When I visited the city of Cairo for the first time in 2012, I felt overwhelmed. Egypt, especially the capital Cairo, is struggling with the typical problems of the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region: increasing traffic volumes, high noise levels, extreme air pollution. Mainly due to rapid population growth – more than 16 million people now live in the Cairo metropolitan region alone – as well as Egypt's increasing industrialization. The consequences are serious and range from energy shortages to problems with waste disposal to an almost unsatisfactory demand for water.
The Egyptian Samih Sawiris wants to prepare for the future of Egypt through research and teaching. He once studied at the TU Berlin and today he owns the company Orascom together with his two brothers. With a view to the development of his home country, he initiated a cooperation with his alma mater in 2006. The El Gouna Campus of the TU Berlin was created in the form of a public-private partnership. Since the winter semester of 2012/2013, the three master's programs Energy Engineering, Water Engineering and Urban Development can be studied here on the Red Sea, around 400 kilometers from Cairo. International law makes it possible for the campus to be run in accordance with Berlin higher education law and for graduates to acquire a degree from TU Berlin. A semester of study in Berlin is also planned.
Two who have decided on this path are Nanhlanhla Radebe (28) and Ahmad Ashar (25). Both are studying water engineering and see the mix of Egyptian and German research traditions as particularly attractive. Nanhlanhla also emphasizes the high technical standards of the campus, as students have access to various laboratories and state-of-the-art technical equipment. “It was part of Sawiri’s idea to give us students the best start to our professional lives,” says Ahmad. What excites Nanhlanhla most is the practical orientation of the course: “You not only have to use your head, but also your hands.”
Each semester, 30 students are accepted per course. Admission requirements are a bachelor's degree, on which the master's degree can be based thematically, and ideally professional experience. Tuition fees are 5,000 euros per semester, although Egyptian students can receive a scholarship from the Sawiris Foundation. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) also offers scholarships.
Cover photo: TU, Campus El Gouna, Christiane Tristl (left)
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When I visited the city of Cairo for the first time in 2012, I felt overwhelmed. Egypt, especially the capital Cairo, is struggling with the typical problems of the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region: increasing traffic volumes, high noise levels, extreme air pollution. Mainly due to rapid population growth – living alone in the Cairo metropolitan area
