American University in Cairo

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American University in Cairo

The Emblem of the University
Established 1919
Type Private
President David Arnold
Staff Full-time 310
Part-time 256
Undergraduates 3,890
Postgraduates 1,013
Location Cairo, Egypt
Campus Downtown, Cairo
Website www.aucegypt.edu/

The American University in Cairo (AUC) (Arabic:الجامعة الأمريكية بالقاهرة)in Cairo, Egypt, was founded in 1919 by American Methodist Episcopal Missionaries, but quickly moved away from missionary endeavors in favor of being a more secular educational non-profit institution. While physically is located on Tahrir Square in the center of Egypt's capital, its Board of Trustees and some administrative offices are maintained in New York City, and the university responds to both American and Egyptian regulatory bodies. Additionally, while 90% of the students are of Egyptian nationality, the language of instruction is in English.

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[edit] Historical Development of Programs

Initially, AUC was intended to be both a preparatory school and a university. The preparatory school opened on October 5, 1920, with 142 students in two classes that were equivalent to the last two years of an American high school. The first diplomas issued were junior college-level certificates given to 20 students in 1923. At first an institution only for males, the university enrolled its first female student in 1928, the same year in which the first university class graduated with two B.A.'s and one B.S. degree awarded. Although Master's degrees were first offered in 1950, PhD diplomas are not currently available. AUC's high school division, known as the Lincoln School, was discontinued in 1951.

In 1960, AUC enrolled approximately 400 academic students. By 1969 the university had more than tripled its degree enrollments to over 1,300 students, 450 of whom were pursuing graduate studies. Since then academic program enrollments have grown to 5,022 students (Fall 2001), with 749 students at the master's degree level. Adult education expanded simultaneously and now serves approximately 30,000 individuals each year in non-credit courses and contracted training programs. The school is accredited by Egypt's High Board of Universities and by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. With this accreditation and its history, the University remains perhaps the most comprehensive and prestigious in the Middle East followed by the American University of Beirut. It ranks 1st in Egypt and 9th in Africa according to Webometrics Ranking of World Universities but falls heavily behind in world rankings because of the lack of governmental support for institutes of higher learning in Egypt. That is reflected in the mediocre ranking of the best state-run universities, Cairo University and Ain Shams University.

[edit] Recent Events

Currently, there are three campuses located in Tahrir Square area of Cairo. Due to the constrictions of the dense urban environment, these campuses are not surrounded by park-like areas in the traditional sense of American campuses. However, the three campuses' common areas and courtyards are a significant divergence from the bustle of downtown Cairo, acting as a welcomed oasis of sorts to students. A new campus is currently under construction in New Cairo, a suburb in the desert east of the main city. This new campus is expected to open in the Fall Semester of 2008.

A recent initiative to increase the University's intake and graduation of foreign students proficient in the Arabic language has been spearheaded by Dr. Mahmoud Abdel-Malik, who transferred from Cairo University to the AUC in 1996.

In 1998, the University has been portrayed in the Egyptian movie Sa`idy f-el Gam`ah al-Amrikiah (Arabic: صعيدى في الجامعة الأمريكية). The title literally means "An Upper-Egyptian enrolled in the American University" It met with some controversy, leading the University to initiate legal action -The film wasn't shot in the University campus. However, this was averted, and the AUC president invited the main character to the University for a public event.

The university is host to Egypt's only Masonic lodge, the Cairo Lodge No 5 F & AM, established in 1973.

The Main Campus also houses the American University in Cairo bookstore which holds the largest and widest array of English language literature in the Middle East. An auxiliary bookstore may be found at the school dormitories in Zamalek.

[edit] Attending the University

As stated on the American University in Cairo's official website, the University's mission is "to provide high quality educational opportunities to students from all segments of Egyptian society as well as from other countries, and to contribute to Egypt's cultural and intellectual life." Although the University's tuition, at $13,000 per year for foreigners and $5565 per semester for Egyptians— might preclude such accessibility for some, there are limited programs in place to reduce tuition for Egyptians.

[edit] Research Centers at AUC

The Social Research Center (SRC), the Desert Development Center (DDC), Arabic Studies Bio-bibliographic Research Unit, Forced Migration & Refugee Studies (FMRS), Institute for Gender and Women's Studies (IGWS), Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud Center for American Studies and Research, Science & Technology Research Center (STRC) and the Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber Center for Peace, Democracy and Sustainable Development.

[edit] Presidential Internship Program

Every year, the AUC gives a set of fellowships to young Americans of promise, known as the Presidential Internship Program. As part of their compensation they receive rooms in the dormitory (Beit at-Tulaab, Arabic for "House of the Students") at the crossroads of Muhammad Marashly and Ibn Thakib streets, in the well-known district of swank expatriate hang-outs and former pre-revolution aristocrat villas known as az-Zamalek (Arabic "الزمالك").

[edit] Major Student Organizations

The AUC is one of the most active universities in the middle east and Africa regarding student activities. Many of the prominent figures in the Arab world have graduated from AUC. - Student Union - Arab Youth Development Congress - Help Club - Model United Nations - Model Arab League - Volunteers in Action - International Student Leadership Conference - Cairo Friendship Association - Arab Cultural Integration Conference - Anti-Cancer & Anti-Drug Team - and many other academic, cultural, social, and ethnic Clubs.


[edit] Notable Alumni/ae

  • Suzanne Mubarak, Egypt's First Lady.
  • Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, Jordan's Queen.
  • Akil Beshir, Chairman of Telecom Egypt.
  • Tarek Amer, Deputy governor of Egypt's Central Bank.
  • Ahmed Gaballah, Software Engineer, Core Search, Google Inc.
  • Amr Waked Bachelor of Arts, Economics, Actor.
  • Gamal Mubarak, Muhammad Husni Mubarak's son,President Of NDP's policies committee (National Democratic Party).
  • Hisham Abbas, Bachelor of Science, Engineering, Singer.
  • Ahmed Thasmeen Ali Master, Political Science, current Home Minister of Maldives.
  • Mahmoud El Esseily, Bachelor of Arts, Mass Communication, Singer.
  • Mona El Tahawy, Famous Columnist and op-ed writer.
  • Nabil Fahmy, Egypt’s ambassador to the United States.
  • Iman Bibars, Renowned social researcher and philanthropist.
  • Hoda Badran, Chair of the Alliance for Arab Women.
  • Khaled Dawoud, US correspondent of Egypt's biggest news organization.
  • Haifa Al-Mansour, Saudi Arabia's only female filmmaker.
  • Azza Karam, UNDP senior policy research advisor.
  • Sadek Wahba, Managing director, global capital markets, Morgan Stanley.
  • Bassem S. El Baiady, senior support engineer for Oracle GPS, the newest Oracle global support center in Egypt’s new Smart Village.
  • Mohamed Aly (aka Mohaly),Writer & Trainer, Managemnt Consultant of the British Spot Local.
  • Lamis El Hadidi, '90, managing editor of Al Alam Al Youm newspaper.
  • John Brennon, President and chief executive, the Analysis Corp. (TAC).
  • Haytham El Mayergi, Director, Citigroup.

[edit] External links

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