuration contrasts with that of most college towns, where university buildings are seamlessly mixed into the town’s urban fabric. AUI has matured since its establishment and has worked to ease this initial separation, including collaborating with local authorities on projects for Ifrane’s residents and visitors.
9 Mohammed VI Library
Al-Quds Committee & AUI’s Inauguration (January 1995)
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
Following a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Casablanca in December 1994, King Hassan II of Morocco (r.1961-1999) invited the members to reconvene at the start of the year in the university on the campus of the newly finished Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. This would mark the 15th gathering the OIC’s “al-Quds Committee”, founded in 1975 as a group of representatives from different countries whose attention has focused on the city of Jerusalem (ar. al-Quds).
The Al-Quds Committee met on 16-17 January 1995, during the same week that marked the inauguration of AUI. The group met in the main reading room of the university’s library. The meeting was opened with introductory remarks by His Majesty King Hassan II (d.1999), who chaired the committee, and Yasser Arafat (d.2004), leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and President of the newly-created Palestinian Authority.
Royal Visit & Naming Ceremony of the Mohammed VI Library (30 August 2004)
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
Following a visit to AUI in 2004 by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the AUI Library unveiled its new name as the “Mohammed VI Library”. The photo above is from the naming ceremony, in which the king appears alongside then-AUI President Rachid Benmokhtar.
The library continues to enjoy the honor of being the only named building on campus and it is a testament to its leadership among academic libraries in Morocco that His Majesty gave his name to it. The library is today well-known throughout Morocco through its formal Arabic title, “Khizanat Muhammad al-sadis”.
The naming of the library was followed by a new logo which would remain in use by the library on and off until 2021. The same logo remains above the exterior of the library’s front door.
AUI’s Library
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
When AUI welcomed its first cohort in 1995, the campus was already equipped with its three-story library. Developments at the library reflect the technological and pedagogical changes that have shaped the university in its first thirty years.
The Archives & Special Collections
Click below to listen to the full text or scroll down to read.
In 2021, the Mohammed VI Library launched a project to establish the M6L Archives and Special Collections. This new part of the M6L collects books, documents, photographs, ephemera, and other objects of enduring historical value to Al Akhawayn University, the city of Ifrane, and the Middle Atlas region.
The collections have quickly grown to include thousands of audio-visual materials, documents, and artifacts from AUI’s early history. In addition, the “Ifrane and Middle Atlas” collections have expanded to hundreds of historic photographs, postcards, paper ephemera and artifacts relating to the history of Ifrane.
Beginning in 2025, the AUI community will have access to many of the digital items from the Archives & Special Collections through ADRAR (Al Akhawayn Digital Repository & Archives). The repository takes its name from the Tamazight word for mountain. ADRAR aims to become the AUI online institutional repository for digital-born and digitized documents, photos, and audio-visual materials of enduring historical value to the university and Ifrane.