Some key takeaways from the site visit to the University of Mohammed VI that will impact my report is about their marketing strategy. They don’t have a traditional way for marketing the university because it is not necessary. Without any marketing, and only being inaugurated in 2017, the university has plenty of students applying every year for admission where only 20-30% of them actually get accepted. The process for selection of students is very picky so even though the university has room for many more students they are only focused on quality over quantity. Therefore, their approach is a little different, and much like their programs, very hands on.
They utilize something called action marketing, where instead of relying on traditional advertisements, the university promotes itself through the work and achievements of its students. This approach stands out from other universities because the students’ projects are not only coursework, but also real world experience that demonstrates the practicality and effectiveness of the curriculum. Through social media and public presentations of student work, UM6P is able to showcase the impact of its programs and the value of its hands on education.
To understand the mission of UM6P, you have to understand the history. The university was originally planned to be a school specifically as a tech pipeline for the OCP foundation. But once his majesty the king was pitched this idea, he expanded the university for all businesses in Morocco. The reason for opening the university to anyone is to guarantee that tech knowledge and businesses get shared around the continent of Africa to build a foundation for Africa’s future.
The way UM6P chose to accomplish this was to have a focus on entrepreneurship which can be seen through the university’s Startgate program. This program gives students of UM6P resources, networking, talent, training, and support to make sure the startups succeed and further develop Morocco as a country. This is done mainly through partnerships with differing companies. A company will supply a startup with funds to keep them afloat while they build something that will help the company in return. This is a win-win situation and it’s all organized and ran through Startgate.
Overall, UM6P’s focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, and sharing knowledge across the continent shows that the university’s mission goes beyond Morocco. They are aiming to create a foundation for long term economic growth, technological advancement, and opportunity for the betterment of the entire continent of Africa.