Draft:National School of Forestry Engineering

The National School of Forestry Engineering - Salé (ENFI) is a French-style engineering school in Salé, Morocco.

History
Until the late 1960s, only technical agents and assistants were trained in Morocco by the Royal Forestry School (ERF) in Salé. As the number of trained engineers from French schools was insufficient to manage the forest heritage effectively, during the first Maghreb Forestry Week held in Tunis in 1967, the heads of the forestry administrations of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia approved the principle of training their own senior forestry officials in the Maghreb region. In line with this goal and recognizing the vital importance of forests and complementary forest development actions, the Moroccan government, with support from the UN special fund and FAO as the executing agency, established the National School of Forestry Engineering (ENFI) on December 2, 1968, within the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform to train senior forestry officials for the Maghreb. Pleased with the effectiveness of this training, forestry administration officials from Maghreb countries proposed extending this training to Sahelian countries and other African countries. Thus, ENFI welcomed its first non-Maghreb students starting from the academic year 1975. With the creation of ENFI, the development of higher forestry education and training has undergone several phases:

Phase I (1968-1970)
Forestry training was conducted over two years for bachelor's degree holders who completed two years of higher education at Science faculties or Agricultural Schools (such as IAV Hassan II or ENSAT in Tunis). Emphasis was placed on practical training and core technical activities: silviculture, forest management, soil conservation, forestry legislation, etc.

Phase II (1971-1985)
The agricultural education reform in 1971 led to a complete overhaul of the agricultural education system and the introduction of a common preparatory year for agricultural higher education (APESA). Following this reform, ENFI introduced a preparatory year focused on acquiring basic knowledge (Agronomy, Machinery, General Economics, Statistics, Botany, Bioclimatology, Topography, etc.). The FAO's first evaluation mission of this project led to the creation of a range of courses in forest pathway management and the introduction of end-of-study projects and inter-annual internships from 1972.

Phase III (from 1986 onwards)
A new reform of higher agricultural and forestry education began in 1986, unifying the training into a single six-year (Bac + 6 years) engineer framework. This reform aimed to meet current education and training needs and ensure better integration of trained professionals into the workforce. Since then, ENFI has provided training for State Engineers specializing in Water and Forests over six years divided into three cycles of two years each: the first cycle focuses on basic sciences, the second on general forestry, and the third on specialization.

Phase IV (from 1992 onwards)
The framework of Water and Forests is a paramilitary body at both national and international levels. In this spirit and in order to provide comprehensive training to trained professionals, and following Royal Directives, military training has been provided at ENFI since the academic year 1992-1993.

Mission of ENFI
The main mission of ENFI is to train Engineers of Water and Forests. The School also offers continuous training sessions and is authorized to conduct studies and research for Administrations and individuals related to forestry and sustainable management of natural and environmental resources. ENFI also participates in research programs and development projects conducted by national and international organizations.

For Moroccan Students
Only students who have successfully completed the preparatory years for agricultural higher education (APESA), offered by the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute in Rabat (IAV Hassan II) or the National School of Agriculture in Meknès (ENAM), can apply for forestry studies at ENFI, particularly those from the second year of the IAV "agronomy" program. Based on ranking and preference, 15 to 20 students are selected annually to pursue their forestry studies (2nd and 3rd cycles) at ENFI. In addition to this scientific selection, and for final admission to forestry studies, selected students must pass sports and psychotechnical tests.

For more information on admission requirements and the course of study at APESA, readers are referred to the websites of both institutions, IAV Hassan II and ENAM.

For Foreign Students
Since 1975, ENFI has welcomed foreign students from various countries, particularly African nations. Each year, a dozen places are reserved for them to pursue the 2nd and 3rd cycles at ENFI, provided they meet the following conditions:


 * Be under 25 years of age by October 1 of the admission year.
 * Hold a scientific baccalaureate or equivalent diploma.
 * Hold a DEUG in Biology-Geology or equivalent diploma.
 * Include academic transcripts from the first cycle and a handwritten motivation letter with the application.
 * Submit the application to ENFI through the Ministry of Cooperation.
 * Applications sent directly to ENFI individually are automatically rejected.

Complete applications received at ENFI through Moroccan cooperation are reviewed by a committee of teaching staff appointed by decision of the Management, which decides on the admission of foreign students based on available places.

Education
The education is conducted over six years divided into three cycles of two years each. It includes theoretical academic teaching, practical applications in the classroom and field, study tours, professional internships, and preparation of an individual thesis at the end of studies.

The first cycle, held at the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute or the National School of Agriculture in Meknès, focuses on acquiring scientific and agronomic foundations.

The 2nd cycle, at ENFI, consists of two years of forestry training for all students at the institution. The teaching emphasizes basic courses aimed at preparing students for fundamental forestry training in techniques and forest management.

The 3rd cycle, also at ENFI, is a two-year specialization cycle, with the first year dedicated to acquiring subject-specific knowledge and the second reserved for preparing a research thesis in one of six options: Forest Management, Ecology and Natural Resources Management (NRM), Forest Economics, Geomatics of Natural Resources, National Parks Management, and Valorization of Forest Products.