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MSU-Morocco partnership heralded as ā€˜best practiceā€™ in international education

MSU-Morocco partnership heralded as ā€˜best practiceā€™ in international education

UniversitĆ© Internationale de Rabat President Noureddine Mouaddib and Ļć½¶Ö±²„ President Mark E. Keenum shake hands after signing a memorandum of understanding in 2015 in Rabat, Morocco. (Photo submitted)

Contact: James Carskadon

STARKVILLE, Miss.ā€”Ļć½¶Ö±²„ā€™s partnership with Moroccoā€™s UniversitĆ©ĢżInternationale de Rabat is being recognized as one of the top partnerships in international education.

The Institute of International Education announced today [Jan. 23] that the dual-degree program established by the two universities has received the 2017 IIE Andrew Heiskell Award for International Partnerships. With the recognition as Americaā€™s top international university partnership, the program will be featured as a ā€œbest practiceā€ in international education by the IIE.

ā€œWeā€™re very proud to see Ļć½¶Ö±²„recognized with the Heiskell Award, recognizing the innovative program that weā€™ve developed with the UniversitĆ©ĢżInternationale de Rabat,ā€ Ļć½¶Ö±²„Vice President for Research and Economic Development David Shaw said. ā€œWeā€™ve made a strong commitment to globalizing our campus, and this partnership with a Moroccan institution is tangible evidence of this. We are now growing and deepening the relationship, including exploring other academic programs that might be offered and research collaborations that open up new opportunities.ā€

Ļć½¶Ö±²„and UIR have partnered to create dual degree programs in automotive and aerospace engineering. The relationship between the two universities also extends to research collaboration and academic exchanges that are beneficial to education and economic development in Morocco and Mississippi.

The dual degree program allows students from Morocco to spend a year studying in Mississippi and earn a diploma of engineering from UIR and a bachelorā€™s and masterā€™s degree from MSU. Since the academic program began in 2015, Morocco has become one of the top 10 countries sending students to MSU. For more information on the partnership, visit .

MSUā€™s application for the Heiskell Award notes that the relationship between the two institutions of higher learning has grown and evolved organically, based on complementary strengths. UIR approached Mississippi State about developing a School of Automotive Engineering because of active research collaboration with MSUā€™s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems.

The award will be presented on March 14 at the annual Institute of International Education Best Practices Conference in Miami, where Ļć½¶Ö±²„has been invited to make a presentation on the program. The Heiskell Awards are designed to foster innovative ideas that will help international education professionals create and sustain new opportunities for students and faculty. For more, see .

More information on Mississippi Stateā€™s global initiatives, led by the universityā€™s International Institute, can be found at .

Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiā€™s leading university, available online at .
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