Meriem Sahli

Dr. Meriem Sahli is an Assistant Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, and Lead of the Arabic Unit. With more than two decades of experience in higher education, she is recognized for her leadership in Arabic language pedagogy, applied linguistics, and culturally grounded digital humanities initiatives.

She holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University and an MA in Language Teaching from Lancaster University (UK). Her research and teaching focus on Arabic as a foreign language, multilingual education, curriculum innovation, listening comprehension, and technology-enhanced learning. She has published in leading international academic venues, including Routledge, Springer, and Emerald, contributing to scholarship on bilingualism, language policy, feminist research methodologies, and second-language instruction.

Dr. Sahli is the founder and director of a flagship digital heritage initiative dedicated to preserving Moroccan oral history and cultural knowledge in Moroccan Arabic and Tamazight, with multilingual educational outputs. The project integrates oral archives, digital storytelling, e-books, and interactive learning resources and has received national and international institutional funding and recognition.

In addition to her research, Dr. Sahli has played a central role in curriculum development, faculty training, academic leadership, and international academic partnerships. She has served as a visiting lecturer at the Middlebury School of Arabic (USA) and regularly contributes to professional development programs for educators in Morocco and abroad.

Dr. Meriem Sahli has received competitive funding from Al Akhawayn University’s Presidential Innovation Fund and internal research grants, the Global Liberal Arts Alliance Institute, the Stevens Initiative (HIVE Program), and the Carnegie Mellon Foundation to support projects in digital heritage preservation, Arabic language education, oral history, and technology-enhanced learning.

Fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Danish, Dr. Sahli actively collaborates with regional and global partners to promote inclusive education, digital innovation, and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage through higher education.