UNE's plans for Tangier, Morocco campus covered by local and national media

The University of New England's signing of an agreement to establish a new campus in Tangier, Morocco was covered by a dozens of local, regional and national news outlets.

The agreement was signed in Tangier on June 22, 2012 by UNE Chair of the Board Mark Doiron and Associate Provost for Global Initiatives, Professor Anouar Majid. The UNE delegation included President Danielle Ripich and Mike Morel, former chair of the UNE Board.

UNE’s unique program will be offered at no additional cost to students. Moreover, students will be able to stay on track with their major’s curricular requirements by taking lab courses and other classes onsite or online. From Tangier, students can travel to other parts of Morocco, connect with UNE’s programs in Spain, and explore other European countries and cities.

Many of the stories quoted President Ripich: “UNE is preparing students to be innovators, leaders and problem-solvers in our increasingly global society. By establishing a presence in the Moroccan city of Tangier, we are creating the cultural and educational opportunities that make this possible.”

Majid was quoted as well: “U.S. policymakers have been struggling to reach out to the Arab and Muslim worlds,” said Majid, “but we, at UNE, have decided to live up to our ideals and invest in friendship. Our presence in Tangier, the meeting point of Europe, Africa, and the Arab world, will build trust and allow our students to discover multiple cultures and languages at once.”

Maine media outlets that covered the story included the Bangor Daily News, MPBN public radio, MainebizPortland Press Herald, Morning Sentinel, the Sun Journal, Kennebec Journal, WLBZ, and  WCSH 6.

Regional and national online outlets included Yahoo News, Associated Press, Chicago Daily Herald, and the Boston Globe. The story was also the subject of two of Morocco's leading English-language blogs: TALIM Director's Blog: Behind the scene at the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies and The View from Fez.