Thanks to its strategic geographical position and the extent of its coastlines on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, Morocco is ultimately a maritime nation for which the sea constitutes a wealth and an undeniable heritage.

The strategic role played by the sea in the economic and social life of Morocco has always required that the country be armed with a solid maritime education and training system to meet the expectations and requirements of a sector geographically covering a space as vast as the Moroccan exclusive economic zone, which in particular, exceeds its terrestrial space.

The Higher Institute of Maritime Studies (ISEM) is an institution of higher education created in 1978 initially to train the officers of the Merchant Navy according to The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, commonly known as the STCW convention 1978 and the Directive 2008/106/EC of the European Union dated 19 November 2008.
ISEM is also the only institution in Morocco that provides such kind of training, and does so with excellence for young Moroccans and foreigners from Africa and the Arab world.

Both the Law 01.00 on the organization of the Moroccan higher education and the Decree No. 2-12-623 of 17 June 2013 reorganizing the Higher Institute of Maritime Studies, while strengthening the traditional missions of the institution, make ISEM an important tool for the development of the maritime, port, logistics sectors and related activities, through the extension, both quantitative and qualitative, of the mission of the institute covering, in addition to the traditional curriculums of deck and engine officers, graduate and postgraduate studies in the areas of planning and management of maritime transport, ports, logistics and international supply chain and related specialties.

ISEM is currently a center of excellence and expertise in maritime training, continuing education and scientific and technical research and expertise. In accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned decree law, ISEM endeavors to achieve excellence and promote the practice and the spirit of self initiative, competitiveness and innovation so that its graduates can adapt quickly to the requirements of an industry in constant changes due to a fast changing maritime environment.

ISEM intends to meet those challenges and embrace excellence in fulfilling its mission, through further opening on its socio-professional environment both in Morocco and globally. The Institute is already anchored in its professional environment and shall continue to build partnerships that will ensure its strategic position as a resource center for the maritime, port and logistics sectors.
ISEM also maintains international partnership relations that deserve to be consolidated and developed further to allow our students and faculty members to take advantage and learn from other pedagogical and scientific horizons.

Our faculty; principal capital of ISEM; characterized by multidisciplinarity and expertise is at the forefront of the development of maritime training and research, providing students with a framework oriented towards creativity, innovation and research and articulated around the founding principles and values commonly shared by maritime nations.

Great thanks to all ISEM faculty and administrative staff, who work tirelessly towards the development and outreach of our institution.

My congratulations and encouragements also go to our students for their ruthlessness and perseverance, without forgetting our fresh graduates wishing them every success in their professional and social life.

Dr. Mohamed BRIOUIG
Director of the Higher Institute for Maritime Studies- ISEM