USAID Scholars Activity

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded on March 1, 2020 The American University in Cairo (AUC) a remarkable 10-year Cooperative Agreement titled "USAID Scholars activity." This collaboration between USAID and AUC will contribute to Egypt's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by instilling the pillars of knowledge, innovation and scientific research, economic development and environmental responsibility in the core infrastructure of the activity. The USAID Scholars’ vision is to create a cadre of change agents and problem solvers equipped to appreciate and champion democratic values while posing solutions to the development challenges in Egypt. This Scholars activity application underwent a rigorous and extremely competitive review, and saw AUC best fit to foster a culture of collaboration, academic excellence, and sustainable growth over the next ten years.

This $36 million USAID Scholars will contribute to elevating generations of 700 talented Egyptian youth who possess the knowledge and leadership potential Egypt needs to ensure the goals of social justice, environmental development, and economic growth are met.

The USAID Scholars is thoughtfully sculpted to create opportunity for students from Egypt’s 27 governorates, identified by high academic excellence, leadership potential, and financial need. The activity will be for five consecutive cohorts, and the selection process has a commitment to gender balance – the inclusion of at least 50% female scholars – and overall accessibility – the inclusion of at least 10% students with disabilities – to contribute to the diversity and growth of our collective future. The carefully selected students will receive a full-tuition scholarship to one of seven prestigious and accredited higher education institutions in Egypt, including The American University in Cairo or any of AUC’s partner universities: Ain Shams University, Alexandria University, Cairo University, Assiut University, Mansoura University and Zewail City of Science and Technology.

Besides the rigorous higher education, students will have access to English language training, entrepreneurship training, career counseling, a semester/summer abroad in the U.S., job placement services, and holistic character development to harvest future scholars as change agents and transformative leaders in Egypt.

In tune with AUC’s Centennial Strategic Plan pillar of “Quality of Education,” the activity contributes to fostering “academic excellence and a culture of continuous improvement through innovative pedagogies and research that cultivate lifelong learning, personal fulfillment, and adaptability for the future requirements of local and international job markets.”

This initiative joins a collection of ongoing USAID efforts in Egypt, which will function to strengthen synergies, intuitively build on foundations already established, and build on collaborations across class, gender, and disability. AUC has spent over 100 years deepening roots in Egypt, actively intertwining Egyptian and American cultures.