AUC Trustees Conclude their Annual Visit to The University

The Board of Trustees of the American University in Cairo (AUC) concluded their annual visit to the University as part of their weeklong visit to engage directly with various constituencies and gain first-hand knowledge of Cairo and AUC.  The trustees met with the members of the University Senate, student representatives, the Student Union, deans, and faculty and staff members. In addition to meetings with members of the AUC community, the trustees also met with key government officials including Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ashraf El Sheehy and U.S. Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft.The board also participated in a panel discussion on “The Current Landscape in Egypt,” hosted by Moataz Al Alfi, CEO of Egypt Kuwait Holding Company and vice chairman of the Board of trustees and featuring AUC trustees and faculty members from different disciplines. The panelists were Hisham El- Khazindar, co-founder and managing director of Qalaa Holdings; Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, chairman and managing director of the Commercial International Bank (CIB); Tarek Shawki, dean of the School of Sciences and Engineering at AUC and head of the Education Council and head of Egypt’s Specialized Council for Education and Scientific Research; Ziad Bahaa Eldin, attorney at law and former deputy prime minister for economic development and minister of international cooperation; Ibrahim Hegazy, professor, department of management, AUC and Hafez Mirazi, director of the Kamal Adham Center and professor of practice. The trustees also attended a number of presentations and participated in discussions on a wide range of topics, including the presidential search, facilities, finance and plans for enhancements in the academic area. Yesterday, the Chairman’s Dinner was also held in honor of President Lisa Anderson for her years of service to the university, and featured University supporters and partners, alumni, parents, faculty, students and staff, as well as ministers and heads of Egyptian universities. The October trustee meeting is one of three that take place each year: two in New York and one in Cairo. “AUC’s trustees are committed and actively engaged with the University, and the Cairo visit is a perfect opportunity for them to see things firsthand and have direct interaction with students, faculty and staff,” said President Lisa Anderson. Distinguished for their professional accomplishments in the areas of business, law, education, diplomacy, philanthropy and scholarship, AUC’s trustees are all volunteers who dedicate their time and resources to supporting the University. Coming from the United States, Egypt and elsewhere in the region, the trustees include Nobel laureates, ambassadors, corporate CEOs, philanthropists and university professors. The trustees do not receive a salary or compensation; they provide financial support and volunteer their time and expertise to the University.   AUC’s trustees include Dina Habib Powell, managing director and global head of corporate engagement at Goldman Sachs, Moataz Al Alfi, CEO of Egypt Kuwait Holding Company ; Hisham El- Khazindar, co-founder and managing director of Qalaa Holdings; Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, chairman and managing director of the Commercial International Bank (CIB), Ziad Bahaa Eldin, attorney at law and former deputy prime minister for economic development and minister of international cooperation and Ahmed Zewail, Nobel laureate and the Linus Pauling Chair Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology.