Board of Directors
Members of the Board of Directors
- Hassan Safouhi : President
- Khadija Rebbani : Vice-President
- Younes Anini : Secretary-General
- Mourad Ferdoussi : Treasurer
- Soraya Kettani : Director of Communications and External Relations
- Mohamed Hijri : Director
- Abdelhamid Benhmade : Director
- Hajar El Majdoub : Association Secretary
President
Dr. Hassan Safouhi
Professor Hassan Safouhi is a Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Vice-Dean at Campus Saint-Jean, University of Alberta. An internationally recognized researcher, he is the author of more than 86 scientific publications and has received several prestigious distinctions in research and teaching, including the Rutherford Award, the Killam Professorship, and the McCalla Professorship.
Committed to strengthening academic and scientific collaboration between Canada and Morocco, he actively promotes research, innovation, and international cooperation. He has also contributed to the development of several initiatives supporting student mobility, mentorship, and strategic partnerships between the two countries. His commitment to advancing relations between Morocco and Canada was recognized through an award honoring his “exceptional commitment to promoting and strengthening relations between Morocco and Canada, reinforcing ties of friendship, cooperation, and exchange between the two countries,” presented by the Moroccan Cultural Centre Dar Al Maghrib.
As Founder and President of the Canadian Association of Moroccan Professors and Researchers (ACPCM/CAMPR), he works to advance the visibility of the Moroccan academic diaspora and to promote excellence, scientific dialogue, and collaboration between Canada and Morocco.
To learn more about Professor Hassan Safouhi’s initiatives, collaborations, and activities, please consult the following articles:
- Professor Hassan Safouhi: A life dedicated to mathematics, education and the diplomacy of knowledge
- Honored to be Invited by His Majesty the King Mohammed VI of Morocco to the Throne Day: A Memorable Celebration
- Hassan Safouhi, recipient of an award for his outstanding commitment to promoting and enhancing relations between Morocco and Canada
Contact:
Vice-President
Dr. Khadija Rebbani
Vice-President of the association and a professor-researcher in genetics, she has extensive academic and scientific experience. She is committed to supporting the association’s initiatives in Morocco and to fostering and strengthening scientific exchanges and collaborations between Moroccan researchers in Morocco and Canada.
Secretary-General
Dr. Younes Anini
Dr. Younes Anini, born in Azrou, Morocco, earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Agadir University and his PhD from Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris. He moved to Canada in 2000 for postdoctoral training at the University of Toronto and later worked as a research associate at the Ottawa Health Research Institute.
Since 2005, he has been a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University and serves as Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility Centre at the IWK Health Centre. His research focuses on the molecular regulation of energy homeostasis and the role of metabolic hormones in health and disease, including diabetes, obesity, and reproductive disorders.
Treasurer
Dr. Mourad Ferdaoussi
Dr. Mourad Ferdaoussi is an Associate Professor at the Faculty Saint-Jean, the French Campus of the University of Alberta (U of A). Dr. Ferdaoussi has received an M.Sc. from the University of Lille (France) and a Ph.D. from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland). Afterward, he joined the Montreal Diabetes Research Center and the Alberta Diabetes Institute for his postdoctoral fellowship. He has been a Research Associate at the Department of Pediatrics of the U of A. Dr. Ferdaoussi’s research focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate pancreatic beta-cell function and survival under physiological and pathophysiological conditions associated with diabetes. He also published several articles on novel pre-clinical therapeutic approaches to tackle heart failure and systemic inflammation. Dr. Ferdaoussi has a strong interest in teaching life sciences across various disciplines. Dr. Ferdaoussi is committed to training the next generation of researchers. He is a member of the Alberta Diabetes Institute, the Canadian Network for Pancreatic Islet Research and Training, Cardiovascular Research Institute, and Women and Children's Health Research Institute. Dr. Ferdaoussi has received several awards, including the 2025 Saint-Jean Campus Excellence in Research Award, the Med Star Award for Postdoctoral and Clinical Researchers in 2016 from the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at U of A, and the Gabriel Baud Award in 2008 from the University of Lausanne.
Director of Communications and External Relations
Soraya Kettani
Soraya Kettani is a researcher and educator whose work focuses on political science, political philosophy, geopolitics, international politics, applied ethics, and public governance.
She is also a columnist and producer of media and radio content. Author of the political science fiction novel 2050 le monde d’après, she also serves as Secretary and Advisor to the Chambre Économique Maroc-Canada, President of the Alliance Canadienne des Amis du Maroc, and President of the Fondation Marocaine pour la Bonne Gouvernance.
Soraya Kettani is also a member of the The Canadian Association of Moroccan Professors and Researchers, where she will be responsible for the Political Science Committee.
Director
Mohamed Hijri
Dr. Mohamed Hijri earned a BSc in Cell Biology in 1994 and a DEA, equivalent to an MSc, in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology in 1995, both from the University of Burgundy in Dijon, France. He completed his PhD in 1999 at the same institution, specializing in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, with a focus on Molecular Genetics. His doctoral research, conducted under the supervision of Prof. Hubert Dulieu at INRA Dijon, investigated the organization of genetic polymorphism in the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Scutellospora castanea.
In 1999, Dr. Hijri joined the laboratory of Prof. Ian Sanders at the University of Basel, Switzerland, as a postdoctoral fellow. His research focused on the molecular genetics, diversity, and evolution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In 2000, he continued this work at the University of Lausanne following the relocation of the Sanders laboratory. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in 2005.
In September 2005, Dr. Hijri joined the Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale (IRBV) and the Department of Biological Sciences at the Université de Montréal. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2010 and to Full Professor in 2016. His research focuses primarily on plant–microbe interactions, plant microbiomes, microbial genomics and ecology, and the application of beneficial microorganisms to sustainable agriculture and environmental challenges.
In 2019, Dr. Hijri joined Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) as an Affiliate Professor. As part of his commitment to advancing genomics and biotechnology capacity in Africa, he founded the African Genome Center (AGC) in 2021 and currently serves as its Director. The AGC develops research, training, and technology-transfer activities in genomics, microbiomes, multi-omics technologies, genome editing, and the valorization of biological resources.
Dr. Hijri currently pursues his scientific activities between Canada and Morocco, where he contributes to the development of international research collaborations and the strengthening of African capacity in genomics and biotechnology. His research lies at the interface of fundamental and applied science, with applications in sustainable agriculture, soil health, ecosystem restoration, bioremediation, and the exploration and valorization of microbial biodiversity.
Director
Abdelhamid Benhmade
Abdelhamid Benhmade is a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on Africa-Canada economic relations, with particular attention to the role of African global cities as emerging gateways to the continent.
In 2023, he was appointed as a specialized advisor on Africa-Canada relations at the Senate of Canada, where he contributed to shaping perspectives on Canada’s Africa strategy. Previously, as Director of Africa Relations at ICCCASU (a joint initiative with UN-Habitat), he led collaborations with African academic and political stakeholders, including training workshops on urbanization for African urban managers.
As spokesperson for the Réseau québécois pour une mondialisation inclusive (RQMI), he has represented the network before various governmental bodies, including the House of Commons of Canada and the National Assembly of Quebec.
Secrétaire de l’association
Hajar El Majdoub
Hajar El Majdoub is a PhD researcher in Law at Université Sultan Moulay Slimane, where she is pursuing a dissertation entitled “The Scope of Corporate Resilience in Times of Crisis: A Comparative Law Approach.” Her research focuses primarily on comparative law, insolvency and distressed business law, intellectual property law, and public business law. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Private Law and a Master’s degree in Business Law from Université Hassan II de Casablanca. She also completed training in public and private international law at The Hague Academy of International Law and participated in the international Hours of Crisis competition held at the International Court of Justice. As a recipient of the BCDI 2030 scholarship, she is currently working as a Research Assistant at the University of Alberta on a project focusing on citizen engagement in public policy. She has also gained early professional experience in law firms specializing in corporate law and intellectual property law, as well as within an industrial company.