Villes Marocaines et Migrations

Nawal Benabdallah earned her architecture degree from ENA in 2000 and later pursued a doctoral degree in geography, specializing in "Environmental Management and Sustainable Development" under a UNESCO chair at the Center for Geographic Study and Research (CERGEO), completing it in 2016. Actively involved in research projects, she contributes to publications and scientific activities both nationally in Morocco and internationally. Since 2022, she has served as the founder and head of the research team "African Cities in Transition: Architecture, Urbanism, Environment, Society, and Innovation" at the Center for Global Studies at the International University of Rabat. Benabdallah's research focuses on sustainable urbanism and urban health, particularly addressing the rapid evolution of African urban environments. 

Prof. Mariame Chahbi, Ph.D., architect (ENA 2003-2009), professor and director of studies at the UIR School of Architecture.  After completing her master's degree in Sustainable Architecture at Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea, Mariame pursued her Ph.D. in Architectural Engineering at the University of Tokyo, Japan, where she became a member of the renowned Chiba Manabu Research Laboratory where she immersed herself in groundbreaking research on architectural innovation and urban development. Currently a researcher at the Center for Global Studies (CGS). As a co-founder of the research axis "African Cities in Transition: Architecture, Urbanism, Environment, Society and Innovation" at the CGS, Mariame is dedicated to exploring the unique challenges and opportunities facing African cities in the 21st century. her research focuses on the power of advanced technologies (AI, GeoAI, GIS, space syntax etc.) to enhance urban sustainability and create more adaptive and resilient urban environments of Moroccan and African cities. 

Youssef El Ganadi, an architect holding a PhD in Smart Cities and serving as a university lecturer at the International University of Rabat, is also recognized as an international member of beXLab in Florence. Since 2022, he has been a co-founder and active member of the research team "African Cities in Transition: Architecture, Urbanism, Environment, Society, and Innovation" at the Center for Global Studies (CGS). His research focuses on leveraging innovative urban planning strategies to address the complex challenges posed by the rapid urbanization of African cities, with a specific emphasis on sustainable architecture and smart urban development. Additionally, in 2022, he assumed the presidency of buildingSMART Morocco, and in 2023, he took on the role of scientific coordinator for the BIM Master SUArch, with a focus on "Sustainable Architecture and Smart Cities."

Zinab Himeur is an architect, lecturer, and a doctoral candidate at the National School of Architecture in Rabat, Morocco. Her project, titled "Roofs of Morocco: Forms, Uses, and Symbolisms," encompasses architecture and the anthropology of the built environment. She is an associate doctoral researcher at the African Cities in Transitions Research Center (CGS/UIR) and a member of the Research Network on the History of Architecture in Morocco in the 20th-21st Centuries (RHAM).