Aawatif Hayar
Professor
Aawatif Hayar served as Morocco’s Minister of Solidarity, Social Inclusion, and Family (2021–2024), where she implemented impactful social policies and championed digital transformation and inclusive innovation. A trailblazing engineer and scholar, she was the first Moroccan to earn the prestigious Electrical Engineering teaching qualification with honors from École Normale Supérieure de Cachan (1992). She later earned an Advanced Studies Diploma and an Engineering degree in Signal Processing & Communications (1997, ENSEEIHT Toulouse), followed by a Ph.D. in Signal Processing & Telecommunications (2001, INP Toulouse). She completed two postdoctoral degrees in Cognitive Wireless Systems (2010, University of Toulon) and Green Telecommunications (2013, University Hassan II of Casablanca). From 2001 to 2010, she worked at EURECOM as a researcher and teaching associate.
Afterward, she served as a Professor at ENSEM, University Hassan II of Casablanca, until 2019. From 2019 to 2021, she made history as the second woman in Morocco to serve as President of Hassan II University of Casablanca. Prof. Hayar is a leading expert in sustainable smart cities, known for her “Frugal, Social, Collaborative Smart City” concept (recognized by IEEE in 2015). She co-founded E-Madina Smart City Cluster, chairs the Casablanca IEEE Smart City Project, and was named among Africa’s Top 10 Most Innovative Women. Her work focuses on green tech, smart grids, and inclusive ICT. She has held key roles in IEEE, AUF, and multiple urban innovation projects in Morocco.
Talk Title: IoT, Blockchain, Big Data Technologies and Predictive Analytics to Enable the Development of Cyber-Physical Smart Cities.