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For the Sixth Year: AUC Featured in Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges

For the sixth year, The American University in Cairo (AUC) has been named in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges. The University is among 420 schools that were chosen for the guide based on an analysis of their institutional commitment to the environment and sustainability. It joins a school in Canada, one in Ecuador and one in Greece as the only non-U.S.-based colleges on the list.

“We have achieved progress this year in the Princeton Review’s green rating – from 94 out of 99 in the prior submission to 98 out of 99 for this year,” shared Yasmin Mansour, AUC’s sustainability director.

Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief, noted that in a 2021 survey conducted by the review, 78% of 11,000 college applicants expressed interest in colleges with environmentally friendly practices, –– a 12% increase from the previous year.

“This recognition demonstrates our role as a global and regional model in terms of sustainability,” Mansour said. “We hope to continue implementing policies and programs that reinforce our commitment to maintaining an environmentally friendly institution.”

AUC is committed to sustainable practices through a variety of international measures. The Office of Sustainability keeps detailed data about the energy consumption on campus. Every month, the Energy and Resource Conservation and Efficiency Committee meets to discuss energy consumption trends and brainstorm how to reduce the demand. The University has full waste-sorting stations in the most frequented locations on campus, with plastic, cans and other trash options. AUC is also committed to providing more sustainable transportation options for its community members. To conserve water, the University uses treated wastewater to irrigate its landscape.

AUC is also the first higher education institution in the Middle East and North Africa to calculate its own carbon footprint, the annual total of carbon dioxide and other significant greenhouse emissions emitted into the atmosphere due to daily activities and campus operations at AUC New Cairo. AUC has been releasing its annual carbon footprint report since 2012.

AUC’s commitment to sustainability extends to its educational mission as well. AUC was the first University in the Middle East and North Africa region to offer a Master of Science in Sustainable Development with a focus on sustainability and green technologies. The University is also home to the Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES), a hub for advancing sustainable development and combating climate change in Egypt and the region.

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Founded in 1919, The American University in Cairo (AUC) is a leading English-language, American- accredited institution of higher education and center of the intellectual, social, and cultural life of the Arab world. It is a vital bridge between East and West, linking Egypt and the region to the world through scholarly research, partnerships with academic and research institutions and study abroad programs. 

The University offers 39 undergraduate, 52 master’s and two PhD programs rooted in a liberal arts education that encourages students to think critically and find creative solutions to conflicts and challenges facing both the region and the world. 

An independent, nonprofit, politically non-partisan, non-sectarian and equal opportunity institution, AUC is fully accredited in Egypt and the United States.