7 - 13 February 2002
Issue No.572
|
Al-Ahram Weekly Online 7 - 13 February 2002 Issue No.572 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
The missing link
More channels of communication must be opened between global business and Egyptian academia if Egypt is to beat the recession. Fatemah Farag catches up with a man who aims to do just that
Amr Mortagy is not a man of many words. "My training as an engineer makes me brief and to the point," the Dean of the School of Business, Economics and Communication at the American University in Cairo (AUC) told Al-Ahram Weekly
Amr Mortagy
The Dean's job is a busy one. He has just launched his brainchild, the Business Advisory Council (BAC). The BAC will be charged with "reviewing, assessing and making recommendations about the mission and direction of the School of Business, Economics and Communication (BEC) and the underlying educational philosophies that drive its education, research and community service programmes."
It comes as no surprise that Mortagy is the man behind the scenes at the ambitious project. Since starting his career, he has been a multi-faceted character, flitting between engineering, business, academia and the practical world. "I never gave up any of these completely," he told the Weekly. "In fact, they all feed into each other."
He went on to explain how this approach might be beneficial. "In Egypt we have a problem, namely the lack of a strong relationship between academia and the job market. It has always been a concern of mine to build bridges between the two worlds."
The BAC, inaugurated last week, is just such a bridge. At its higher levels, it brings together specialists from various walks of life in the professional world including Gamal Mubarak, a leading member of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP); Abdel-Aziz Hegazi, former prime minister; Ibrahim Nafie, chairman of the board and chief editor of Al-Ahram; Fouad Sultan, former minister of tourism; and Arthur Lindenauer, chairman of oil company Schlumberger.
A pamphlet distributed during the event explained what the mandate of these high-profile people will be. They must assist AUC in keeping up with the "dynamic nature of the business environment, the changing regional and global markets and the integration of the computer and communication industries [which have] resulted in phenomenal changes in the way companies do business."
BAC will extend AUC's ability to reach out to the community within which it works, explained Mortagy. "The idea is to formalise our channels of communication with the business world. We are looking for guidance regarding the kinds of things the business community expects from our graduates," he said.
It will not be the first time AUC has taken the lead in fine-tuning university education to the needs of the market. Mortagy recalled the example of the Total Quality Management (TQM) training programme initiated by the university about 10 years ago. "We have been successful at bringing to light issues that no one was really aware of. At the time, we initiated a two-year campaign which prepared our graduates for issues related to the International Standards Organisation (ISO). We were the first to introduce this strategy."
Keeping ahead of the game and in tune with an erratic business world -- take the slump in the tourism sector, for example, which was formerly a boom industry -- can be no simple task. The current recession only adds to the difficulties.
In answer to these concerns, Mortagy simply shrugs his shoulders. "Yes, it is frustrating," he admits. "But in today's world, with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), you can buy products and technology from anywhere. The thing that really makes a difference is the human element. And while we cannot control everything, we must do our best to insure we are on the cutting edge when it comes to human development."
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page