Morocco wants to be the gateway to the African economy. But even with its proximity to Europe, political stability and millions of dollars poured into infrastructure, it lacks one thing: engineers. Morocco’s education ministry wants to see at least 10,000 engineers graduate a year, but in a country where just 67 percent of people can read and write, meeting that goal has been a challenge.
Hicham Benjelloun wants to be one of those engineers. The Moroccan native traveled 3,500 miles to study at the University of Rhode Island seeking a world-class mechanical engineering education he could bring back home.
“Morocco is experiencing big development right now,” Benjelloun, 23, says. “Yet, if I had stayed in Morocco for college I would not have grown as much as I wanted and have at URI.”
Far from the soaring temperatures of Morocco, Benjelloun immersed himself in college and the United States. He adjusted to the cooler temperatures, explored the nearby beaches and joined intramural soccer. A lover of science and math, he enjoyed the engineering, calculus and physics courses. To fulfill a general education requirement he took French. That class would bring him halfway around the world again.
His French professor suggested Benjelloun join the International Engineering Program. Benjelloun, who already spoke French, Arabic and English, could benefit from the five-year program that offers simultaneous degrees in an engineering discipline and a foreign language. It also meant studying and interning abroad. Benjelloun didn’t hesitate. He added a French major and signed up for the program.
The program took him first to the University of Technology of Compiègne in France for a semester of study. Then he spent six months in Massy, France interning for CGG, an engineering firm specializing in geoscience that counts major energy companies among its clients.
Benjelloun worked with a team of engineers to develop piezoelectric sensors that work when analyzing conditions of rigid soil. The team tested more than 100 variations before settling on a design, which is pending a patent.
“It was the highlight of my academic career,” Benjelloun says. “I can’t wait to go back there and apply for a job.”
He’ll likely have little trouble passing a CGG job interview. His internship interview conducted in two languages – English and French – stretched more than four hours and involved three layers of management. At the end, the senior manager offered him the paid internship on the spot.
Benjelloun says he loves the work at CGG, the people and the chance to dig into international projects, maybe even in his home country. Eventually though he wants to return to Morocco armed with his international engineering experience.
“I always thought Morocco had the potential to be an amazing country,” Benjelloun says. “I feel blessed having had the opportunity to discover new places and expand my knowledge. I have Morocco and my parents to thank for giving me the foundation to do that and I want to give back just the little of what they gave me.”