A British university will play a crucial role in supporting the development of two pioneering Egyptian universities designed to equip graduates with both technological and ¡°soft¡± skills.

The Alalamein International and New Mansoura universities are among four new-style institutions to be built, owned and run by Egypt¡¯s national education authorities.

Under a five-year memorandum of understanding between the University of East London and the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education, UEL will play a significant role in the establishment and governance of the new institutions, and the recruitment of academic staff. A franchise arrangement will accredit dual degrees in disciplines such as engineering, computer science, tourism, art and design, business and law. And Egyptian students will be able to access UEL¡¯s resources, career coaching and support services.

Amanda Broderick, UEL¡¯s vice-chancellor, said that she was ¡°confident this new partnership will deliver huge benefits to University of East London students and to students in Egypt¡±.

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Jason Lane, dean of the School of Education of the University at Albany, State University of New York, said that building the two new universities was ¡°clearly in line with Egypt¡¯s strategic goals to reinvent?its higher education system to prepare?its growing youth population for the jobs of tomorrow¡±.

¡°Already, Egypt has pursued a strategy to recruit international branch campuses, which has had modest success in attracting interested universities,¡± he said.

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¡°While there is government support and a rapidly growing youth population, the challenges are many ¨C from security concerns to instability within the government to restrictions on freedom of speech.¡±

But can such challenges also make practical and reputational difficulties for Western institutions?that get into partnerships with countries such as Egypt?

The involvement of UEL, replied Dr Lane, ¡°mitigates some of these issues by creating an organisational and political buffer that allows it to assist with the development of the new institution in a way that it reflects Western educational tenets. But it also limits its ultimate influence upon the curriculum and operation ¨C while allowing it to fairly quickly distance itself from the new institution should trouble arise.¡±

matthew.reisz@timeshighereducation.com