AUC Launches First-of-Its-Kind Diploma In Process Safety Management For The Egyptian Energy Sector
The American University in Cairo (AUC) signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and Methanex Egypt, the sole producer of methanol in Egypt, to launch a new professional diploma in Process Safety Management (PSM) for the oil, gas and petrochemical sectors. This professional diploma, which will be offered through AUC’s Engineering and Science Services (ESS) at the School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE), aims to provide workers in these sectors with the knowledge and skills necessary to apply the 24 PSM standards and guidelines adopted by the sector. The MoU was signed during a special ceremony attended by Karim Badawi, Egypt’s minister of petroleum and mineral resources; Ahmed Dallal, AUC president; Ehab Abdel Rahman, AUC provost; Lotfi Gaafar, dean of SSE; Alaa El Batal, first undersecretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; and Mohamed Shindy, managing director, Methanex Egypt.
“As Egypt develops its natural gas and petrochemicals sector to drive long-term growth, safety is a top priority,” said AUC President Ahmad Dallal in his opening remarks at the signing ceremony. He added that AUC is proud to join this partnership, through its Engineering and Science Services Center and its Department of Petroleum and Energy Engineering, to design and deliver Egypt’s first Process Safety Management Diploma. “It is part of our mission to foster knowledge translation through collaboration and support building technical competence in Egypt and the region,” Dallal concluded.
In his keynote address at the opening ceremony, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi noted that this diploma is the result of a distinguished tripartite partnership among the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, with its highly qualified human resources; AUC, with its prestigious academic legacy; and Methanex Egypt, with its extensive international experience in process safety. “Together, this partnership offers a robust academic and training program that will prepare a new generation of specialists committed to operational excellence and the highest safety standards.”
The curriculum for this professional diploma was designed through collaboration between Methanex Egypt, AUC’s ESS, and AUC’s Department of Petroleum and Energy Engineering. The partnership underscores the constructive collaboration among the public, private and academic sectors to establish a strong culture of process safety management, enhance individual capabilities, build technical competence in these important sectors, and enhance institutional knowledge to support the Egyptian economy, in alignment of Egypt's Vision 2030.
“We are honored to join forces with the Ministry and Methanex Egypt on this important initiative. By combining our academic strengths with industry expertise, we are helping to shape a safer and more sustainable future for Egypt’s energy sector,” commented Lotfi Gaafa, dean of AUC’s SSE. Echoing the importance of this collaboration, Mohamed Shindy added that through this initiative, “we are not only strengthening our partnership, but also investing in future generations for a safer, more resilient future for the entire sector.”
With more than 40 years of experience, ESS has earned a reputation as one of the biggest and leading providers of training and consultation services for practitioners in the Engineering and scientific field across Egypt and the Middle East. Capitalizing on its diverse programs and services, thousands of public and private sector organizations have become regular recipients, including the banking sector, real-estate developers, petroleum, construction, and steel industries.