The International University of Rabat creates the IHECS Africa Communication and Media Faculty in partnership with IHECS Brussels
As we announced in September 2020, IHECS and the International University of Rabat have held several meetings to discuss a long-term strategic partnership and the creation of a journalism and communication branch.
It was this week, therefore, that the project was realised with the formal establishment of the IHECS Africa faculty at IUR and the signing of two agreements relating to a strategic and educational collaboration concering the contents of a 5-year programme (Bachelor and Masters) in the fields of communication and media and on several aspects of continuing education.
Jean-François Raskin, General Manager of IHECS and President of the Réseau Théophraste- Réseau Mondial des Écoles Francophones en journalisme [Theophrastus Network-Global Network of Francophone Schools in Journalism], and Noureddine Mouaddib, President of the International University of Rabat, signed two academic cooperation development agreements on Friday at the residence of the Delegate of Wallonia-Brussels in Rabat.
Organised over two cycles, a three-year Bachelor degree and a two-year Masters degree, the teaching programme has been designed with the objective of gradually providing students with specialist qualifications in the fields of advertising, public relations and journalism.
Raskin and Mouaddib also signed a continuing education agreement for the organisation in Morocco of two Executive Masters: one in "Digital Marketing and Communication" and the other in "European Expertise".
For Jean-François Raskin, this partnership complements a policy of bringing together various higher education institutions in Morocco and IHECS. "IUR has lofty ambitions and wishes to join forces with our institution, which has clearly impressed with both its dynamism and the originality of its teaching."
It is worth noting that the Covid-19 crisis delayed the process of formalising this partnership. However, the first intake of students at the IHECS Africa faculty already started their training in September and this week they were able to attend the first courses given by IHECS professors; Luc De Meyer partly via Teams and face-to-face, Thierry Maroit via Teams and Jean-François Raskin face-to-face. For the 2021-2022 academic year, no less than 8 IHECS teachers will be called upon to present courses in Rabat.
On another level, IUR and IHECS are engaged in a technical collaboration to set up an infrastructure capable of accommodating the various media courses within IUR. Our colleague Sébastien Chaveriat accompanied the IHECS delegation and conducted an audit of the University’s needs in terms of equipment and premises. Over the course of several days, and in collaboration with the university authorities, he was able to establish a number of working hypotheses and to budget the necessary investments with programming over time. This mission is scheduled to be extended and it has been decided that IHECS will act as the point of reference for the technical and infrastructure-related issues which are certain to arise in the coming years.
The two institutions welcomed this strategic partnership which makes it possible to create bridges between the educational systems of the two countries, to act as a significant stimulus and to share practices and experiences.