The team

BRAHIM FASSI-FIHRI

President and Co-Founder

A graduate in political science from the Université de Montréal, Brahim conducted research on international relations. Brahim launched the Amadeus Association in 2005. In 2007, he deepened his knowledge of the Euro-Mediterranean issues by integrating the General Directorate of the foreign relations of the European Commission. He was named during this period the person in charge of the Organizational Committee of the 11th Ministerial Conference Euromed Economic Transition.
As President of the Amadeus Institute, Brahim coordinates all the activities of the Institute and provides his expertise on the political and geostrategic issues. He is the initiator and the creator of the MEDays, an international forum held each year in Tanger. Brahim has developed an international network of personalities of the political and economic sphere and media, making the MEDays the annual meeting of the southern countries.

MEKKI LAHLOU

Co-founder and Advisor

A graduate in political science from McGill Univeristy in Montréal, holder of a master's degree in international relations and international law at Sciences Po Paris in addition to his PhD in air law and rights. Mekki is a specialist in international relations. He has worked in the international civil service, subsequently specializes in issues of liberalisation and deregulation of international air transport, particularly due to his work at the International Association of the air transport in Geneva.
At the Amadeus Institute, Mekki deals predominantly with foreign relations, and in particular with the partnerships and the financing of the activities of the Institute.

YOUNES SLAOUI

Cofounder and Advisor

Vice President and co-founder of the Amadeus Institute, he graduated from the French Ecole Nationale Administrative (ENA), Jean-Jacques Rousseau promotion, and from EM Lyon, Younes specializes in public administration, policy and business finance.
His experiences at Calyon and DTZ have allowed him to participate in business financing operations and financial consultancy. In his experience in the French Department in charge of energy and climate (DGEC), he has integrated the Mediterranean Union team solar plan (UPM) and commissioned a report on the nuclear power financing. Younes has also collaborated to the strategic thinking and the study of international development of the Lyon EM Group as project manager among the Director of this institution. At the Associative level, Younes worked in 2006 as President of the WAGGGS in Lyon and was regional Vice-President of WAGGGS (Moroccans Association for Higher Education). Younes provides his knowledge on the issues and challenges of economic and social development, and is a leading player in the strategic development of the Amadeus Institute.

Nada CHKIF

Secretary General, Head of Administrative and Financial Affairs

Engineer of the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts in Paris, Nada has a proven professional experience in positions of responsibility in the strategy and organization of French companies which have value specialization in negotiation and business implementation. Nada is also very involved in associations since 2006, she is a member of the Provincial Directorate of the NLC (National Confederation of Housing) and Vice-Chair of the Defence Housing within a municipality in Seine et Marne where she is also City Councillor Responsible for Housing since 2008. Nada supervise the financial division of the Amadeus Institute through partnerships and coordinates the Business MEDays. she was appointed Secretary General of the Insitute since January 2011.

Frederic BARANGER

Research Coordinator-Economics and Development Research Department

Frederic graduated from both the London School of Economics and Political Science and Sciences Po Lille. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law. His areas of expertise include development economics, as well as the politics of trade surrounding WTO negotiations. He has previously worked with the London based Re-Define think-tank on delivering tangible development solutions and helping advocate development friendly outcomes such as debt cancellation, reform of the financial system and an improved international policy environment on helping tackle capital flight. He worked as researcher for the Institute then he is from January 2011, Coordinator at the Center of Analysis and Publications of the institute.

 

Amine AMARA

Research Coordinator-Security and Conflict Prevention

A graduate in Economics and Management, from Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne University and holder of a Master’s degree in International Relations in defense Policy and military strategy at the “Ecole des Hautes Etudes Internationales” always in Paris, Amine has always been interested in the interstates relations studied through an economic and securitarian paradigm . After a stint in the French public administration, he gained extensive experience in Paris within a consulting office specialized in Political and electoral marketing, but also in Rabat as a communication manager at a government agency. Amine is since March 2011, research coordinator at the Amadeus Institute.

Talal SALAHDINE

External Relations Manager

Graduated from Reims University in France with a Master 2 Research in Strategic Management, Talal focused his work on economic integration and more specifically the challenge SME in the Maghreb region have to face with the advent of free trade agreement.  After a stint in the private sector, he integrated the United Nations System in Morocco, at the UNDP and then the UNWOMEN North Africa  office as staff in charge of communication in  the programs team. Talal is since February 2011 the Communication Manager of the Amadeus Institute.

Abdelfatah AIT AMMI

Research Fellow - Economy and Development, Center of Analysis and Publications

Abdelfatah AIT AMMI is a graduate of Colorado State University, USA, where he obtained a Bachelor in Political Science and Media Studies in May 2007. He further did postgraduate studies in communications at Colorado State University, where he also taught an introductory course in communications during the school year 2007-2008. Since January 2010, he began a Master in International Studies & Diplomacy at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. He started researching environmental issues as part of his Master’s thesis, which is about Morocco’s environmental policies with regard to international commitments undertaken. He also worked as a tutor with Centre of Academic Development at Al Akhawayn University. In summer 2010, he performed an internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In July 2011, he joined Amadeus Institute as an intern and since January 2012, he became a research fellow on environment and sustainable development.

Soraya Oulad Benchiba

Research Fellow - Economy and Development, Center of Analysis and Publications

Soraya graduated from Al Akhawayn University in December 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations.

She has interned with several international organizations such as USAID, UNDP, Management System International (MSI) and at the Embassy of South Korea in Rabat. She has also worked with the French multinational company Veolia Environment, an experience that inspired her bachelor thesis, which looked into the strategies of transnational corporations to implement sustainable development. After a two months overseas experience in Poland with the Amnesty International sponsored Peace Project, Soraya joined the Amadeus Institute as an intern in June 2011 in the Center of Analysis and Publication and became a research fellow in January 2012.