AUC Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Yousef Jameel MBA Fellows Program
In a friendly and entertaining ambiance, the Jameel MBA fellows celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Yousef Jameel MBA Fellows Program. Coming from different educational backgrounds, the Jameel MBA fellows recited their success stories paying gratitude to Yousef Jameel who helped pave the way for their prosperous careers.
Established in 2004, the Yousef Jameel MBA Fellows Program has recruited 10 cohorts, graduating a total of 152 fellows and 45 students are currently enrolled. In front of a crowd full of successful engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs and pharmacist, Adham Ramadan, dean of the graduate studies program at AUC, praised the quality of the graduates, who “moved on to become recognizable achievers making significant contributions in their different professions.” Ramadan added that the students were fortunate not only because they lived the unique AUC experience but because they were part of this unique Yousef Jameel MBA Fellows Program. “Jameel is a remarkable visionary who deeply believes in the key of knowledge for the success of future generations,” affirmed Ramadan. “In this respect, he has been generously supporting generations of AUC students.”
It is worth noting that the School of Business has recently been accredited by the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), making it one of only 70 business schools worldwide — out of nearly 14,000 — as well as the first in the Middle East and third in Africa, to achieve triple-crown accreditation from EQUIS, the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). According to Ahmed Abdel Meguid, chair and director of the MBA program, the achievements of the School of Business would not have been possible without the students’ support and the support of Jameel. “You should all be proud to be part of this School and have it stated on your CV,” said Abdel Meguid, who asserted that the School will live up to its philosophy, which is to seek “continuous improvement.”
Several MBA fellow graduates spoke about their lives after graduation and how AUC helped them reach their goals. Ahmed Osama ’00, ’05, ’07, project manager at ENPPI, shed light on one of Egypt’s most critical problems – the energy crisis. According to Osama, one of the solutions to resolve the energy crisis is to use agricultural waste, which will positively contribute towards sustainable development. Osama, who went on to pursue a master’s degree in sustainable development at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, reflected the importance of the AUC education, which empowers students to make a difference and provide solutions to their countries problems. “AUC made me realize my social responsibility,” he added, “I also owe a lot to Mr. Jameel, who is one of the few successful businessmen in the region who have made contributions to the local community, the region and the whole world. I consider him my role model.”
Walid Khalil ’08 talked about his two start-ups, Oreena and Olkya. Oreena is a platform which provides insight on the different types of distribution channels mainly focusing on information technology and electronics, whereas Olkya is a consumer electronics product manufacturer relying on research and development.
During the ceremony, Osama Hagag ’01, ’08, executive coach, played a game with the attendees to take them out of their comfort zone and to allow them to look at each other and at themselves from a different perspective. The purpose of the game was to see how people view each other and to have more confidence in one’s self.
More fellows talked about their different journeys through life after they graduated from AUC and how being part of the Yousef Jameel MBA Fellowship Program has contributed greatly not only to their professional success but to the development of their communities.
