Cairo – The Center of Excellence for Energy at Ain Shams University opened for business, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and in close cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The establishment of this new Center is part of the long-standing commitment by the United States to support Egypt’s most important priorities, including producing high-quality applied research in energy, delivering world-class training in engineering, and driving innovation in Egypt’s energy sector, while meeting local challenges and contributing to economic growth.

The Center of Excellence for Energy will create scholarship opportunities for students to pursue studies in energy-related fields both in Egypt and the U.S., and will develop new courses and degree programs in the energy field to address challenges identified by private sector partners.

“USAID is proud to support the Center of Excellence to inform national energy policy formation, link research into renewable energy solutions with entrepreneurs, promote energy efficiency, and develop innovative applied research solutions utilizing both conventional and alternative energy sources,” said U.S. Ambassador Jonathan Cohen.

This new Center is part of a five-year, $90 million USAID initiative that also includes a Center of Excellence for Agriculture hosted at Cairo University in partnership with Cornell University and a Center of Excellence for Water hosted at Alexandria University in partnership with the American University in Cairo. The three Centers focus on areas identified as priorities by the Government of Egypt’s 2030 Vision and will drive research and innovation in sectors that are key to Egypt’s future economic growth.

USAID’s support of energy-related scholarship and research is part of the $30 billion that the American people have invested in Egypt through USAID since 1978. To find out more about USAID’s work in Egypt, please see https://www.usaid.gov/egypt, and follow on Facebook and Twitter at @USAIDEgypt.