How Portugal’s Nova University is working to replicate its experience + standards in its Egypt branch campus: Originally based in Lisbon, Nova University set up a branch campus outside of Portugal in The Knowledge Hub (TKH) here in Egypt last year, making it the first branch for the university outside of its home country — and the first-ever Portuguese university to establish an international branch campus. The university is about to enter its second academic year here in Egypt, where it is working to introduce a range of innovative undergraduate programs.

Background: TKH was set up in the new administrative capital back in 2019, when it was inaugurated with a branch campus for Coventry University. Nova University’s campus in TKH was inaugurated in October of last year, making it the second university added to TKH’s university campuses. International universities have been allowed to establish branches in Egypt by building a new campus or partnering with an Egyptian company since 2018, when the government ratified the International Branch Campus Act. The program has largely been successful, with several international universities moving to open branches in Egypt.

Enterprise sat down with Vice Chairman of TKH’s Board of Trustees Ihab Salama for a chat about Nova University’s branch campus in Egypt, what sets the university apart in terms of it curriculum offerings, and how Nova fits into TKH’s vision to attract international students from overseas, as well as provide local students with an education that is on par with international standards. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

One of the driving concepts or ideas in leading educational institutions in the world right now is catering to globalization and graduating global citizens. It’s very important for any student graduating from a university to be able to fit into the world as it currently is, and to be able to compete on a global level and cope with the challenges and changes that are taking place in the world. Egypt — with the 2018 International Branch Campus Act — is keen on being part of that transformation and to attract universities and students from different parts of the world.

Universities that come to Egypt — like Nova University — benefit from a different type of exposure and access to a unique market. This exposure comes in the form of research, curriculum development, local culture, and much more that is a learning experience and that has an economic reward.

Nova University is staffed entirely from its original branch in Lisbon — all educators are Portuguese. The way it’s set up is that we have a dean and branch director appointed by Nova University and they’re entirely responsible for the academic portion of the university — they ensure that the branch delivers the exact same quality and experience as the original university in Lisbon. The university branch here in Egypt gives its students the exact same degree as students who are studying at the university in Lisbon, with the same accreditation, so it’s recognized within the EU in particular as a degree from a European university — there’s no difference just because the branch is here in Egypt.

Part of what makes Nova University special is the degree of innovation that it brings to the table. The university was actually a pioneer in introducing environmental engineering, for example, as a major some 50 years ago, even though this is a field that has only really become widely known in more recent years. The university is quite future- and forward-looking, and pays close attention to offering an educational experience that is geared towards future trends to help its students fit into and grow with an evolving job market.

That focus on innovation is evident in the types of degrees on offer: The university offers programs like a BSc in industrial engineering and management, which is important because we’re in the middle of the fourth wave of industrialization. Many universities offer industrial engineering, but Nova’s program is special in that it also brings the management component into the fold, which means there’s analytical thinking and problem solving involved — and that makes a huge difference for students in terms of their placement in the job market. There’s also environmental engineering, which in addition to addressing climate concerns and how to build environmentally friendly and resilient infrastructure, also exposes students to artificial intelligence and technology and looks at how these tools impact the world and environment around us.

Although these programs are innovative and highly valuable, there’s a degree of expected resistance among parents when introducing something so radically different. We’re working on educating the market and changing the mindset that is often attached to new forms of education or new universities. It’s quite challenging, and it takes time, but the benefit we have is that universities that come to The Knowledge Hub — like Nova University and Coventry University — are already established and they’re internationally recognized. They would never risk their brand or their academic quality by bringing subpar standards to a branch university.

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