Representatives from private universities in North Africa and the Middle East met with CAOs to discuss opportunities for exchanges with CIC member institutions. Ibrahim Badran, dean of the faculty of engineering, Philadelphia University, Amman, Jordan and Mohammed Dahbi, dean of the school of humanities and social sciences, Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Morocco held informal discussions over breakfast and also arranged for private consultations with many CAOs. They provided overviews of their universities and discussed opportunities for partnerships and exchanges with CIC institutions.

Philadelphia University in Amman, Jordan is one of the Hashemite Kingdom’s leading private universities, and is part of the growing trend in the Middle East toward independent higher education. The university enrolls 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offers degrees in social science, law, engineering, science, management, languages, pharmacy, and nursing.

Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco (AUI) is a private Moroccan institution with an international outlook that has already served as a location for many American students and researchers interested in studying Arabic and learning about North Africa and the Middle East. AUI has a student body of about 1,200 and offers degrees in business administration, science and engineering, humanities, and social sciences.