In Rabat, ESSEC Africa Campus marks ten years and looks further across the continent

In Rabat, the ESSEC Africa Campus has just celebrated ten years of activity, a symbolic milestone for this leading business school anchored on the African continent.

ESSEC Africa Campus: what to know

ESSEC Business School set up in Morocco in 2016 and inaugurated its Africa Campus in 2017, choosing Rabat as its base for African development. Over the past decade, the campus has become a training and networking hub connecting Africa, Europe and Asia.

The anniversary brought together the school’s leadership, partners and community. Among those attending were ESSEC director general Vincenzo Vinzi and executive board president Christine Loizy, alongside Moroccan and diplomatic figures.

For families living abroad who keep a strong connection with Morocco, this long-term presence confirms Rabat’s role as a regional academic hub. It offers a high-level study option for children who want to be closer to the country while staying in international programmes.

Flagship programmes and international openness

From Rabat, the ESSEC Africa Campus has rolled out its core undergraduate track, the Global BBA (Bachelor in Business Administration). It has also developed Executive Education courses and launched INLAB Africa, an innovation lab working with African organisations.

The campus has introduced new programmes such as the IPBA (International Program in Business Administration) and FEDA (Financial Engineering and Data Analytics), as well as tailored and international courses for institutions across the continent.

Inter-campus mobility schemes and Summer Schools create exchanges between ESSEC’s three locations in Africa, Europe and Asia. This is a strong asset for students of Moroccan origin, whether they already live abroad or plan an international career after graduation.

For Moroccans living abroad, these academic bridges can support different plans:

• studying at a top business school while keeping a foothold in Morocco;
• organising a gradual return to the country through a degree split between several campuses;
• building an African professional network useful for careers based in Europe, North America or the Gulf.

An African ambition that also matters to Moroccans abroad

By celebrating its first decade, ESSEC is making clear that its Rabat site is not just a satellite campus, but a key platform to address Africa’s economic and social transformations.

This African ambition may directly interest Moroccans settled overseas who wish to:

• invest in African projects relying on locally trained talent;
• offer their children a management education rooted in African realities;
• keep an academic and professional link with Morocco while living far from it.

Without replacing Moroccan universities or local schools, the ESSEC Africa Campus adds a specific offer focused on international exchanges and understanding African markets. This positioning supports the rise of Rabat and Casablanca as regional platforms for studies, business and careers for young Moroccans, whether they live in the country or abroad.

A decade of community building, and what comes next?

Around the campus, a community of alumni, faculty and partners has gradually taken shape, linking people based in Morocco, in other African countries and in major global cities.

The coming years are expected to deepen this trajectory: stronger executive education, more cooperation with African and international institutions, and new mobility formats. All of this may interest Moroccans abroad who are looking for concrete ways to reconnect with the country and with Africa.

For more context, readers can follow Canal212 news for Moroccans abroad.

For official updates, readers can check the relevant official source.