Ucad Faculty of Medicine: A symbol of cooperation between Senegal and Morocco
The Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odontostomatology (Fmpos) of the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (Ucad) is the symbol par excellence of university cooperation between Senegal and Morocco. According to the dean, Professor Bara Ndiaye, for the year 2024-2025, 848 Moroccan students are enrolled in this establishment. Which makes it the first contingent of foreign students at this university.
Cooperation between Senegal and Morocco in higher education is very dense. Within Ucad, the Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odontostomatology (Fmpos) embodies the excellence of this partnership, which dates back to the 1960s.
Professor Bara Ndiaye, dean of the Fmpos, recalls that Senegal and Morocco signed an establishment agreement on March 27, 1964 in Dakar. In an interview with the newspaper Le Soleil, he specified that this agreement constitutes the cornerstone of an exceptional bilateral relationship, both in terms of its longevity and its depth.
“The cooperation between our Faculty and the Kingdom of Morocco dates back to the 1960s and allows, until now, an exchange of students through a scholarship program financed by the two countries,” informs Mr. Ndiaye. He affirms that these agreements have enabled the Faculty to train numerous doctors, pharmacists and dental surgeons who today practice within the Moroccan health system. Professor Bara Ndiaye emphasizes that these professionals are highly appreciated for the quality of their training and their professionalism.
This convention, he adds, also allowed Morocco to welcome Senegalese students in various fields such as medicine, pharmacy, dental surgery, agronomy, commerce, legal sciences, etc. “Moreover, the participation of these graduates in the active life of their respective countries has made it possible to highlight the role of universities in strengthening bilateral ties,” notes the dean of the Fmpos.
He reveals that the total number of Moroccan students registered at Fmpos for the 2024-2025 academic year is around 848. Among them, he specifies, 489 are registered in initial training (doctorates in medicine, pharmacy and dental surgery). According to Mr. Ndiaye, 359 others are pursuing continuing education (specialized study diplomas, masters, licenses, university diplomas). Professor Bara Ndiaye explains that Moroccan high school graduates access the Fmpos either by registering via Foreign Campus, or by integrating the quota reserved by the State of Senegal for Morocco, within the framework of the academic cooperation agreement linking the two countries. Regarding initial training, the majority of Moroccan high school graduates sent to Senegal opt for medical studies.
The others enroll in pharmacy or dental surgery. In addition to initial training, Fmpos offers specialized training (specialized study diplomas) in various fields of health: cardiology, pediatrics, gastroenterology, ENT, urology, cardiac surgery, biology, etc. Professor Bara Ndiaye also discusses the number of Moroccan students trained at Fmpos: “For the last seven years (between 2018 and 2024), we have trained 327 doctors, 50 pharmacists and 71 dental surgeons,” he detailed. For him, between Ucad and Morocco, it is a dynamic and win-win cooperation.
Moroccan students: first foreign community at Ucad
Moroccan students constitute the first foreign community at Ucad. According to the Department of Studies and Statistics, there will be 849 in 2024. “Moroccans form the first foreign student community at Ucad. Then come the Mauritanians (476 students) and the Guineans (355),” informs the Directorate of Studies and Statistics. Ucad welcomes more than 4,000 foreign students of 46 different nationalities. The director of cooperation at Ucad, Professor Abdoulaye Diouf, welcomes the dynamism of relations with Morocco.
“From 2017 to the present, we have signed 20 cooperation agreements with Moroccan establishments. Today, 11 are in progress. Ucad is a partner of the largest universities in Morocco (…),” confided Mr. Diouf.
Aliou KANDÉ
