The United States Agency for International Development in Egypt awarded the American University in Cairo a $85 million grant, the second largest in its history, to support the "USAID Partnerships for Educational Progress" educational development program. The AUC's new five-year program aims to strengthen and develop higher education in Egypt through knowledge and capacity building in order to better focus on the country's development priorities. This grant comes on the heels of the AUC receiving the largest grant in its history, totaling $86 million, to support the USAID Egyptian Pioneers program. This makes the AUC the largest body implementing the agency’s higher education projects across Egypt.
Professor Ehab Abdel-Rahman, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at AUC, stated, "The USAID partnerships program for educational development is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, American and Egyptian higher education institutions, and the private sector". He also stated that this program accelerates the ministry's vision of transforming Egypt's public universities into modernized, world-class educational centers that are linked to market needs and feature cutting-edge technology and scientific resources. According to Abdel-Rahman, the vision also aims to prepare Egyptian students and connect them to the labor force. He mentioned that the program's participants include 12 higher education institutions, both public and private.
