The Minister of Agriculture, Sea Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mohammed Sadiki, presided over, Monday, the official launch of the 2024-2025 academic year at the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute (IAV), and the launch of a new training program for engineers specializing in seawater desalination. The theme of this academic year of higher education and training in agriculture is «Training managers for sustainable water management: developing skills, adopting new technologies and fostering innovation», reads a press release by said Ministry. The Minister emphasized the crucial importance of sustainable water resource management, and stressed that the graduates would play a decisive role in the implementation of seawater desalination programs and projects, in combination with renewable energies and water resource management, against a backdrop of climate change and growing water stress. This training program for engineers specialized in seawater desalination reinforces the existing courses for engineers specialized in rural engineering, agricultural machinery with its energy and electromechanical specialties, and who deal with hydro-agricultural development, irrigation and pumping, as well as wastewater recycling. For his part, the Director of IAV Hassan II highlighted the new initiatives undertaken by the institute, notably the recent accreditation obtained for all preparatory cycle courses and engineering specialization years, with an innovative program enabling students to develop unique skills. This accreditation reflects the institute's commitment to maintaining quality standards in line with national and international academic requirements. In addition, IAV has expanded its range of engineering and veterinary degrees and specialties at Master's level, in line with the needs and demands of agriculture and rural, fisheries and forestry development. During this academic year, the IAV will welcome eleven Palestinian students as part of the partnership signed with the Bayt Mal Al Qods Agency and the Hassan II Faculty of Agronomic Science and Environmental Sciences at Al Azhar University in Gaza. Of the eleven students, five will study veterinary science and six animal production. In addition, a total of 172 foreign students of other nationalities are enrolled, notably from friendly African countries.
