Rabat Regional Seminar

Education Abroad As a Bridge to the Future: Innovations in Partnership and Pedagogy

Morocco stands as a beacon for broadening international education in Global South destinations, ranking as the third most popular destination for U.S. students studying abroad in Africa and the second most popular MENA destination, after Israel (OpenDoors Report, 2024). Historically, study abroad opportunities have focused language, culture, and heritage programs. With this strong foundation to build on, Morocco's emergence as a regional leader in sustainability and innovation means there are exciting opportunities on the horizon to establish and strengthen educational exchanges and international partnerships.

Co-hosted by Mohammed V University and The Forum on Education Abroad, this one-day regional seminar brings together education abroad practitioners, university faculty, program providers, and government representatives. Together, we will explore what it would look like to imagine the future of education abroad in Morocco grounded in immersive programs that consider shared global challenges faced by Moroccan, U.S. and other communities. Through collaborative discussions and presentations, participants will work toward creating more accessible and enriching education abroad experiences for both incoming and outgoing students focused on expanded use of applied, experiential pedagogies and inclusive program designs.

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Speakers

Oussama El Addouli, Ph.D.
Center Director, IES Abroad Morocco

Oussama's Bio

Dr. Oussama El Addouli is the Director of the IES Abroad Morocco, a branch of the Institute for the International Education of Students in Chicago. IES Abroad and Since 1950, has been offering study abroad programs that redefine how students view the world. It is a global not-for-profit educational organization present in 21 countries with more than 100.000 American alumni. It offers programs in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and South America. Dr. El Addouli is the responsible head of the program, and is the main point of contact with colleges and universities in Morocco, Thew Middle East and the U.S.

Dr. El Addouli is also a former outreach director at the Fulbright Moroccan American Commission in Morocco. He has been working as outreach director, providing academic advice for both Moroccan and American students, scholars and specialists on the higher education system and market in Morocco and the USA.

Dr. El Addouli received his PhD in The Internationalization of Higher Education and Study Abroad in Morocco. He also earned hi Master Degrees in international Relations and development, Global Studies and Social Entrepreneurship from leadings universities in the USA, England, Germany, Austria, Poland and Italy.

Dr. El Addouli interests and expertise span the fields of Internationalization of Higher Education, Leadership, Management of Higher Education, Educational Curriculum Development and Design, Global Studies, Educational Governance, Higher Education Governance, Multi-Cultural Education, Career and Technical Education, Accreditation, Leadership and Management of Higher Education Institutions and Special Education.

Dr. El Addouli is very well traveled and has been trained and certified by many prestigious universities such as Harvard in Strategic Management and Leadership, Academic Diplomacy, Social Work, study Abroad and International Education.

Amelia Dietrich, Ph.D.
Senior Director for Research & Publications, The Forum on Education Abroad

Amelia's Bio

Dr. Amelia Dietrich is the Senior Director for Research and Publications at The Forum on Education Abroad and Managing Editor of Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad. She joined The Forum in 2015 as a Mellon/ACLS Public Fellow. Amelia’s work focuses on leading original research initiatives and supporting the publication of others’ scholarship on best practices in education abroad, maximizing the impact of education abroad for students, institutions and communities, and identifying promising practices on the leading edge. Amelia also facilitates professional development workshops on the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad in a variety of venues and lends her expertise to project-based consultancies and comprehensive reviews. She serves on the IIE Open Doors Study Abroad Working Group and the Advisory Board for the Center for Research on Abroad
and International Student Engagement.

Previously, Amelia taught Spanish and linguistics at Penn State University, and led students on a research fellowship to Spain. Amelia holds a B.A. from Moravian University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish and Language Science from The Pennsylvania State University. She is a Certified Professional in Education Abroad.

Brian Seilstad, Ph.D.
Director of Internationalization and Partnerships, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane

Brian's Bio

Dr. Seilstad currently serves as the Director of Internationalization and Partnerships at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. Prior to this position, he taught high school Greek and Latin, served in the Peace Corps in Morocco, was the Deputy Director of Youth Service California, and held teaching and leadership positions at Al Akhawayn University and American Academy/College Casablanca. His academic work focuses on linguistic diversity and equity and internationalization of higher education.

Mariam Bakkali, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Faculty of Juridical, Economic and Social Sciences, Mohammed V University

Mariam's Bio

Dr. Mariam Bakkali is a senior academic with extensive expertise in language instruction, media studies, and cultural analysis. She earned her Ph.D. in 2017 from Faculty of Letter and Human Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, focusing on the representation of female politicians in Moroccan print media. Her research interests include gender studies, media discourse, language teaching methodologies, and curriculum development.

Mariam has held academic positions across multiple institutions, including the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences in Rabat, Abulcasis University of Health Sciences, and Rabat School of Mines, Known in French as Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Rabat, where she has taught general English, ESP, and communication techniques.
Beyond academia, Mariam has contributed to international education programs as a languages department manager and program director for study abroad initiatives. Her scholarly contributions encompass a diverse range of topics such as semiotic analysis of video ads, Arab immigrant literature, and video game-based learning in EFL/ESL contexts. She has presented at international conferences, including the International Conference on Education and Social Sciences in Dubai. She has also played an active role in organizing academic events, such as study days on Salafism, Modern versus Classical Interpretations of Art, and Globalization’s Impact on Mother Tongues in Africa.
Currently, Dr. Mariam Bakkali occupies the position of an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Juridical, Economic and Social Sciences, Mohamed V University, Souissi, Rabat, Morocco, where she continues to contribute to research, curriculum development, and international academic collaborations.

Boubker Mazoz
Founder & President, IDMAJ Foundation for Development

Boubker's Bio

Boubker Mazoz is the President and Founder of the IDMAJ Foundation for Development, Sister Cities Africa, and the Casablanca–Chicago Sister Cities Association, and serves as the Country Representative of Sister Cities International (SCI) in Morocco. He is also the Founder and CEO of multiple Cultural and CommunityCenters in Casablanca and Salé.

With over 50 years of experience in promoting international exchanges, Mazoz has been a leading figure in fostering partnerships across
education, culture and intercultural learning between Morocco and the rest of the world.

From 1979 to 2010, he served the U.S. Department of State in Morocco, holding various positions including Resource Manager, Library Director, and Public Affairs Specialist within the Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy.

Following his retirement from the State Department, he was appointed Chief of Staff to the Moroccan Minister of Handicrafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy from 2013 to 2015.

Throughout his career, Mazoz has initiated and led numerous exchange programs for individuals, institutions, and communities. He has played a vital role in creating and guiding NGOs, including:

Neighborhoods Association IDMAJ (2006), which evolved into the IDMAJ
Foundation for Development
Sister Cities Africa (2011)
Casablanca–Chicago Sister Cities Association (2002)
Moroccan American Circle (MAC) for U.S. graduates and Americans living in Morocco (1982)
Association Interculturelle Marocaine (AIM) for former AFS exchange students (1986)
Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired (2008)
U.S. Former Foreign Service National Employees Association (2022)
He has also directed and contributed to several projects:
STEAMuseum – a virtual exchange between high school students in Casablanca and Chicago
Education & Awareness Through Sports – in partnership with the Jr. NBA and the Agence (AFD)
Social Mediation & Conflict Resolution Project – in partnership with MEPI
Workshops on Counterterrorism and the Prevention of Violent Extremism

Mazoz is the Secretary General of Corps Africa Maroc, Vice President of Salmia Center for the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped.

In 2024, he launched a new Center for the Socioeconomic Integration of Women in Precarious Conditions, continuing his mission to empower
vulnerable communities through education, vocational training, and social inclusion.

Mazoz’s work has been widely recognized by national governments and international organizations and has been featured in global and national media outlets, including Time Magazine, MSNBC, ABC, The New York Times, The National, Vogue, Jeune Afrique, Marianne, AFP, and several leading Moroccan news platforms.

Rachid Touhtou, Ph.D.
Professor and Doctoral School Director, INSEA

Rachid's Bio

Dr. Rachid Touhtou earned his first Master’s degree in 1999 in Teaching Pedagogies, Applied Linguistics, and English as a Foreign Language Teaching from the École Normale Supérieure in Rabat. His second master’s degree was earned in 2003 in Gender Studies, Linguistics, and Development Studies from the Sidi Mohamed Ibn Abdellah University (Fez) and the Free University of Amsterdam’s Cultural Studies Department. From the same university, he attained a PhD in Gender and Development Studies. Dr. Touhtou began his professional career as an Assistant Professor at the National School of Statistics and Applied Economics in Rabat in 2008, which he continues to teach. From 2010-2012, he was the Department Head of the Social Sciences, Communication, and Languages department. In 2009, he started lecturing on Civil Society, Gender, and Migration at various institutions including the Dutch Institute in Morocco, the Moroccan American Commission for Education and Cultural Exchange, and the Center for Cross Cultural Learning. Dr. Touhtou has published several publications and a book about civil society and gender dynamics in Morocco. In 2014, he was a research fellow with Arab Reform Initiative Think Tank in Paris working on research linked to volunteering and public policy in Morocco. In 2015, He was a fellow researcher in Humphrey School of Public affairs in Minnesota University in USA and in Cambridge University in the UK working on a research project related to human rights and civil society.

Yamina El Kirat El Allame, Ph.D.
Director, Moroccan Institute for Advanced Studies, Mohammed V University

Yamina's Bio

Yamina EL KIRAT EL ALLAME got her Ph.D. in minority identities, languages and cultures. She is the director of the Moroccan Institute for Advanced Studies at Mohammed V University, and the coordinator of the UNIMED SUB-Network on migration. She was a member of the UNESCO Ad Hoc Committee of Experts for Endangered Languages. She is an international adviser and consultant in the field of higher education.

She was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Greenville Tech in 2010 with the program entitled "Direct Access to the Muslim World" where she helped in developing a program entitled “Middle Eastern Studies”. She is the coordinator of the AMAS Erasmus Inter Africa Mobility Project in Morocco, a member of the Erasmus Capacity Building Project “Edu-BioMed” on biosphere reserves and a member of the Global Youth Academy Project and a research partner of the GLoSYS Project. El Kirat has been teaching courses at IES-ABROAD Rabat-Morocco on the topic ofcultural identities in the MENA region, and has been coordinating IES programs at Mohammed V University.

Professor El Kirat is a member of the Standing Committee of the World Congress of African Linguistics (WOCAL) and the President of the organizing Committee of WOCAL 9, which took place in Rabat-Morocco in August 2018. She has taught and carried out research in cultural linguistics/anthropology, sociolinguistics, language endangerment, minority cultures, cultural representations and attitudes, gender issues, and language and educational policy, internationalization of higher education for more than 30 years. Her interest in all these issues stems from her personal experience and interest in the linguistic, cultural, social, educational and political issues in North Africa in general and the Moroccan context in particular. She has published articles in indexed journals and chapters in collective books at the international level.

Professor Dr. Mohammed RHACHI, Ph.D.
President of Mohammed V University in Rabat

Professor Rhachi's Bio

Professor Dr. Mohammed RHACHI is the current President of Mohammed V University in Rabat. He previously served as President of the university from 2018 to 2022. From 2015 to 2018, he held the position of Vice President for Governance, and from 2001 to 2014, he was the Director of the Higher School of Technology. Additionally, he served as President of the Lalla Meryem Academic Chair for Women and Children from 2019 to 2024.

Professor Rhachi earned his Ph.D. in Thermal and Thermodynamic Sciences from INSA Toulouse and the Faculty of Sciences of Rabat. He has also obtained several certificates in governance and higher education management systems (ENA – Rabat, U.S. State Department, Dale Carnegie, among others).

Throughout his career, he has chaired conference sessions, collaborated with fellow scholars, and presented at numerous regional, national, and international academic events. He is the author of over 40 scholarly works, including research articles published in internationally indexed journals. In recognition of his contributions, he received the Jean Demal Prize from the International Association of University Pedagogy (Montpellier, 2008) for outstanding research.

Regional Seminar in Rabat

Rabat, Morocco: May 17, 2025

Education Abroad As a Bridge to the Future: Innovations in Partnership and Pedagogy

Sponsored by:

Speakers