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Appointment of the Associate Provost for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

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August 2, 2026

Dear AUC Community,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ayman Ismail as associate provost for innovation and entrepreneurship, effective August 1, 2026. This appointment follows an extensive international search during which we were fortunate to consider a number of highly qualified candidates.

Ismail has been a member of The American University in Cairo family for more than 35 years. He earned his bachelor's degree in engineering, with a minor in computer science, in 1995 and his master of business administration in 1997 from AUC. He later received a master's degree in city planning and a PhD in international economic development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Following distinguished service with organizations including McKinsey and Company and the World Bank, Ismail returned to AUC in 2011 as assistant professor and Abdul Latif Jameel Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship. Since then, he has held several leadership positions, including founding director of the AUC Venture Lab, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and founding director of the AUC Innovation Hub.

The Office of the Associate Provost for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is a newly established unit dedicated to advancing innovation, entrepreneurship and research impact across the University. The office will promote collaboration among researchers, students, industry partners and external stakeholders, both locally and globally. Its mission is to enhance AUC's contribution to society by fostering industry partnerships, supporting knowledge translation and advancing entrepreneurial activities across a broad range of fields, including sustainability, climate and water, energy, urban studies and smart cities, biomedical sciences, artificial intelligence and data-driven research.

In this role, Ismail will lead and manage the Technology, Research and Innovation Laboratory, known as TRI-LAB, and will be responsible for:

  • Establishing and leading TRI-LAB as AUC's central hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, research translation and industry engagement.
  • Promoting the practical application and commercialization of AUC research, discoveries and intellectual property.
  • Developing and overseeing the University's intellectual property and licensing strategy to maximize societal impact and institutional benefit.
  • Assisting faculty, students and staff in launching ventures, protecting intellectual property, securing patents and attracting investment.
  • Building a vibrant innovation ecosystem that supports entrepreneurs, startups, industry collaboration and knowledge transfer.
  • Integrating entrepreneurship and innovation into research, education and student experiences across the University.
  • Strengthening collaboration across AUC units to improve support for innovators, reduce redundancies and align resources.
  • Fostering strategic partnerships with national and international organizations to expand opportunities for research collaboration, technology transfer and industrial engagement.
  • Leading fundraising efforts and cultivating partnerships with sponsors, donors and external stakeholders in support of the mission of TRI-LAB.
  • Advising senior leadership on matters related to translation of knowledge, innovation, intellectual property, commercialization and strategic partnerships.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the members of the search committee — Mohab Anis, professor of computer science and engineering (Chair); Haytham Nawar, associate professor of practice in the Department of the Arts; Sally Makady; Adham Ramadan, dean of graduate studies; and Ahmed Abou Auf, professor and chair of the Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering — for their dedication and hard work over the past year in identifying and interviewing outstanding candidates from around the world.

Please join me in welcoming Ayman Ismail as AUC's inaugural associate provost for innovation and entrepreneurship. I look forward to working with Ismail and to seeing faculty, students and staff from across the University come together to further strengthen AUC's leadership in innovation, entrepreneurship and research impact.

Sincerely,

Ehab Abdel-Rahman
Provost