President Benitez Champions Global Education Initiatives at OTAM Conference in Morocco

KENITRA, MOROCCO – American International College (AIC) President Hubert Benitez, DDS, PhD, delivered a keynote address on higher education leadership at the 6th Annual International Conference of the Occupational Therapy Association of Morocco (OTAM) held on January 6 in Kenitra, Morocco. During the conference, the association also presented Benitez with a leadership award.

As an honorary guest, President Benitez presented the keynote speech titled, The Role of Higher Education Leadership in Creating Innovative, Entrepreneurial, Diverse, and Interdisciplinary Environments. His message to the audience highlighted how international partnerships in higher education demonstrate how institutions can collaborate to bring people from different countries and cultures together.

President Benitez was also honored with the 2024 Leadership Excellence Award from the organization. The conference, boasting presenters from five continents, stands as the flagship event of OTAM, founded and led by AIC Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy Said Nafai, OTD, MS, OTR/L, CLT, CAPS.

During his visit to Morocco, Benitez formalized international partnerships with Ibn Tofail University (UIT), and the International University of Casablanca (UIC), reaffirming AIC’s commitment to collaboration in higher education and fostering cultural exchange. The news of these partnerships generated a media buzz in Morocco, with several national news outlets interviewing the presidents of the three institutions in their coverage of the story.

These agreements are intended to explore and establish programs that foster mobility for both undergraduate and graduate students,” Benitez explained. “The partnerships are also designed to create academic models that support advanced education opportunities, facilitate student exchange programs, encourage professional development and academic advancement for faculty and staff, and explore the possibilities of joint degrees and certifications.”

These newly signed agreements are exciting additions to AIC’s existing international partnerships with the following institutions:

Universidad Andres Bello Santiago de Chile (UNAB)
Universidad Catolica de El Salvador (UNICAES)
St. Paul University in the Philippines (SPUP)
Badr University in Cairo (BUC)