Professor Rachid Hakkou holds a postgraduate diploma (DESS) in Subsoil Resource Development from the Nancy School of Geology in France. In 1993, he earned a doctorate in Geosciences and Raw Materials from the Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine. He later obtained a PhD in Waste Management and Treatment in 2001 from Cadi Ayyad University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Marrakech.
Prof. Hakkou is currently a Professor of Higher Education at Cadi Ayyad University, where he teaches the Mining Environment module in the Earth Sciences Department and the Industrial Chemistry and mineral processing module in the Chemical Sciences Department. Since 2006, he has served as an Affiliate Professor at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Benguerir, Morocco.
His research focuses on mine waste valorisation and the development of innovative strategies for the rehabilitation of mine sites.
Between 2009 and 2018, Prof. Hakkou led the International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada) Research Chair on Management and Stabilization of Industrial and Mining Waste at Cadi Ayyad University. Throughout his career, he has delivered numerous lectures and seminars on mine waste management and post-mining rehabilitation. He has also authored over 180 scientific articles in international journals, with a scopus h-index of 40. Additionally, he has chaired three international congresses dedicated to mine waste management and post-mining sustainability.
His contributions to research and innovation have been widely recognized through several prestigious awards. In 2016, he received the Hassan II Prize for the Environment (2015 Edition) for his work on Mine Waste Management for Sustainable Mining Development in Morocco. In 2020, he was honored with the David Hopper Award for Leadership in Research for Development by IDRC Canada. More recently, in 2024, he was awarded the Erasmus Mundus Impact Award during the 20th anniversary celebration of the Erasmus Mundus program, at a reception hosted by the EU Ambassador in Morocco.
Cadi Ayyad University (UCA) (https://www.uca.ma/en)
Cadi Ayyad University (UCA) is one of Morocco’s leading public universities, recognized for its excellence in education, research, and innovation. Through its multidisciplinary approach and strong international partnerships, UCA actively contributes to addressing globalchallenges related to sustainability, environmental protection, and responsible resource management.
The IMED-Lab (Innovation, Materials, Energy and Sustainable Development Laboratory) is one of the most active research laboratories at UCA. It conducts applied and interdisciplinary research in the fields of environmental engineering, sustainable mining, water treatment and reuse, waste valorization, circular economy, and the remediation of contaminated sites. The laboratory collaborates closely with industrial and institutional partners to develop innovative, efficient, and sustainable solutions to environmental and resource management challenges. Through its research and technology transfer activities, IMED-Lab contributes to advancing sustainable development and promoting responsible resource use at both regional and international levels
