Event: 15 October 2024
Dr. Nourredine Bensouda, the General Treasurer of the Kingdom of Morocco, gave the first lecture of the 2024–2025 academic year at Ibn Tofail University this morning, Tuesday, October 15, with the title “Public Finance between Politics, Economics, and Law,” in front of a number of local, regional, and national political and scientific leaders.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Adil Echchelh, Vice President of Ibn Tofail University in charge of Scientific Research and Cooperation, greeted everyone in attendance as well as the Kingdom’s general public. He emphasized Dr. Nour Eddine Bensouda’s academic and professional background, which includes two doctorates in public law from Mohammed V University and the University of Sorbonne, as well as his involvement in numerous national and international organizations, his writings, and his two royal medals.
Mr. President of Ibn Tofail University, Mr. Mohamed Larbi Kerkeb, in his speech after welcoming the attendees, referred to the diverse scientific disciplines within the university, which have resulted in an outstanding academic year due to the efforts of the university’s researchers and various components. He also mentioned the university’s first place among national public universities in the international university ranking “World University Rankings 2025,” with the results announced on October 9, 2024.
The president also confirmed that the university opening for the current season is exceptional with the presentation by Dr. Nour Eddine Bensouda, whose academic career is considered exemplary for students, researchers, and specialists in the field.
Dr. Nour Eddine Bensouda, in his opening lecture, spoke about the financial policies adopted by the Kingdom’s General Treasury, which aim for financial security and geopolitical stability, raising general questions centered around the appropriate societal model, priorities in public policies, and the tax system that should be implemented. He referenced historical models of financial policies, both in England and the policies of Louis XIV in France.
As confirmed by Mr. President Dr. Mohamed Larbi Kerkeb, in his statement to the media, said that “this academic year at Ibn Tofail University is characterized by a series of developments related to the actual implementation of the national plan to accelerate the transformation of the higher education and research system. The university has found a set of important measures.”
He indicated in the same statement that this year’s university entry is a “special university entry, and we want even the inaugural lecture to be special this year” with the reception of “the General Treasury of the Kingdom of Morocco, which will be responsible for this lecture and will bring our students and professors closer to public finance, followed by legal, political, and economic aspects.”
The lecture concluded with the president presenting souvenirs to Mr. Nour Eddine Bensouda on behalf of President Mohamed Larbi Kerkeb, consisting of scientific works produced by researchers from various scientific disciplines at Ibn Tofail University.
In his remarks to the media, Dr. Bensouda stated that this meeting at Ibn Tofail University, which is considered multidisciplinary, is an honor for the treasury and for him, as it is a university known for its development in all fields and in this field related to the presented lecture, as ‘the topic of the lecture was chosen because it is of utmost importance… All public policies are based on finance.’
Dr. Bensouda added in the same statement:’’Finance involves resources and expenditures, and the government, for its part, tries to maintain a balance between expenditures, focusing on those that concern the social field because there is a demand from society, such as the needs of Moroccan citizens across all facilities to meet their needs in terms of infrastructure, hospitals, schools, and universities. Therefore, this investment in the current generation is what we rely on for all the decisions Morocco will make in all fields, whether in health, education, culture, and all the fields taught at this university (Ibn Tofail University).’’