By: Amal Abdel Wahab
Continuing Egypt’s endeavors towards a new modern state, the country has implemented several mega infrastructure projects to drive growth and sustainability while enhancing living standards. Hence, the country began constructing an extensive network of roads connecting all the cities with each other, before establishing new fourth-generation cities along with their related facilities, including universities.
The establishment of new universities, some of which already began operations, is a milestone that showcases the Egyptian state’s commitment to upgrading the higher-education system amidst the rapidly growing youth population and ever-changing market needs.
In addition to providing more private options that adhere to the highest international standards, the Egyptian government was keen to establish new national universities, catering mostly to the upper-middle income segment. The new national universities are situated in many cities, such as Assiut, Helwan, Beni Suef, Benha, Aswan, Menia, and Mansoura. Other new technological universities are in the process of being set in the state in the meantime.
Noteworthy to highlight, the national universities are set to be operated in a non-profit capacity, where any surplus generated by them will be repumped into growing their facilities and making sure their quality is upheld.
The new educational venues, including those built at promising fourth-generation cities, are set to offer a full range of undergraduate majors in line with modern technological sciences and advanced scientific disciplines. In this feature, we will spotlight some of the national and international smart universities that have been recently inaugurated nationwide.
- New Alamein
Al Alamein International University (AIU)
Founded in 2020, the fourth-generation university was established as per a presidential decree over an area of about 150 acres. The EGP 11 billion smart university offers majors covering 12 fields of study that include: Engineering, Computer Engineering, Arts and Design, Computer Science, Business, Medicine, and Dental Medicine.
Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT)
Spanning a land area of 65 acres, AASTMT has built a new state-of-the-art campus in the promising Alamein City. The new EGP 9 bn branch offers several undergraduate majors in the fields of: Industry, Medical Sciences, Administrative Sciences, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- Suez Governorate’s Galala City
Galala University (GU)
Inaugurated to be Egypt’s first-ever smart-university, Galala University (GU) adheres to the “Fourth Generation Universities” worldwide, which places scientific research, local and international job requirements, as well as hands-on experience at the core of its learning strategy.
Based in Galala city, 700 meters above sea level, GU extends over an area of 173.5 acres and has a capacity for up to 25,000 local and international students. The EGP 7.9 bn university comprises over 60 distinct programs and includes colleges covering various disciplines such as: Computer Science, Engineering, Media Production, Architecture Engineering, Social and Human Science, Food Industries, Nursing, and Administrative Sciences.
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University
Developed under the supervision of Egypt’s Armed Forces Engineering Authority, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University is a project that reflects Egypt’s efforts to achieve a real breakthrough in several areas crucial to Egyptian citizens.
Housed in one of Egypt’s new fourth-generation cities, the smart university stretches over 100 acres. Moreover, it comprises 13 colleges offering majors in non-traditional disciplines, including modern agriculture, solar power generation technology, wind and mining, in addition to renewable and nonrenewable power.
- Sinai
King Salman International University (KSIU)
King Salman International University (KSIU) is a new smart university situated in the heart of Egypt’s Sinai. Spanning a total area of 300 acres, the university operates from three smart campuses at Al Tur, Sharm El-Sheikh, Ras Sedur.
With a capacity of 25,000 students from all over the world, the EGP 10.5 billion national university offers 17 academic fields with 56-study programs of high demand locally and globally in disciplines such as: Medicine, Basic Sciences, Engineering, Art & Design, Marketing & International Business, Veterinary Medicines, Tourism, Hospitality, Al-Alsun and Applied Languages, Computer Science, among others.
- New Mansoura, Daqahliya
New Mansoura University (NMU)
Founded in 2021, NMU is a new Egyptian national university that extends over 128 acres. The non-profit EGP 8 bn university was established as per a presidential decree and includes 14 colleges in different majors such as: International Legal Relations, Business, Advanced Basic Sciences, Engineering, Pharmacy, and Medicine.
- The New Administrative Capital
The Arab world’s most populous nation attracted many world-renowned international universities to set up branches in the New Administrative Capital. The foreign educational hubs include:
University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI)
The Canadian Universities Foundation in Egypt hosts a branch of UPEI that offers four-year degrees in Business Administration, Science, and Design Engineering.
Ryerson University
The Canadian Universities Foundation in Egypt hosts a satellite campus of Ryerson University providing degrees in Engineering and Architectural Science, as well as Communication and Design.
British Coventry University,
The Foundation for International Knowledge Universities hosts a branch of British Coventry University, which developed a range of four-year undergraduate degrees in the areas of Business, Engineering, Computing and Creative Design. Launched in 2019, the new branch was developed under a partnership between El Sewedy Education and Coventry University in the UK.
British University of Hertfordshire (UH)
The Global Foundation hosts the UH branch. This UH branch is the first full-fledged branch campus of a British university in Egypt that includes all UH schools and faculties, bringing internationally accredited bachelor degrees from the UK to Egypt.
University of London and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)
The European Universities Foundation in Egypt hosts a branch of the UCLan. The university has a large number of students from Egypt, allowing it to create a thriving Middle Eastern and North African Society.
In addition to the above, the New Administrative Capital houses other top-notch universities such as the German International University (GIU) and the International Hungarian University.
Attracting prestigious international universities to open branches in the Arab world’s most populous nation is a step that will contribute to improving Egypt’s higher education and scientific research systems, equipping students with the required experiences and skills to compete internationally.