Idea for a Story from the AUC Fact Book 2013
Slug:
AUC competes with GUC for the top university in Egypt.
Synopsis:
The American University in Cairo built a large campus in 2007 in which it focused on improving the school of engineering more than any other school through increasing the school’s faculty members and providing it with the most facilities. AUC’s rival is the German University in Cairo, which is known for it’s high standard of education in engineering. It’s possible that AUC put its attention on improving the school of engineering so it could achieve a higher reputation than the one in GUC.
Pitch:
The American University in Cairo moved to a newer, much larger campus in 2007, and since then the number of full-time faculty members in the school of sciences and engineering increased at a much higher rate than the rest of the schools. Since the initiation of the new campus, it seems that the attention was on providing the school of engineering with abundant professors and assistants, as well as the largest number of facilities within all the schools.
Is AUC stronger in the school of engineering than in any other school? No, It’s ranked highest in business. Was engineering its weakest school before it moved to the new campus? Could that be why AUC focused its attention on improving it? But if that’s so, why was most of its investment in the school of engineering, its weakness, when they could give more attention to the school of business, its strength? Could it be that all that effort was put into the school of business in AUC so it could compete with the one in the German University in Cairo, the top university in engineering in Egypt AND AUC’s rival? According to its website, GUC covers many fields in engineering education, including mechatronics, a field in which AUC does not specify in.
One of the most important things to an educational institution is its reputation. AUC and GUC have been the leading universities in Egypt for a long time, with GUC having the highest reputation for the schools of engineering… But what about after the AUC’s new campus came to life? AUC’s $400 million investment in 2007 was the opportunity for it to excel in all fields. Was beating GUC in the standard of engineering education one of AUC’s highest priority? If such a plan succeeded, AUC would definitely be the best University in Egypt, and that’s a motive to focusing on engineering education. AUC could have planned on becoming the best University in Egypt by achieving a better reputation than GUC. Is AUC looking out for the benefit of the Egyptian society by providing it with the most efficient national education as a whole (by focusing on its strength, business, than trying to compete with GUC in engineering), or are they just concerned with their reputation?
However, according to Engineering Education in Egypt, an evaluation paper written by three professors from Assiut University, “engineering education is considered one of the best of higher education in Egypt,” which creates another motive for AUC to excel in engineering education and that is to be ‘the best at the best’.
Statistics and information extracted from The AUC FactBook:
In 2007:
Full-Time faculty members in:
School of Business =59
School of Sciences and Engineering = 76
School of Humanities and Social Sciences = 238
Plus Administrators and others,
Grand total 413
In 2009:
* Journalism and Mass Communication was replaced by Accounting in the School of Business.
* The School of Public Affairs was initiated and included the Journalism and Mass Communication department.
Full-Time faculty member in:
School of Business = 44
School of Sciences and Engineering = 94
School of Humanities and Social Sciences = 239
School of Public Affairs = 33
Plus administrators and others,
Grand total 450
By 2013:
Full-Time faculty member in:
School of Business = 57
School of Sciences and Engineering = 130
Global Affairs and Public Policy = 41
School of Humanities and Social Sciences = 235
Plus administrators and others,
Grand total 49
Internet Sources:
www.aucegypt.edu, AUC FactBook
www.guc.edu.eg
Additional Source:
Engineering Education in Egypt by Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Shafie Taha, Professor and Former Dean Dr. Ahmed Abdel Moneim Abu-Ismail, and Professor and Dean Faculty of Engineering in Assiut University.
Interviews:
Tarek G. Shawki, Dean of Sciences and Engineering:
1- How would you compare AUCs school of engineering with the rest of the schools before moving to the new campus and today?
2- How would you compare AUC’s school of engineering with GUCs school of engineering before AUC moved to the new campus and today?
3- Is AUC concerned with increasing the educational standards of the school of engineering more than the rest of the schools? If yes, why?
An AUC engineering graduating senior:
1- Why did you choose to study engineering at AUC?
2- Did you consider studying in GUC? If yes, what made you choose AUC instead?
3- How would you compare engineering education in AUC with GUC in terms of facilities, faculty, and content covered in engineering courses?
4- What are your comments on engineering education in AUC? What are its perks and its drawbacks?