Despite the challenging circumstances in which Ukraine continues to live and work, Sumy State University (SumDU) remains committed to strengthening its international partnerships, demonstrating resilience and a strategic outlook toward the future. A new step in this direction was the recent signing of a cooperation agreement between SumDU and Private University of Marrakech Marrakesh (Morocco).

Tetyana MAYBORODA, SumDU Deputy Head of the Department for International Affairs, was warmly welcomed by Professor Mohamed KNIDIRI, President of Private University of Marrakech, and Professor Mustapha EL ADNANI, Vice President.

The visit was supported by Olena SHAPOVALOVA, Director of the Ukrainian State Center for International Education (Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine), and Mohamed EL IDRISSI, First Deputy Mayor of Marrakesh. During the meeting, Moroccan partners expressed sincere support for Ukraine and strong interest in developing cooperation with SumDU as one of the leading universities in Eastern Europe. The new partnership between the two institutions aims to foster academic mobility, joint research, and other collaborative activities that promote intercultural dialogue and educational opportunities for students and faculty on both sides.

The signing of the agreement with Private University of Marrakesh, meetings with local authorities, and participation in the international education forum in Casablanca—which preceded the Marrakesh visit and gathered over 200,000 participants and visitors—together lay the groundwork for Ukraine’s post-war recovery as an attractive center for international education. Before the full-scale invasion, SumDU was home to over 2,000 international students from 55 countries.

Despite the challenges of wartime, Sumy State University remains open to the world, actively working to restore and expand its international academic connections in order to once again welcome students from across the globe to a peaceful and independent Ukraine.

SumDU extends its sincere gratitude to the Embassy of Ukraine in Morocco for supporting initiatives in the field of international education and for facilitating Ukraine’s and Sumy State University’s presence at key educational events in North Africa.