Global outlooks bring reform to education

One institution in particular has seen standout success in bringing international standards into the Egyptian education system. Future University Egypt (FUE), a member of the Azazy Group, has gained attention not only on a national level, but has also attracted students from around the world. “The Azazy Group has over 20,000 students, and almost 20 per cent of our students are foreign or international students from countries like the U.S., Canada, Nigeria and other Arab states,” explains Chairman and CEO Khaled Azazy.

Established in Cairo by the late  Dr Hassan Azazy, an educational pioneer who devoted his career to bringing reform to Egypt’s educational system, FUE has taken on the task of reinvigorating the country’s higher educational system with an innovative approach that incorporates the best practices and standards from leading institutions around the world. It provides a unique learning environment and employs cutting-edge technology to offer students a modern learning experience and English-language instruction that has proved popular.

“The university was founded in 2006 and has experienced unprecedented growth, even through the revolution,” comments  Mr Azazy, adding that FUE targets partnerships with international universities. “We are approved as an institution with a quality of education similar to the United States and United Kingdom. If a local or an international student here in Egypt is looking for education with these standards, it is available through Azazy Group’s various institutions.”

Knowledge City
The drive for international standards has sparked ambitious expansion plans for a whole new city dedicated to engendering knowledge. “It is my dream to build a Knowledge City in Egypt,”  Mr Azazy explains. “The project will be around the Suez corridor. The future of Egypt is moving in that direction. We are developing new areas and this is one of them.”

The Azazy Group’s Knowledge City will occupy approximately 200 acres on the outskirts of Cairo near Badr City and will be a modern educational establishment catering to Egypt’s ever-increasing need for a higher education system that meets top international standards. Located in close proximity to Cairo International Airport, the Suez Canal as well as the Red Sea, its planners envisage building up to four universities, each comprising four colleges, to meet the educational demand in this heavily populated and underserved area. Based on studies of the population’s needs, Knowledge City will focus on information technology, engineering, science, finance, medicine, economics, environmental studies, political science and law as well as the tourism and hospitality industries.

The Azazy Group plans to build a centralised library and research centre as well as specialised individual research labs, student and faculty accommodations and services including food courts, banks, post offices, a gymnasium, a theatre and an opera house, as well as consultancy offices and conference rooms for private sector partners. “Knowledge City is currently in negotiation with our partners and will be fully operational in four to five years. Definitely by 2020,”  Mr Azazy assures.