Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and Cadi Ayyad University (UCA), Morocco have formalised their partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 4th July 2025.
The MoU was signed by Dr Hazri Haji Kifle, Vice-Chancellor of UBD, and Blaïd Bougadir, President of UCA. The ceremony was witnessed by senior officials, academics, and representatives from both institutions.
The President of UCA and his delegation was in Brunei Darussalam to attend the 53rd Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Council (SEAMEC) Conference, held from 1st to 3rd July 2025 at The Empire Brunei.
The MoU outlines several areas of collaboration, including student and staff exchanges, joint academic publications, research initiatives, and internship opportunities. This partnership reflects a shared vision to strengthen higher education ties between Southeast Asia and North Africa, while fostering cross-cultural learning and innovation.
In his speech, Dr Hazri expressed that UBD is proud to take this significant step, noting that UCA’s academic excellence, regional leadership, and global perspective align well with UBD’s own aspirations. He further shared that UBD looks forward to embarking on a meaningful and mutually enriching relationship with UCA—one that will yield impactful research collaborations, academic exchanges, student mobility, and cross-border knowledge-sharing.
Blaïd Bougadir expressed his confidence in the potential of this partnership with UBD, despite the short time since both institutions first established contact. He shared his enthusiasm for exploring collaborative opportunities and looks forward to building a strong and lasting relationship between the two universities.
This collaboration underscores both universities’ commitment to advancing higher education and research excellence, enhancing regional and global engagement, student and staff exchange and contributing to the broader development goals of Brunei Darussalam and the Kingdom of Morocco. With this agreement, UBD and UCA look forward to a dynamic and enduring partnership that will benefit both academic communities and deepen bilateral ties.