MAE Center Director visits the American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo (AUC) is an elite university that ranks amongst the very top in the Middle East and Mediterranean region. The College of Engineering and Science has been expanding for several years, and continues to attract both top students and research projects, as well as large endowments from its distinguished alumni. The University has moved this year to a brand-new campus on the outskirts of Cairo, and the College of Engineering and Sciences has occupied its new state-of-the-art building comprising over 300,000 square feet of exceptionally well equipped space. The ABET re-accreditation visit to the College this year resulted in a report that identifies no weaknesses or issues to be addressed; a testament of the great vision and leadership of the University and the College.
During a recent trip to the Middle East, Center Director Amr Elnashai paid a visit to the AUC and met with Professor Amr Salama (The Councellor, and former Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research) and Professor Medhat Haroun (Dean of Engineering and Sciences, former Chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of California, Irvine, USA). Amr visited the University in his capacity as the Illinois College of Engineering Director and Chair of the Council on Global Engineering Initiatives. With the drive from the AUC for the establishment of world-class PhD programs, to complement the Masters degree programs already underway, there is a keen interest from the AUC side for cooperation with world-leading universities like Illinois. From the Illinois side, having a stream of top quality students from the AUC undertaking their PhDs here in Urbana, with their high potential for rising through the ranks in the Middle East, is an excellent realization of the vision of the Council on Global Engineering Initiatives. Dean Haroun may be visiting Illinois this Spring to discuss with Dean Adesida possible cooperation on graduate education. It is hoped that agreement would be reached in the short term for exchange of students and faculty, and mainly in Illinois hosting of PhD candidates in key areas of interest to the two sides.
