AUC chief gives 'thumbs up' to Education City

The president of one of the top American universities in the Middle East has said that he is impressed with the way Education City in Qatar has been modelled.

In an exclusive interview with Gulf Times, David Arnold of the American University in Cairo (AUC) which marked its 90th year recently, said the “Education City model has a sustainable strategy”.

“We are happy with the Education City model … and believe we can work on co-operative arrangements with schools there,” Arnold, the 10th president of AUC, said.

The AUC, which boasts of strong liberal art programmes, already has an arrangement with Qatar University. When asked whether the mushrooming of American universities across the GCC has reduced prospective students’ interest in the AUC, he said programmes at the AUC continue to complement what the other universities are offering.

“It’s not about competition (with them). The challenge is really to give strength to each other,” Arnold added. Founded in 1919, the university has recently moved to its sprawling new 260-acre location – 29 times bigger than the previous space.

The new design is aimed at accommodating 5,500 full-time students and 1,500 faculty and staff and has been built with technological advancements and the environment in mind: there are over 5,000 trees, shrubs and plants that have been propagated, all grown at the AUC’s very own Desert Development Centre.

“For the construction, the trustees authorised a $100mn campaign that began in 1997. Many were sceptical of the target but at the conclusion we were pleased to have raised $125mn,” the official said.

A US-chartered university, the entire campus is designed to comply with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and houses 136 classrooms, 145 science and engineering labs, 55 non-science labs and studies, 727 faculty offices. There are over 40,000 alumni from at least 100 countries, including 104 in Qatar.

“Part of the reason we are here is to celebrate with the alumni in Qatar that also includes 15 Qataris, and to raise funds,” James Bullock, vice-president for Institutional Advancement, explained. Noted alumni include Queen Rania of Jordan, Suzanne Mubarak, the first lady of Egypt and dozens of accomplished businessmen and diplomats.

While current undergraduate and graduate programmes continue to generate strong interest, a source of pride for the AUC is its Arabic language programme.

“As a major Arabic language centre, many Americans come to learn the language. It’s a gateway to people who wish to specialise in the Middle East,” Bullock said.

“The AUC is the second oldest university in Egypt. It’s been part of the intellectual landscape, has contributed to the cultural life of Cairo … and has served as a bridge between the East and the West,” Arnold added.