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"One of the fastest growing universities in Egypt"

Education expert Ahmed Hamad, President of the British University of Egypt, shares his views on the education sector in the country

How is BUE positioned as an educational leader?
Starting from our inauguration about 10 years ago, BUE has incorporated accreditation standards that comply 100 per cent with Britain's Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education. What's more, our dual degree and certificate system grants our students accreditation from Egypt, as well as one of our three partnering universities in the UK. BUE is also one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in Egypt. In our 10 years, we have grown from 200 students in three faculties to 7,800 students in seven faculties, with two new faculties being inaugurated next year.

What part is BUE playing to improve the quality of education?
Last January, BUE signed an agreement with Beijing's Tsinghua University to develop "TusPark", which will be the first science park in Africa and the Middle East, stimulating research and innovation, and support the creation of spin-off companies. It will provide consultancy and marketing services to start-ups, as well as the platform needed to communicate with international companies and pitch ideas to investors. As of now, the park is planned to serve Egypt in several areas, including the electronic, gas and petro- chemical, new and renewable energy, and pharmaceutical development industries.

How are Egypt's education standards evolving?
Egyptian universities must now adopt 95 per cent of Britain's education code, as stipulated by the UK's QAA. Mandatory compliance of these new regulations are part of President Al Sisi's ambition to boost the quality of education and will be governed by Egypt's newly formed accreditation body - the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education (NAQAA).

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