Prof. Boukouray, before joining UIR, was the Dean of the School of Business, Law, and Vatel School of Hospitality at UIC-Laureate in Morocco. He holds degrees from Sorbonne, Paris III, and a Ph.D. in Social Semiotics & Marketing from UQAM & McGill University, focusing on brand communications, entrepreneurship, and fame manufacturing. At UIR, he played a pivotal role in rethinking the commercialization of R&D, intellectual property assets, and the Technology Transfer & Enhancement Office’s role by implementing 4.0 go-to-market strategies for early-stage technologies and spinouts. He also initiated the digital marketplace platform to showcase mature projects, technologies, and innovations, to promote patents and promising startups emerging from UIR’s 360° Incubator and launchpad. His career includes leadership roles as CEO of Pierre Cardin & Group Ethier International Canada, CEO of Airtel Telecom (Canada & CEMAC region in Africa), and VP of Marketing for LCI, Multidev Technologies. Featured in publications like Revue de Gestion HEC and Stanford Social Innovation Review, he has led initiatives like the creation of the first low-cost broadband network for Sub-Sahara Africa and mentored hundreds of startups and entrepreneurs in the MENA region & Africa.