Intrenational Center for Biosaline Agriculture

Dr. Elouafi has been consistently ranked amongst the 20 Most Influential Women in Science in the Islamic World. Since 2012, she has served as the Director General of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), where she was selected to steer the organization with robust fiscal and process control, providing direct focus upon non-core funding growth, driving an expanded mandate, and supporting reputational growth as a Center of Excellence for Research and Development in marginal environments. Prior to that, Dr. Elouafi held management positions with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She also worked as a scientist with several international research organizations, including the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), and International Maize and Wheat Center (CIMMYT).

Dr. Elouafi has a doctoral degree in Genetics from Cordoba University in Spain. She received both her Master of Science in Genetics and Plant Breeding, and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, from the Hassan II Agronomy and Veterinary Institute in Morocco. She has a passion for science, its management, and its integration with policy. She believes that science should be the basis of decisions and development plans, in order to achieve efficiency and alleviate discrimination and poverty.

She is a recipient of many international awards, including the Excellence in Science award from the Global Thinkers Forum (2014), and the National Reward Medal by His Majesty Mohamed VI, the King of Morocco (2014). In 2014, Muslim Science ranked Dr. Elouafi among the 20 Most Influential Women in Science in the Islamic World under the Shapers category, and the CEO-Middle East Magazine listed her among the World’s 100 Most Powerful Arab Women in the Science category.