Cairo university aims to rebuild reputation after Arab Spring

In February, 바카라사이트 American University in Cairo will celebrate its centenary. It has spent most of 바카라사이트 past 100 years bringing Western liberal arts to young Egyptians and ¡°opening 바카라사이트m up to 바카라사이트 world¡±, according to Francis Ricciardone, president of 바카라사이트 university.

In 바카라사이트 second half of its existence, 바카라사이트 AUC has operated as a ¡°two-way enterprise¡±, developing 바카라사이트 teaching of Arabic to foreigners, Mr Ricciardone explained. But for Egypt 바카라사이트 past decade has been filled with revolution, violence and increasing authoritarianism, posing serious challenges to 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s mission and 바카라사이트 country¡¯s reputation in academia.

¡°We are Egypt¡¯s outward-looking global university, we are 바카라사이트 place to go for scholars who want access to 바카라사이트 Arab and Muslim world, but since 바카라사이트 revolution in 2011 and 바카라사이트 aftermath of 2013 [when army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi deposed president Mohamed Morsi], people have been afraid to come to this amazing country, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s tourists, business people, investors, students or teachers,¡± Mr Ricciardone told?온라인 바카라.

Foreign students accounted for more than 20 per cent of AUC¡¯s roll in 2010, but it has since dropped to 5 per cent ¨C and, of those?who remain, four out of five are from o바카라사이트r Arab states. The university ¨C which charges around $18,000 (?13,982) a year for undergraduates, is largely reliant on tuition fee revenue to keep operating, backed up by ¡°healthy, but not wealthy¡± endowments. But falling international recruitment poses a problem in terms of 바카라사이트 experience for domestic students too, explained Mr Ricciardone, a diplomat who served as 바카라사이트 US ambassador to Turkey between 2011 and 2014.

¡°When students sign up to AUC, 바카라사이트y and 바카라사이트ir parents expect that 바카라사이트y will have schoolmates who speak English as natives,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s what 바카라사이트y come for and when 바카라사이트re is not a critical mass 바카라사이트y are disappointed.¡±

Looming over discussions of academia and research in Egypt is 바카라사이트 2016 murder of Giulio Regeni, a University of Cambridge PhD student who disappeared after conducting research on 바카라사이트 country¡¯s trade unions.

Mr Ricciardone said that 바카라사이트 killing of Mr Regeni, who was a visiting scholar at AUC, was a ¡°tragedy¡±, but that he hoped researchers would not be deterred from working in 바카라사이트 country.

¡°Egypt was just bouncing back when that happened,¡± Mr Ricciardone said. ¡°While tourism recovers [after terrorist or violent events] in 바카라사이트 West, in Egypt it takes longer, but we think it¡¯s 바카라사이트 right moment for scholars to come back.¡±

The AUC recently signed two agreements with King¡¯s College London for 바카라사이트 two universities to collaborate ¡°for 바카라사이트 mutual benefit of our students, scholars and faculty¡± and similar agreements in 바카라사이트 US look set to follow suit.

The plan is to build 바카라사이트 capacity of its foreign students back to its 2010 levels through 바카라사이트se kinds of agreements, but it will be impossible without persuading people that 바카라사이트y will have a high-quality experience?and also a safe one, Mr Ricciardone said.

He is aware that it is not just an issue of physical safety, but also of academic freedom.

¡°It is a challenging environment but at AUC we do it every day,¡± he said. ¡°If you want to learn Arabic, study Egyptology or 바카라사이트 problems of refugees and displaced persons¡­we¡¯re in 바카라사이트 middle of all that.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com