Dean of College of Arts and Humanities Visits Morocco

Professor Dr. Ismail Hamed Ismail Ali, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the Islamic University of Minnesota, undertook a scholarly trip to the Kingdom of Morocco during November 2024. The visit included a variety of academic activities.

The activities carried out by the dean included participating in the discussion of a doctoral thesis and delivering several lectures for doctoral and master's students at the College of Arts and Humanities at Mohammed V University in Rabat, as well as at other academic institutions in Morocco.

As part of these activities, Dr. Ismail Hamed delivered a lecture titled "The Moroccan Sahara: New Approaches" at the International Center for Heritage Studies and the Master’s program in Arabic Literature and Cultural Exchange at Mohammed V University on Tuesday, November 4, 2024. He also presented another lecture at the same center on November 12, 2024, titled "Moroccan-Egyptian Spiritual Relations: Roots and Constants."

In addition, the dean was requested by Mohammed V University to evaluate a doctoral thesis entitled "Contemporary Islamic Thought and Community and Environmental Issues in the Mediterranean World." Following his evaluation report, he was invited to participate as an expert in the thesis defense committee on November 11, 2024.

Among the notable activities Dr. Ismail Hamed participated in was a roundtable discussion titled "The Moroccan Sahara: New Approaches," organized by the College of Arts and Humanities and the International Center for Saharan Studies in collaboration with the Master’s programs in Arabic Literature and Cultural Exchange and Linguistics and Language Disorders. The roundtable featured prominent Moroccan academics, including Dr. Mohammed Adwan, former Vice President of Al-Qarawiyyin University, Dr. Mohammed Joudat, head of the Center for Saharan Studies, Dr. Mohammed Taqi, a linguistics professor at Mohammed V University, and Dr. Fatiha Belabbas, a professor at the same university. Some Moroccan newspapers reported on the proceedings of the roundtable with articles published on their websites.

It is worth mentioning that this trip for the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the Islamic University of Minnesota is part of his ongoing participation in various official invitations from prestigious Arab and international centers and universities, due to his prominence as a scholar in the field of African studies.