AUC, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Sign Public School Scholarships Agreement
AUC and Egypt’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the University to annually allocate 30 full-tuition scholarships to the government for Egyptian public school students who wish to pursue their undergraduate studies at AUC, in accordance with the University’s admission requirements. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research will nominate the students for the scholarships.
“We are proud to have been an integral part of Egypt’s higher education landscape and distinctive community for the last 100 years. We are committed to continuing to provide world-class educational opportunities and scholarships to top students from across Egypt,” said President Francis Ricciardone. “Since its foundation, AUC has endeavored to serve Egypt through education, research and cultural exchange.”
Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar noted that this agreement is part of the distinguished relations between Egypt and the United States, highlighting the important role played by AUC in the educational, scientific and research realms. He affirmed that AUC is part and parcel of Egypt’s educational system, emphasizing the significance of mutual and constructive cooperation between AUC and Egyptian universities in all educational, scientific and research areas.
Minister Abdel-Ghaffar also commended the recent collaboration between AUC and national universities in terms of establishing Centers of Excellence in Egypt, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, as part of the higher education initiative between the United States and Egypt. The three centers, worth a total of $90 million, aim to enhance higher education and scientific research in the country through conducting joint scientific research projects, training researchers and scholars to produce high scientific caliber, and establishing joint scientific programs and consultation centers that focus on and specialize in Egypt’s national priorities, particularly agriculture, energy and water.
The minister also expressed his appreciation for the role played by USAID in fostering relations between the two countries and providing scholarships for Egyptian students to study at AUC and other universities, including a recent agreement to provide full-tuition scholarships for 700 Egyptian students to study at AUC or any of AUC’s partner universities (Ain Shams University, Cairo University, Alexandria University, Assiut University, Mansoura University and Zewail City of Science and Technology), with a total cost of $36 million.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the ministry’s Acting Head of the Cultural Affairs and Missions Sector Camelia Sobhy and President Francis Ricciardone, who represented AUC’s Board of Trustees. The signing ceremony, which took place at AUC Tahrir Square, was attended by University Counselor Ashraf Hatem, the ministry’s Head of the Central Department for Cultural Cooperation Mayada Bilal, USAID Mission Director in Egypt Sherry Carlin, U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Helen LaFave and other prominent figures.
"On behalf of Helen LaFave and I, we are just delighted to be here today to witness the renewal of the partnership between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and The American University in Cairo," said Carlin. "The U.S. government believes that improving the quality of higher education in Egypt is critically important to the country's broad-based economic growth, and these two partners are central to achieving this goal."
The Memorandum of Understanding lies within the framework of a 1962 cultural relations agreement between the Egyptian and U.S. governments (signed on May 21, 1962), in addition to a 1975 protocol between AUC’s Board of Trustees and the Egyptian government concerning AUC’s status and organization (signed on November 13, 1975). AUC operates within the framework of the 1975 protocol with the Egyptian government, which in turn is based on the 1962 cultural relations agreement between the Egyptian and U.S. governments.
