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Appointment of the Assistant Provost for Innovative Learning Experiences

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August 2, 2026

Dear AUC Community,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Karim Wissa as assistant provost for innovative learning experiences, effective September 15, 2026. Wissa was selected following an extensive international search and emerged as the outstanding candidate based on his distinguished record of leadership in curriculum innovation, educational transformation and preparing students to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

Wissa joins The American University in Cairo from the University of Waterloo in Canada, where he served as the director of research, innovation and knowledge mobilization; director of institutional programs; director of education and outreach; and as a faculty member in the Faculty of Health. Prior to that, he held leadership and academic positions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and Milton Academy in the United States. He earned his BA in English literature from York University, his MA in literature of modernity from Toronto Metropolitan University and his PhD in global culture and theory from the Program in Literature from Duke University.

Wissa's unique combination of scholarly expertise in the humanities, deep experience in educational innovation and proven leadership in curriculum transformation makes him exceptionally well suited for this role. I am confident that his vision and experience will help AUC continue to lead in providing a transformative educational experience that prepares graduates not merely for the jobs of today, but for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

The appointment of an assistant provost for innovative learning experiences reflects AUC's commitment to ensuring that our academic programs continue to prepare graduates to lead, innovate and contribute meaningfully to society in the decades ahead. As the nature of work, technology and civic life continues to evolve, universities must continually reimagine how they educate students while remaining grounded in the enduring strengths of a liberal arts education.

In this important role, Wissa will lead strategic academic innovation efforts aimed at future-proofing AUC's curriculum and learning ecosystem. Working closely with faculty across the University, he will help advance a vision of education that combines the critical thinking, ethical reasoning and broad perspectives fostered by the liberal arts with the competencies, experiences and skills required for success in a rapidly changing global environment.

Wissa will spearhead initiatives to transform undergraduate and graduate curricula through competency-based learning, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary program design and experiential learning opportunities that connect knowledge with practice. He will work with academic departments and faculty to develop future-oriented learning experiences that prepare students to address complex societal challenges and succeed in emerging fields and professions.

Among his key responsibilities, Wissa will:

  • Lead curriculum innovation initiatives that embed future-facing design principles and real-world application across academic programs.
  • Develop and institutionalize a university-wide competency framework that aligns academic and co-curricular learning with essential 21st-century skills and graduate outcomes.
  • Design and pilot innovative learning experiences, including future-readiness assessments, learning pathways aligned with emerging career fields and the thoughtful integration of artificial intelligence into curriculum planning and evaluation.
  • Collaborate with the Center for Learning and Teaching to advance educational technologies that support personalized learning, competency development and data-informed curriculum innovation.
  • Partner with the Academy of Liberal Arts to strengthen experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and the continued evolution of liberal arts education at AUC.
  • Promote faculty development and institutional capacity building through workshops, consultations and thought leadership focused on innovative pedagogies and future-oriented curriculum design.

The assistant provost for innovative learning experiences will work closely with academic departments, the Center for Learning and Teaching, the Academy of Liberal Arts, TRI-LAB, Student Affairs, Career Development and other university units to ensure a coordinated and integrated approach to academic innovation. Through these partnerships, Wissa will help strengthen our students' exposure to authentic, industry-defined challenges while preserving the distinctive educational values that have long defined an AUC education.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the members of the search committee for their dedication and thoughtful work throughout this process. Chaired by Khalil El Khodary, professor of mechanical engineering, the committee included Ghada El Shimi, Hoda Mostafa, Dina Abdel Fattah and Amr El Kadi. Their commitment and expertise were instrumental in identifying an exceptional candidate for this important position.

Please join me in welcoming Karim Wissa to AUC. I look forward to working with him and to seeing the impact his leadership will have on the future of learning and academic innovation at our University.

Sincerely,

Ehab Abdel-Rahman
Provost