“For Egyptian students, the new program will reduce the cost of pursuing a PhD from a top-ranking University such as Waterloo,” said Mohab Anis, associate professor of electronics engineering at AUC and program coordinator. “It will also help female students and those who are already employed in Egypt in completing the requirements of their degrees without having to spend a long time abroad.”

AUC’s School of Sciences and Engineering already offers an interdisciplinary PhD program in engineering, which applies modern approaches from the experimental, natural and life sciences, with specializations in mechanical engineering; construction engineering; electronics engineering; robotics, control and smart systems; and environmental engineering. The new program with Waterloo University will enhance students’ exposure to the latest developments in their fields of study while taking into consideration their commitments in Egypt. “ This program is expected to attract some of Egypt’s best graduate students," said Anis, who was a professor at Waterloo before moving to Egypt three years ago. “AUC desires to become a hub for the best graduate students, and Waterloo is interested in attracting top students to conduct research. So, the benefit is mutual.”

PhD candidates, who will be supervised by faculty advisers from AUC and Waterloo, will spend at least four semesters at each University and will receive graduation certificates from both institutions. Courses taken by students enrolled in one of the two institutions will automatically fulfill the degree requirements of the other as well, and thesis defense will be held once in either university.

In addition to the dual-degree program, AUC has signed a memorandum of understanding for educational and scientific cooperation with the University of Waterloo, including joint research activities of common interest in the general fields of engineering; sharing of teaching and research documentation; and exchange of visiting faculty members for research, lectures and discussions.

“The agreement will enhance technology transfer between the two universities,” said Anis.“The University of Waterloo has a very generous intellectual property policy, according to which the creator of an intellectual property owns 100 percent of it, which encourages people to be innovative and to establish their own startups.”

Encouraging innovation, AUC is in the process of establishing a state-of-the-art Technology Park that will act as an incubator for research-based projects. “The dual program will encourage collaborative research endeavors, which can act as a basis of new technology startups that would enrich AUC’s Technology Park,”said Anis.

The University of Waterloo was established in 1957 by a group of business leaders. With its 10 faculty-based schools, Waterloo was ranked first for 18 consecutive years among Canadian universities. The University has the largest faculty of engineering in Canada and the largest actuarial science program in North America. In addition to its 1,000-acre main campus in Waterloo, Canada, the University has four satellite campuses in Cambridge, Kitchener, Stratford and the United Arab Emirates.