Rabat, 10 May 2013 (MAP) - The president of Cadi Ayyad University (UCA) of Marrakech, Abdellatif Miraoui, was elected to head the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) for the period (2013-2017), during its 16th General Assembly, held from 7 to 10 May in Sao Paulo, Brazil, indicated the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Executive Training on Friday.

The president of Chouaib Doukkali University of El Jadida was, for his part, appointed member of the Board of Directors, while the dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine, Amal El Ouazzani Echahidi, and the director of the Higher Institute of Commerce and Business Administration Group of Casablanca were appointed members of the AUF's associative council, adds the ministry in a statement.

These appointments reflect the efforts made by Morocco in the field of higher education and scientific research and highlight the pioneering role played by the Kingdom as a locomotive for scientific, university and cultural cooperation in French-speaking countries.

The Agence universitaire de la Francophonie is a global association of French-speaking universities whose purpose is to create a link between French-language universities. It brings together 782 university establishments on 5 continents in 98 countries, including 55 members of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.

The association's mission is to support the development strategies of the 782 member establishments, to bring out a new generation of teachers, researchers, experts and professionals, actors of development, and to promote the French-speaking scientific community.