Since the arrival of the first Moroccan student at the École Polytechnique in 1948, the École Polytechnique has maintained close relations with Moroccan partners at the academic and scientific level. Thus, the President and General Director of the École Polytechnique Laura Chaubard was invited to be part of the delegation accompanying the President of the Republic during the state visit to Morocco from October 28 to 30, 2024.
Accompanying the presidential delegation during the state visit to Morocco, Laura Chaubard, President and Director General of the École Polytechnique, visited Rabat from October 28 to 30, 2024. The opportunity to return to the existing academic and scientific links between l’X and Morocco.
It was in 1948 that the first Moroccan student joined the École Polytechnique. This was M’hamed Douiri, who was subsequently appointed several times as minister in Morocco, notably Minister of Public Works and Minister of Economy and Finance.
Succeeding particularly well in the entrance exam to the polytechnic engineering cycle, students of Moroccan nationality constitute the foreign nationality most represented at the X. Thus, l’X has 105 Moroccan students in the engineering cycle promotions who are currently studying. A dozen Moroccan students are also enrolled in the Bachelor of Science program as well as around ten in one of the Masters in Science & Technology programs at l’X.
Since 2021, the École Polytechnique is also proud to display cooperation with the FIRSI Foundation, which supports some of the Moroccan students admitted to the Polytechnic engineering cycle.
Academic and scientific partnerships
Over the last twenty years, École Polytechnique has developed of the partnerships with various important Moroccan institutions such as the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and the Rabat School of Mines.
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University is part of the Green City urban development plan, launched by King Mohamed VI in 2009, which aims to create a model city promoting sustainability, research and education for the country. The collaboration between l’X and UM6P was first initiated around the energy transition and sustainable development and is now expanding to new areas such as Data Sciences.
With the ambition of training students who will be able to develop new industrial processes based on data sciences, the “Data Science and Industrial Process” Chair. Supported by the École Polytechnique Foundation and led by Éric Moulines, teacher-researcher in statistical learning at École Polytechnique, this chair includes a program dedicated to engineering students from UM6P and a second program benefiting teachers from the École Polytechnique. Moroccan partner establishment UM6P.
In collaboration with Moroccan partners, X-EXED also offers continuing education programs for senior managers in Morocco to allow them to deepen their knowledge in specific sectors, such as the “Entrepreneurship in renewable energies in Morocco” or “Financial engineering and operations research” programs.
A strong local alumni network
The X alumni association in Morocco, the X-Maroc group, today brings together more than 300 members and is chaired by Jamal M’Hamdi (X1977), former CEO of mining companies. École Polytechnique is proud of this strong alumni community in Morocco. Many of these alumni have illustrious careers and hold senior positions in both the public and private sectors. Despite their respective very busy schedules, some X alumni were able to take the opportunity to meet Laura Chaubard during her visit to Rabat.
Laura Chaubard, President and CEO of the École Polytechnique, during her meeting with alumni of the X-Maroc group in Rabat
