AUC Builds on 100 Years as it Moves Forward

Dania Akkawi
@DaniaAkkawi

Marking the end of its first 100 years in Egypt and ongoing centennial celebrations, the American University in Cairo (AUC) is now looking toward developing educational standards and student experience for future generations.

The university hosted a media roundtable discussion titled “AUC: A new century, future plans and priorities” on September 10 at Watson House with President Francis Ricciardone, Counselor Ashraf Hatem and Provost Ehab Abdel Rahman to discuss the university’s achievements in recent years and how to build on them moving forward.

“We are proud to be celebrating our 100 years. As you all know, we started these celebrations last February with the Tahrir Cultural Center. This center is very important because it focuses on arts and culture,” Ricciardone said.

As the center plays a role in placing AUC at the heart of arts and culture in the city, it also emphasizes the university’s liberal education, both Ricciardone and Abdel Rahman expressed.

They agreed that AUC is concerned with culture, art, science and the development of its students via new academic programs and experienced faculty members.

Alongside these cultural developments comes the necessity to link AUC with other universities, or the Egyptian government, for the sake of research collaborations, Hatem said.

With that in mind, Abdel Rahman emphasized that research is one of AUC’s focal points and that the university has increased in the volume of published research carried out by professors.

“50 percent of that research has been published in top academic journals,” he said.

Abdel Rahman also pointed out that the number of foreign professors at AUC has increased recently. He explained that about 75 percent of the recent hirings on campus are foreign professors.

“This helps students look into new cultures and new types of educations. This makes our students graduate with more knowledge that can benefit the community and country,” he said.

As the president often identifies AUC as ‘Egypt’s global university’, part of the necessary educational experience is collaborations and exchange opportunities with other universities around the world.

“Last year, we visited a lot of universities… and we signed 34 new student exchange programs,” Abdel Rahman said.

“These visits are essentially for the benefit of our students. The main priority is for us to be able to get student exchange opportunities for university students,” he added.

Part of the AUC academic experience, regardless of the area of study, emphasizes the ‘entrepreneurial mindset’. This, according to Abdel Rahman, is necessary for students to learn how to apply the theory they are taught in classrooms.

“We want to ensure our graduates can graduate and not only find a job, but also create a job for himself or herself and others,” he said.

Despite the educational opportunities, AUC remains one of the most expensive options in Egypt. However, administration figures emphasized that financial aid is a readily available option for those who ‘qualify’.

“If you’re an Egyptian student, don’t worry about tuition. Worry about getting in… We want more of Egypt’s best. We want people to focus on dreams and ambitions. If you show ‘need’ and you qualify academically, then you can get a scholarship,” said Ricciardone.

“50 percent of our students, in one way or another, benefit from different scholarships and financial aid,” Abdel Rahman added .