STAND WITHABRAHAM العربية

Benefit Index › Sectors

Education

What has happened since 2020, with sources. Figures show change over time, not cause.

Draft, under review: this content has not yet been approved for publication.

Overview

Education links run on two tracks. At university level, MBZUAI and the Weizmann Institute agreed on AI research and exchanges, and Morocco's Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and Ben-Gurion University (BGU) launched a funded research partnership in 2021 and their first student exchange in 2022.

In schools, Morocco announced in December 2020 that it would teach Jewish history and culture, and in January 2023 the UAE announced that the Holocaust would be taught in primary and secondary schools, with Yad Vashem helping to develop Arabic materials. Exchange numbers from official statistics are not yet available.

Key numbers

$600,000 ($300k OCP + $300k ICL)Initial funding for UM6P–BGU sustainability programmes2021 [1]
4Moroccan students in first UM6P–BGU exchange2022 [2]

Timeline

  1. MBZUAI and the Weizmann Institute agree to collaborate on AI research, including exchanges. [3]⚑

  2. Morocco announces Jewish history and culture will be taught in schools. [4]⚑

  3. UAE Minister of State for Food Security visits Ben-Gurion University's new food-security-in-the-desert centre. [5]

  4. OCP and ICL sign an MoU funding UM6P–BGU sustainability research and scholarships. [1]

  5. The Negev Forum sets up an Education and Coexistence working group. [6][7]

  6. Israel and Morocco sign a science and higher-education cooperation agreement. [8]⚑

  7. BGU hosts four UM6P students in the first Morocco–Israel student exchange. [2]

  8. The UAE announces Holocaust teaching in primary and secondary schools; Yad Vashem offers Arabic materials. [9]

  9. Negev Forum working groups meet in Abu Dhabi. [10]

Country highlights

UAE

MBZUAI–Weizmann AI programme; Holocaust education announced for schools (Jan 2023). [11]⚑[9]

Bahrain

Data in progress

Morocco

Jewish history in school curriculum (Dec 2020); UM6P–BGU partnership and exchange; science and higher-education agreement (2022). [4]⚑[1][2][8]⚑

Sudan

Data in progress

Israel

Weizmann, BGU and Yad Vashem are the main Israeli partners. [3]⚑[1][9]

Kazakhstan

Data in progress. Kazakhstan announced it would join the Accords in November 2025; it has had relations with Israel since 1992. No sector-specific cooperation sourced yet. [12][13]

Flagship projects

MBZUAI–Weizmann joint AI programme

AI research collaboration with researcher and student exchanges.

Partners
MBZUAI; Weizmann Institute of Science
Date
2020–21
Status
Announced; current activity data in progress

[3]⚑[11]⚑

UM6P–BGU partnership

Sustainability and climate research, scholarships and joint events.

Partners
UM6P; Ben-Gurion University; OCP; ICL
Date
13 Oct 2021
Status
Funded ($600k initial)

[1]

UM6P–BGU student exchange

First Morocco–Israel university exchange (data science and health systems).

Partners
UM6P; BGU
Date
Aug 2022
Status
First cohort hosted

[2]

UAE Holocaust education

Holocaust taught in primary and secondary schools.

Partners
UAE Ministry of Education; Yad Vashem
Date
Announced Jan 2023
Status
Timescale not published at announcement; rollout data in progress

[9]

Morocco Jewish history curriculum

Jewish history and culture added to school lessons.

Partners
Moroccan Ministry of Education
Date
Dec 2020
Status
Announced

[4]⚑

Negev Forum Education and Coexistence group

Multilateral working group.

Partners
Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, UAE, US
Date
2022
Status
Established

[6]

Challenges

  • No official student or scholar mobility figures (e.g. UNESCO UIS) were found for Accords pairs.
  • The UAE Holocaust curriculum had no published timescale when it was announced. [9]

What to watch

  • UAE Ministry of Education updates on Holocaust teaching materials.
  • New university agreements and exchange cohort sizes.
  • UNESCO UIS inbound mobility data by country pair.

Sources

  1. ICL Group release, 13 Oct 2021: OCP and ICL back UM6P–BGU programmes
  2. Morocco World News, 30 Aug 2022: first UM6P–BGU student exchange
  3. MBZUAI news: collaboration with Weizmann Institute link being re-checked
  4. Times of Israel, Dec 2020: Moroccan schools to teach Jewish history link being re-checked
  5. WAM, 17 Jul 2021: food and water security MoUs with Israel
  6. US State Department archive: Negev Forum Steering Committee
  7. Negev Forum Regional Cooperation Framework (UAE MOFA)
  8. Israel Hayom, 29 May 2022: Israel–Morocco science agreement link being re-checked
  9. The National, 9 Jan 2023: Holocaust teaching in UAE schools
  10. UAE MOFA, 10 Jan 2023: Negev Forum working groups
  11. MBZUAI: joint AI programme with Weizmann link being re-checked
  12. US Embassy in Kazakhstan: A New Era in U.S.–Kazakhstan Relations (Nov 2025)
  13. NPR / AP, 7 Nov 2025

Sources checked on 27 Oct 2026. Figures show change over time, not cause. ⚑ marks a link being re-checked.