Badya University finally opens its doors: Badya University, a joint venture between real estate developer Palm Hills Developments and higher education outfit Taaleem, was inaugurated yesterday in New October City, according to a cabinet statement. The university is part of Palm Hills’ larger EGP 100 bn Badya development in West Cairo.

Students can enroll in five colleges this academic year: The university includes three medical colleges that have been developed in partnership with the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and two non-medical schools, all five of which are slated to welcome students starting the 2024-2025 academic year. The programs include medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, business administration and applied economics, in addition to computer and data sciences.

Also on offer: The university, which has a capacity of over 12k students, will provide vocational training in partnership with industrial and service institutions. The campus also houses sports and entertainment facilities that seek to offer a comprehensive university experience.

Palm Hills is also offering full scholarships for top-mark high schoolers to study at Badya University, the local real estate player said in a statement (pdf) The scholarships will cover tuition fees, career training programs, and employment offers after graduation

Universities in the country have doubled over the past decade: The number of universities has grown from around 50-52 in 2014 to 100 today, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly noted during the inauguration, adding that efforts to build new universities are part of the government’s goal to become a regional hub in higher ed and attract students from neighboring countries.

This isn’t Palm Hills’ only education development in the pipeline: The company plans to open 10 schools in the country and to expand its hotel portfolio from 1k rooms to 4k within the next 10 years, the company’s chairman Yaseen Mansour told Asharq Business.

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