The Rovira i Virgili University (URV) has created the new Chair of Moroccan Studies, promoted by the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Morocco in Tarragona, with the support of the Port Authority of Tarragona and Kassid Formación, with the aim of strengthening Euro-Mediterranean relations.
Today, the official signing of the agreement establishing this new Chair took place, marking a key institutional milestone that consolidates the commitment of all the entities involved to reinforce academic cooperation between the Catalan university and the Kingdom of Morocco.
This new Chair, created by the Rovira i Virgili University, is a pioneering initiative at both the Catalan and national levels. It aims to deepen knowledge, dialogue and cooperation between Catalonia and Morocco. Attached to the Department of History and History of Art, the Chair is conceived as a strategic space for research, education and knowledge transfer focused on a country with which Catalonia shares a long history of interconnections, mutual influences and common challenges.
Directed by Professor of Art History Jordi À. Carbonell Pallarès, the project responds to the growing need to build solid and lasting bridges between the two shores of the Mediterranean, in a context shaped by human mobility, cultural diversity, economic exchange and international cooperation. The Chair seeks to become a scientific, institutional and social reference point, promoting new perspectives on contemporary Morocco and on its political, social, cultural and economic relations with Catalonia.
Main areas of action
The Chair’s activities are structured around three main pillars:
Interdisciplinary research: projects on shared history, migration, socio-economic development, Orientalism, memory policies, tangible and intangible heritage, archaeology, paleoanthropology and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. The Chair will also promote the digitization and preservation of Moroccan heritage, as well as comparative studies between Mediterranean societies.
Teaching and training: thematic seminars, participatory workshops, mobility programs with Moroccan universities and immersive study trips. The objective is to train students and young researchers from an intercultural, critical and global perspective.
Knowledge transfer: organization of academic events, conferences, lecture series, publications, educational resources and community-based initiatives aimed at bringing knowledge closer to citizens and strengthening social cohesion.
In addition, one of the Chair’s priorities will be to give visibility and support to the significant Moroccan community living in Catalonia, encouraging its active role in building a more just, inclusive and intercultural society.
A space to rethink Mediterranean relations
URV emphasizes that this Chair reflects a strong commitment to public service and social impact. Through a critical and plural approach, it aims to overcome stereotypes and simplified perceptions of Morocco by creating spaces for shared knowledge that foster more balanced, inclusive and respectful narratives. At a time when Euro-Mediterranean relations are undergoing profound political and social transformations, the Chair aspires to act as a key player in intercultural dialogue and international cooperation.
A strategic tool for the future
With this initiative, URV reaffirms its commitment to excellence in research, internationalization and the promotion of a culture of dialogue. The Chair of Moroccan Studies seeks to position Tarragona and its university campus on the map of Euro-Moroccan studies and to consolidate a space for exchange and collaboration between institutions, professionals, students and citizens.
