Rabat: Morocco’s Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation hosted Thursday in Rabat an official reception in honor of the Moroccan beneficiaries of the Fulbright Program for the 2026-2027 academic year. The event celebrated the selection of 41 Moroccan grantees from various regions of the Kingdom, including Marrakech, Casablanca, Fez, Oujda, Rabat, Sale, Tetouan, Errachidia, and Ouarzazate, who will pursue graduate studies, master’s degrees, doctoral and postdoctoral research, Arabic language teaching assignments, or professional development programs in the United States, under one of the most prestigious international academic and cultural exchange programs.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the grantees will join renowned American universities and institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), New York University, the University of Chicago, Duke University, the University of Washington, Arizona State University, among others. Their fields of study and
research include computer science, bioinformatics, architecture, environmental sciences, urban planning, journalism, film production, biomedical sciences, educational technology, and other priority disciplines.
The ceremony was chaired by Secretary General of the Ministry Noureddine El Haloui, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Rabat Benjamin Ziff, and attended by Chairman of the Board of the Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (MACECE) Wail Benjelloun, other members of MACECE’s Board, MACECE’s Executive Director Dr. Rebecca Geffner, as well as representatives of the Ministry and the U.S. embassy in Rabat, and Fulbright alumni.
In a speech delivered on this occasion on behalf of the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, El Haloui, quoted in the release, expressed Morocco’s pride, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in the strength and depth of the strategic partnership between Morocco and the United States o
f America, in which academic and scientific cooperation constitutes one of its fundamental pillars.
For his part, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. embassy in Rabat Benjamin Ziff highlighted that “as the Fulbright Program marks its 80th anniversary worldwide and our U.S.-Morocco Fulbright partnership enters its 44th year, we celebrate these scholars, teachers, and professionals while reaffirming our gratitude to the Government of Morocco for its steadfast support and our shared commitment to expanding this life-changing partnership for future generations.”
In turn, Dr. Geffner stressed that this send-off comes as international mobility has become one of the central pillars of Morocco’s national higher education strategy, adding that the exchange of knowledge and experience between Moroccan and international institutions strengthens the country’s research and education ecosystem as a whole.
According to organizers, this year’s ceremony carries special significance, coinciding with the celebration of nearl
y 250 years of Moroccan-American friendship and the 80th anniversary of the Fulbright Program, which remains one of the most emblematic models of academic and cultural partnership between the two countries.
On the same day, MACECE organized a pre-departure orientation program for the grantees. The program was led by Fulbright alumni, MACECE staff, and representatives from Amideast and the U.S. Department of State, with the aim of preparing participants academically, culturally, and logistically for their stay in the United States, ensuring they make the most of this outstanding academic and human experience, the press release concludes.