Egypt Daily News – The American University in Cairo has received the largest donnation of its kind in the institution’s history, from the Sawiris family, to support excellence in business education, interdisciplinary research, and exchange programs with leading American universities.
The university announced that it will permanently name the College of Business Administration “Onsi Sawiris College of Business,” in appreciation of the university’s appreciation for this unique gift from the Sawiris family.
The naming honors the exceptional personal and professional legacy of the late Onsi Sawiris, one of the most prominent Egyptian businessmen in the Middle East, founder of the Orascom Group and patriarch of the Sawiris family.
Dr. Ahmed Dalal, President of the American University in Cairo, said: “This donnation supports the journey of the Faculty of Business Administration at the American University in Cairo and enables it to remain at the forefront of international business education in the Middle East.
Onsi Sawiris Business School, also represents a new addition to the Sawiris family’s giving, which has provided much to support education and development in Egypt over the decades. Thanks to this generous support, our students will be able to obtain a unique, world-class scientific experience.”
The donnation, valued at more than 30 million US dollars (about 1.491 billion Egyptian pounds), is presented to the university by The NNS Foundation, the Naguib Sawiris Charitable Fund, the Naguib Samih Sawiris Fund, the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, and Orascom Construction.
The donnation provides funding for scholarships, research, and a professorship in artificial intelligence/data science, as well as faculty and visiting student exchange programs with prominent American universities such as the University of Chicago.
Nassef Sawiris, CEO of Orascom Construction, said: “Through our support of the American University in Cairo and exchange programs with the best universities in the United States of America, we are working to attract distinguished students to benefit from programs that address in-depth thought and have a global dimension.
Preparing future business leaders with the necessary skills to adapt and innovate through the American University in Cairo is the best way to honor our father’s principles of work ethics, values, and commitment to providing what contributes to the progress of our country, Egypt.”
Naguib Sawiris, Executive Chairman of Orascom Investment Holding, said: “Our parents instilled in us the value of education and creating opportunities for young people to push them to excel. “AUC graduates play a key role in our companies, many of whom hold leadership positions, and this college will contribute to building the capabilities of future generations for our business, our communities, and our country.”
Naguib Samih Sawiris, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Orascom Development Holding, added: “Onsi Sawiris’ legacy will always remain an inspiration for us to invest in Egypt’s most valuable resource, which is human capital.”
The American University in Cairo began offering its first lectures in economics in 1947, and now the university’s College of Business Administration is the only college to obtain the prestigious triple accreditation, which places it in a position occupied by only 1% of business schools around the world.
Dr. Sherif Kamel, Dean of the University’s College of Business Administration, said: “This is a prominent development in the college’s history, and we look forward to a new phase in which we continue to raise the college’s level of excellence as a destination for business education.
I am confident that this gift and the academic exchange and cooperation it will provide with faculty members at leading American universities will ensure that the Onsi Sawiris School of Business will be at the forefront of global business education and will be on par with the best colleges in the world.”
Mark Turnage, Chairman of the Board of Regents of the American University in Cairo, said: “This gift is one of the many examples of the Sawiris family’s impactful humanitarian work. It strengthens the university’s position as an institution that produces graduates equipped with world-class life and work skills who are able to make a positive difference in their communities.” And around the world.
The Sawiris family has long been associated with the American University in Cairo, as Mrs. Yousriya Loza Sawiris, wife of the late Onsi Sawiris, a former member of the Egyptian Parliament, a businesswoman, and a pioneer in philanthropy, holds an honorary doctorate from the American University in Cairo and an MBA from the university in 1982.
Over the years, the Sawiris family has also provided scholarships to university students from Upper Egypt, and to students with disabilities. The family has supported women’s empowerment, and the family’s contributions also include renovating the historic university campus in Tahrir.
The legacy of Onsi Sawiris lives on.
