{"id":604238,"date":"2023-08-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/meet-the-portuguese-university-looking-to-bring-innovative-undergrad-degrees-to-its-egypt-branch-campus\/"},"modified":"2023-08-28T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T00:00:00","slug":"meet-the-portuguese-university-looking-to-bring-innovative-undergrad-degrees-to-its-egypt-branch-campus","status":"publish","type":"blackboard","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/meet-the-portuguese-university-looking-to-bring-innovative-undergrad-degrees-to-its-egypt-branch-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Portuguese university looking to bring innovative undergrad degrees to its Egypt branch campus"},"content":{"rendered":"

How Portugal\u2019s Nova University is working to replicate its experience + standards in its <\/strong> Egypt branch campus: <\/strong> Originally based in Lisbon, Nova University set up a branch campus outside of Portugal in The Knowledge Hub (TKH) here in Egypt last year<\/a>, making it the first branch for the university outside of its home country \u2014 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. <\/p>\n

Background: <\/strong> TKH was set up in the new administrative capital back in 2019<\/a>, when it was inaugurated with a branch campus for Coventry University. Nova University\u2019s campus in TKH was inaugurated in October of last year, making it the second university added to TKH\u2019s 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<\/a> Act<\/a>. The program has largely been successful, with several international universities moving to open branches in Egypt.<\/p>\n

Enterprise sat down with Vice Chairman of TKH\u2019s Board of Trustees Ihab Salama <\/strong> for a chat about Nova University\u2019s branch campus in Egypt, what sets the university apart in terms of it curriculum offerings, and how Nova fits into TKH\u2019s 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: <\/p>\n

One of the driving concepts or ideas in leading educational institutions in the world right <\/strong> now is catering to globalization and graduating global citizens. <\/strong> It\u2019s 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 \u2014 with the 2018 International Branch Campus Act \u2014 is keen on being part of that transformation and to attract universities and students from different parts of the world.<\/p>\n

Universities that come to Egypt \u2014 like Nova University \u2014 benefit from a different type of <\/strong> exposure and access to a unique market. <\/strong> 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. <\/p>\n

Nova University is staffed entirely from its original branch in Lisbon \u2014 all educators are <\/strong> Portuguese. <\/strong> The way it\u2019s set up is that we have a dean and branch director appointed by Nova University and they\u2019re entirely responsible for the academic portion of the university \u2014 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\u2019s recognized within the EU in particular as a degree from a European university \u2014 there\u2019s no difference just because the branch is here in Egypt. <\/p>\n

Part of what makes Nova University special is the degree of innovation that it brings to <\/strong> the table. <\/strong> 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. <\/p>\n

That focus on innovation is evident in the types of degrees on offer: <\/strong> The university offers programs like a BSc in industrial engineering and management, which is important because we\u2019re in the middle of the fourth wave of industrialization. Many universities offer industrial engineering, but Nova\u2019s program is special in that it also brings the management component into the fold, which means there\u2019s analytical thinking and problem solving involved \u2014 and that makes a huge difference for students in terms of their placement in the job market. There\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Although these programs are innovative and highly valuable, there\u2019s a degree of <\/strong> expected resistance <\/strong> among parents when introducing something so radically different. We\u2019re working on educating the market and changing the mindset that is often attached to new forms of education or new universities. It\u2019s quite challenging, and it takes time, but the benefit we have is that universities that come to The Knowledge Hub \u2014 like Nova University and Coventry University \u2014 are already established and they\u2019re internationally recognized. They would never risk their brand or their academic quality by bringing subpar standards to a branch university. <\/p>\n

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