HE Ahmed Rahhou who has been Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the EU since July 2019, signed on 31 January with Dr. Jörg Monar the Rector of the College of Europe two agreements to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Morocco and the EU.
- A Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Moroccan Academy of Diplomatic Studies) and the College of Europe;
- A Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the College of Europe establishing a Selection Committee for Moroccan Students.
The first agreement focuses on promoting cooperation actions in the following areas:
- Organization of training cycles in diplomacy, international law and international relations for the benefit of diplomats and students from each institution.
- Exchange of lecturers and experts in various fields related to diplomacy.
- Sharing of knowledge and know-how in training engineering and transfer andragogy.
- Organization of advanced training cycles for diplomats and ministry staff which cover the following areas: diplomacy, international relations, European law, economics, etc.
- Organization of conferences, alternately, within the two institutions.
This agreement allows for the first time Moroccan diplomats to benefit from such a high level training at this prestigious institution.
From Left to Right, Siham Cherraj, Communication Advisor, A. Rahhou, Ambassador of Morocco to the EU, Angela O’Neill, Director of Communications and Languages and Dr. Jorg Monar, Rector of the College of Europe
The second agreement will create a selection committee for Moroccan students and graduates from Moroccan universities, to award 8 scholarships to study for Master’s Degrees in the field of European studies for a period of 10 months (from September to June of the academic year). The training provided covers the following: politics and governance, law, economics, international and diplomatic relations and interdisciplinary studies.
Moroccan candidates wishing to apply for this scholarship program must meet the conditions of academic excellence established by the College.
The College of Europe was founded in 1949 by Salvador de Madariaga and Winston Churchill – in the wake of the first congress of the European movement, held in The Hague in 1948. Today the campus in Bruges has become a real international community, a space for meetings and to live together for political decision-makers, practitioners and representatives of the business world and students from more than 50 countries.
Most of its former students now hold positions of responsibility in the European institutions, international organizations such as NATO and the UN or in the headquarters of large multinationals. Famous alumni include:-
- Margaritis Schinas, the Commissioner for the Protection of the European way of life;
- Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Danish Prime Minister between 2011 and 2015;
- Nick Clegg, former British Deputy Prime Minister;
- Clément Beaune, Emmanuel Macron’s Europe and G20 advisor.
The College has become, over the years, a privileged forum for debating questions relating to European integration and Europe’s international relations. Distinguished speakers are regularly invited to share their experiences at the College, thereby exposing students to the cultural and social diversity of the world and teach them to act and move in an international environment.
Ambassador Rahhou is respected both for his professional experience and for his humanity. He has had a successful career managing all the missions entrusted to him, particularly in the banking sector. His work ethic and cooperative demeanour have won him recognition throughout his career, as one of those rare managers who combines charisma, professional knowledge and modesty, and is also respected for his morality and principled work ethic.
Married and the father of two children, Rahhou was born on June 25, 1958 in Meknes. In 1976, he obtained his baccalaureate series “C” (Mathematics) at Moulay Abdallah high school in Casablanca. He enrolled the same year in the preparatory class at Lyautey High School. From 1978 to 1982, he studied first at the Ecole Polytechnique de Paris and then the National School of Telecommunications.
