President’s biography

Biography of Prof. Saaïd AMZAZI

Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Government Spokesperson

Saaïd AMZAZI was appointed on April 7, 2020 as Government Spokesperson and held since January 22, 2018 the position of Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research. He was born in Sefrou on April 11, 1965. He is married and has 3 daughters.

Prior to his current position, Dr. Amzazi served as the president of Mohammed V University in Rabat since January 2015

Dr Amzazi received a PhD in Immunology-Molecular Biology from the Faculty of Science, Mohammed V University Rabat-Agdal (2001). His PhD research was conducted at the Pitié- Salpêtrière Hospital, Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris VI. He had previously received a Doctorate in Biology from Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh (1992) and a University Diploma in Forensic Hematology from the University of Bordeaux II (1998).

Dr. Amzazi has occupied several senior academic management positions. He was dean of the Faculty of Science, Mohammed V University-Agdal (2011-2014),  vice dean for academic and pedagogical affairs (2006-2010) and vice president of the “Al Oumanaa” Council of Mohammed V University’s Abu Dhabi Campus (since 2015).

He has also chaired many national committees including the Committee for Excellence PhD Scholarships (2015), the Committee for the Selection of Merit Scholarships of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Promotion of Education-Training Social Services (since 2017), and the College of Moroccan University Presidents’ Pedagogy and Continuing Education Committee (since 2015). In addition, he served as a member of the National Committee for Accreditation and the Coordination of Higher Education-CNACES (since 2015), the Sub-Committee for the Evaluation of Academic Programs in Science and Technology (2014), the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s Ad-hoc Committee for the Amendment of Law 01-00 on Higher Education (2013-2014), the High Committee for the Recognition of Foreign Degrees  at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (2012-2014) , and the Preparatory Committee for the National Council for Languages and the Moroccan Culture-CNLCM.

Dr. Amzazi also served as coordinator of the Moroccan Public University Faculty of Science Deans Network and  of the College of Moroccan University presidents’ program at COP22 (2016). He was also an expert for the Erasmus+ Program.

Within Mohammed V University, Dr. Amzazi chaired the Teaching and Learning Committee of the University Council (2011-2014), was a member of the Committee for the Monitoring of the Emergency Program (2010-2013) and of the Teacher Certification Panel for life and earth sciences (since 2011).  He was also an elected member of the Faculty of Science Council and chairman of its Teaching and Learning Committee (2003-2006).

Dr.  Amzazi has published extensively and has also headed or been a member of  several research units: member of the Mohammed V University Center for Research in Human Disease Genomics, head of the Team for Research in Forensic Genetics (2008-2015), and director of the PhD Training and Research Unit in Biochemistry-Immunology (2009-2014).

Dr.  Amzazi has been the recipient of numerous grants and funds as principal investigator. He has supervised 34 national and international PhD theses and has presided more than thirty thesis examination panels. He has chaired numerous national and international conferences, has co-authored 65 indexed publications, and holds two patent applications from the Moroccan Industrial and Commercial Property Office-OMPIC. He is a reviewer for a number of international scientific publications and journals and a member of several learned societies.

Throughout his career, Dr. Amzazi has been very active in teaching and learning. He served as coordinator of the Specialized Master’s in Life and Health Sciences and Technologies (2009-2012) , the Bachelor’s Module “Human Biology, Immunology and Biochemistry” (2004-2009), the Office for Continuous Education at the Rabat Faculty of Science (2005-2011), the Department for Languages and Communication at the Rabat Faculty of Science (2003-2011), and the National Science Week at Mohammed V University-Agdal (2009-2013). He also chaired the Life Sciences Academic Program Review Panel (2006-2010), ) and headed the  UNESCO Culture and Science Club at the Faculty of Science (2005-2011).