- On his first official visit to Morocco, EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix will go to the Euromed University of Fes (UEMF) on Monday 17 October.
- He will take part in a conference attended by UEMF President Professor Mostapha Bousmina and UEMF students, highlighting the importance of climate issues for young people in the run-up to COP27.
- This visit is taking place under the auspices of Team Europe and highlights the importance of the Morocco-European Union partnership in strengthening innovation, inclusion and high-quality research in higher education.
For his first official visit to Morocco, European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix (who is responsible for financing in Morocco) will meet with Moroccan authorities and will also go to the Euromed University of Fes (UEMF) on Monday 17 October for a conference on “the EIB and climate action, a global, regional and national outlook.”
As COP27 (to be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt from 6 to 18 November) approaches, Vice-President Mourinho Félix will engage in discussions with UEMF students and teachers/researchers on the challenges and opportunities of the climate transition and the role of the EIB, as a climate bank, in promoting sustainable models in Morocco and around the world.
In the spirit of Team Europe, this visit to the UEMF eco-campus underlines the importance of the Morocco-European Union partnership in strengthening young people’s skills, inclusion and employment opportunities. Since 2016, the European Union and the EIB have been working with the Moroccan government to support various development projects — including that of UEMF — with excellent teaching and research programmes.
EIB and EU support for UEMF stands at MAD 58 million in grants and MAD 148 million in subsidies, in addition to a EUR 784 million EIB loan. This financing made it possible to build and fit out the university's eco-campus in accordance with the highest international standards. The campus now spans over 40 hectares and is visited daily by around 3 000 students and teachers/researchers of 43 nationalities. This EU support has also improved access for the most deserving students by backing the university's scholarship policy. In 2026, UEMF is expected to host more than 6 000 students from all walks of life.
“I am very pleased to be visiting this university — which is unique in the region — thanks to this exceptional partnership between the government of Morocco, the European Investment Bank and the European Union,” said EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix, who is responsible for financing in Morocco, when visiting UEMF. “With a few weeks to go before COP27, I wanted to have a discussion with the students on the importance of climate issues, but also the prospects opened up by the climate transition. These young people are full of enthusiasm and we need them to meet the challenges of climate and environmental sustainability. UEMF is perfectly positioned in this respect thanks to its excellent courses and high-quality research hub. We are proud to continue our support for the development of this exceptional university.”
“I am delighted and honoured by this visit, which reflects the interest of the EIB and the European Union in Euromed University of Fes. The university strengthens links between Morocco and the European Union with a view to promoting intercultural dialogue, exchange and cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean. We are working to build a region of peace and shared prosperity together, while also improving the employability of young people and their spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation and startup creation,” said UEMF President Professor Mostapha Bousmina.
Background information
European Investment Bank (EIB)
The EIB has been a key partner for Morocco for over 40 years. It finances the development and implementation of important projects in vital sectors of the Moroccan economy such as business support, agriculture, water and sanitation, education, health, transport and even renewable energy.
EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm dedicated to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance. It is designed to foster strong, focused partnership within Team Europe, alongside fellow development finance institutions, and civil society. EIB Global brings the Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through our offices across the world.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/eib-global/
Delegation of the European Union to Morocco
Morocco and the European Union have maintained relations for over half a century. The foundations of this partnership have been steadily strengthened. The most recent example of this is the European Union’s political commitment to support the Moroccan government's important efforts to combat COVID-19. The European Union and Morocco are committed to supporting the post-COVID-19 recovery with a transition to a more sustainable society and consumption patterns; stronger ambition to combat climate change; human development and good governance; the promotion of the economic opportunities of a greener and cleaner economy; and the development of regional cooperation.
Euromed University of Fes (UEMF)
Under the honorary chairmanship of its founder His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Euromed University of Fes (UEMF), a non-profit public benefit institution, is a centre of excellence and outreach offering innovative teaching and research programmes. Students and teachers of over 40 different nationalities ensure that UEMF is a place rich in interactions. Positioned in an exceptional location, the UEMF eco-campus has been designed in accordance with the highest international standards and sustainable development guidelines. It has a COP22 label and currently covers 40 hectares, which will eventually be expanded to around 100 hectares.
UEMF is a multidisciplinary university structured around three major sections:
- Engineering and Architecture section: with the Euromed Schools of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning (EMADU), the School of Digital Engineering and Artificial Intelligence (EIDIA), the Euromed Polytechnic School (EPS), and INSA Euro-Mediterranean.
- Human and Social Sciences section: including the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, the Euromed Institute of Legal and Political Sciences and Euromed Business School.
- Health and Pharmacy section: covering the Euromed Faculty of Pharmacy and the BiomedTech Engineering School.
UEMF also has state-of-the-art research infrastructure with the country’s largest 3-D printing platform and around 60 machines, some built by UEMF engineers and researchers. It has the country’s largest digital university platform, and the first engineering school in the Euro-Mediterranean area and Africa to be fully dedicated to artificial intelligence. It is also implementing the Fes-Smart Factory project — unprecedented and unique in Africa — to guide the digital transition of our industries via the design of prototypes based on industry 4.0 principles, using artificial intelligence, big data, deep learning, virtual reality, robotics and cobotics.
In addition, UEMF has created a think tank focused on the issues of the Euro-Mediterranean-Africa region — RIEMAS (Research Institute on European, Mediterranean & African Studies) — which regularly organises events and conducts research, analysis and reflections on the Europe-Mediterranean-Africa geographical-historical continuum.