Purdue, Egypt Ink Agreement for Dual Degrees

Purdue and Egyptian officials took part in a virtual conference to sign two agreements for dual degree programs (photo courtesy of Purdue University)

Purdue University’s colleges of Engineering and Science, and Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology have signed agreements to enable Egyptian students to earn certain degrees from the university. The university says the new degree programs align with Egypt’s strategy of enhancing specialized training in advanced technologies.

Purdue says the degrees include Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, and Professional Master degree in Information Security.

“This is an exceptional project of exceptional promise. This endeavor fits our mission and has potential for genuine impact,” Purdue University President Mitch Daniels said. “We at Purdue believe in the transformative power of higher education and the absolute necessity of providing our youth with the foundational skills they need to succeed and move our economies and societies forward.”

The agreement was signed during a virtual ceremony attended by more than two dozen Egyptian and U.S. dignitaries, including the chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo as well as Purdue faculty and staff.

Students in the new programs will attend the Egypt University of Informatics, which MCIT is working to establish in Knowledge City in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital. Purdue says students will then transfer to the university. EUI will be the first university in the Middle East and Africa region to specialize in information and communications technology.

For the electrical engineering and computer engineering programs, Purdue says students will spend the first two years at EUI and then transfer to Purdue’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in West Lafayette for their last two years, meeting the requirements to receive a BS degree from both universities.

For the information security program, students will receive a bachelor’s degree from EUI after four years. Upon graduation with a bachelor’s degree from EUI, the university says students will apply to transfer to Purdue’s Department of Computer Science to complete requirements for an MS in information security.

The university says faculty from EUI and Purdue will be encouraged to co-teach courses, and study plans will include blended online course delivery, supported by Purdue Online.

In 2019, IIB reported Purdue’s creation of one of three USAID-funded Centers of Excellence in Egypt at the University of Cairo, focused on linkages between research and the public and private sectors.