President
Francis J. Ricciardone
A former career diplomat, Francis J. Ricciardone most recently served as Vice President of the independent U.S.-based Atlantic Council and Director of its Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East.
President Ricciardone had previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Ambassador to Afghanistan, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines and Palau.
Born in Boston, Ricciardone graduated from Malden Catholic High School and summa cum laude from Dartmouth College. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Italy and a guest scholar at the United States Institute of Peace. Ricciardone taught at international schools in Italy and Iran, and speaks and reads Arabic, Italian, Turkish and French, as well as elementary Farsi.
University Cabinet
University Cabinet is one of AUC leadership pillars that is dedicated to creating a University environment that promotes excellence in teaching, research, creative expression and service.
Associates Program
Established in 1981 and formerly known as the Presidential Internship Program, the Presidential Associates Program (rebranded October 2018) provides recent university graduates the opportunity to work at the highest levels of an international university, experience life in Cairo, and learn Arabic.
Former Presidents
From AUC’s first president Charles Watson in 1919 to former President Christopher Thoron (1969 – 1973), who established the University as a creditable institution by securing official recognition for academic degrees, AUC looks back through its presidential history and major accomplishments that led the University to thrive as Egypt’s global university.
NEWS@AUC
Keep up-to-date with all the latest AUC news
Constructing Culture
AUC is nearing the completion of the first phase of the new Tahrir Cultural Center (TCC). Located at AUC's Tahrir Square campus, the TCC's inauguration is set to take place next month, in tandem with the launch of AUC’s yearlong centennial celebration.
International Universities Visit AUC
The Afghanistan University Support and Workforce Development Program (USWDP) is designed to help Afghanistan’s higher education professionals effectively manage the growth of tertiary education while improving academic quality. This is part of the two-year partnership between Herat University (HU) and the University of Denver (DU) that began in November 2016.
An Artist Amplified
Bahia Shehab, associate professor of design and founder of the graphic design program at AUC, recalls feeling "liberated" the first time she spray-painted a wall in Cairo. “It was a beautiful moment,” Shehab said.