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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 June 1999 Issue No. 432 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 June 1999 Issue No. 432
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Interview Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Improving the offering
By Fatemah FaragFinding the right place to set up campus is never easy -- even in 1914. At the time, the search for a suitable location on which to establish the American University in Cairo (AUC) began near the Giza Pyramids and ended on a plot of land which was originally part of the plantations and palatial grounds of Ibrahim Pasha. This is where the main building of the university stands today, overlooking Tahrir Square. The campus struggles to absorb the waves of students enrolling each year, who have to push and shove through the buildings and fight their way along the busy streets that surround them from all sides. The situation is described aptly by John Gerhart, president of the university, who commented, "We are choking downtown and are unable to expand."
Hence, AUC announced on Tuesday plans to move to a new location. Gerhart made public at a news conference, attended by Atef Ebeid, Minister of the Public Business Sector, the names of six international planning and architectural firms that will compete to design the new campus.
An area of 250 feddans (one million square metres) in New Cairo, 39 kilometres east of the present location, was purchased in September 1997. A site survey, geotechnical study, as well as the first phase of facilities space programming were undertaken last January. Architect Hussein El-Sharqawi was appointed as vice-president for the new campus development. An international design competition was held, and out of 53 firms, six were chosen to compete for the vote of a seven-member jury, led by Ismail Serageddin, vice-president of the World Bank. The verdict will be announced next August.
Plans for the new campus reflects changing times. Prior to AUC's takeover, what is known as the main building used to be a palace built by Khedive Ismail. In the late 1890s, a Greek by the name of Nestor Gianaclis bought the property, converting it into a tobacco factory. The re-modeling which took place later on, not only won honourable mention at the Chicago World Fair in 1896, but also set the palace on the road to conversion to the Egyptian University in 1908, before it became official AUC property in 1919. Additions to parallel the expansion of the educational institute were made, including Oriental Hall in 1932, the Science Building in 1966 and the Greek Campus, whose development began in the 1960s -- an ad hoc process that responded to needs as they arose.
The guidelines issued by the university today to the bidders are precise, including such considerations as environmental friendliness. "We are targeting local building materials, the maximum use of natural light and the recycling of waste," boasted El-Sharqawi.
The comprehensive plan, said Ebeid, is "expected to present a real model of urban development." He expressed hope that the construction of the new campus would "go hand in hand with a massive plan for the whole area, in which the campus itself would be the star. We want the campus to lead."
To anyone surprised at the level of government representation at the press conference, Gerhart explained that Ebeid had been "instrumental in persuading AUC to move and negotiated the purchase of the land. He has played a visionary role."
Ebeid himself noted that "the decision came at the right time as Egypt is completing the switch to a market economy -- an economy which is searching for competent protagonists for competition in an international arena. Excellent education is urgently needed, and time is very precious as we move towards integrating into a competitive global economy."
Hence, Ebeid described the project as a landmark of the 21st century. He said he found no irony in the fact that it would be the AUC, a private institution, that would become a "landmark," as opposed to an Egyptian facility, that is, one of those supported for years by the government as part of a mandate to provide free and good quality education to all.
"AUC is the best example of a private organisation seeking to mobilise resources for excellence and not profit," Ebeid said. The minister was quick to add, however, that in addition to government support for the AUC, "we have a responsibility to mobilise more resources for public universities. We do have an obligation and a commitment to improve public institutions, which absorb the majority of students, especially those who cannot afford to pay tuition in private places."
Ebeid also said that "the long lasting friendship between Egypt and the United States is a symbol of excellence .... Twenty years ago, we had the opportunity to get educated in the most modern campuses in the world -- the American campuses. Today we see the realisation of that dream in Egypt."
The cost of the new campus is estimated at a staggering $200 million, which will be met by a fund-raising campaign that will continue for eight to ten years, part of the university's endowment and the sale of some of the downtown properties after the move. The result, according to the administration, will be the most modern university campus in the Middle East.
To match the extensive investment in infrastructure, Gerhart pointed out that the university "intends to have some expansion in its programme." This includes the recent addition of two new departments, history and biology. Further, by the time of the move -- expected to take place in the summer of 2007 -- an electrical engineering major will be added and there will also be "slight expansions of the existing departments."
"We have a historic commitment to academic excellence and the purpose of the new campus is to improve the quality of the offering. Also, the new campus will contribute actively to the development of New Cairo."
