Al Akhawayn University (AUI) is moving towards the end of 2025 on a high note as it looks back on a year defined by collaboration, innovation, and measurable impact through its ongoing partnership with the African Engineering and Technology Network (Afretec)Network.Over the past twelve months, AUI has continued to turn Afretec’s mission into real opportunities for students, faculty, and industry partners across Morocco, Africa, and the wider global community.A particular highlight has been the launch of AUI’s first Tech Skills MSMS Internship Program, which has strengthened collaboration between academia, industry, and local communities. The program connects students with startups, SMEs, and other organisations seeking support with technology-driven problem solving. As one of AUI’s most impactful Afretec-related initiatives, it has quickly demonstrated how meaningful experiential learning can catalyse both student growth and industry innovation.The first edition achieved 100 percent participant satisfaction, underscoring its value as both a training platform and talent pipeline for Moroccan companies. Students worked across four technical domains, engaging with real organisational challenges, building prototypes, refining digital tools, and designing new solutions informed by real-world needs.These experiences speak directly to Afretec’s wider goal of developing new a generation of African professionals, ready to shape the continent’s digital transformation.Early outcomes of the Tech Skills initiative have reinforced its long-term potential. Some 67 percent of partner companies expressed intent to hire their interns, reflecting strong confidence in the students’ abilities. Half of all internship projects are already heading toward full implementation, and one-third have been successfully executed, showing that student-led solutions are having immediate impact.To further sustain this momentum, AUI has launched a new Industry Advisory Board made up of professionals, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders committed to guiding the program’s evolution. Students and partners have spoken enthusiastically about the program.“It reinforced my interest in building digital solutions for education and research,” said intern Lina Bouyahyaoui, reflecting on her experience with Campus Maroc TV.From the employer perspective, Moussa Koita, CEO of Innovatech Consulting, noted that “the internships will create long-term value for our organization by laying the foundation for scalable cybersecurity capabilities and a recurring service model.”In addition to TechSkills Marketplace, AUI also hosted one of its most engaging academic events of the year: The AI Summer School 2025, held from 25–30th August at the University’s Ifrane campus. The occasion welcomed hundreds of students, researchers, and professionals from Morocco and around the world for a week of learning, collaboration, and debate. This year’s theme, “Responsible AI: Designing with Security, Fairness, and Impact,” anchored conversations about the opportunities and risks of innovative emerging technologies.The week featured lectures, hands-on workshops, and an intensive hackathon. Microsoft’s Akram Zaytar opened the event with insights from the AI for Good Lab, highlighting tools such as satellite-assisted disaster assessments and low-resource machine learning solutions.Security and trust took center stage on day two, with contributions from experts including Professor Kamal Bechkoum, SBA Dean Lakshmi Goel, and Boubakr Nour of Ericsson. “It was a pleasure to share the stage with such experts to address the skills and leadership challenges around secure AI,” Dean Goel commented.A special program on women in AI celebrated inclusivity and leadership in the field. Amal Rannen-Triki of Google DeepMind and Ruchi Mahindru of IBM led sessions that encouraged participants to view diversity as essential to responsible technological innovation.The hackathon ran throughout the week, supported by mentors and reviewed by a panel that included Professor Nasser Assem, Youness Jamri, Tom Willkens, and Akram Zaytar, each of whom praised the creativity and practical relevance of the solutions produced.Behind the scenes, the event was powered by AUI’s School of Science and Engineering(SSE), led by Dean Professor Salah Al-Majeed, with support from Afretec, volunteers, and faculty members. “Congratulations to the SSE team, our esteemed colleagues at AUI, and all our guest participants for a successful third edition,” Professor Al-Majeed shared.Looking ahead to 2026, AUI is poised to build on the momentum of this successful year. With continued collaboration through Afretec, expanded research efforts, and growing engagement with industry partners, the University is preparing for another year of progress that strengthens Morocco’s digital future and contributes to Africa’s broader technological transformation.