Cairo University placed second in Egypt, sixth overall in Africa, and 561–570 globally in the QS ranking of 2021. The institution was rated as the top university in Egypt by the ARWU 2020 ranking. It received a global rating of 401–500.
About Cairo University
The most prestigious public university in Egypt is Cairo University (Arabic: romanized: Jmi’a al-Qhira), also known as the Egyptian University from 1908 to 1940, King Fuad I University, and Fu’d al-Awwal University from 1940 to 1952. Located directly over the Nile from Cairo, its main campus is in Giza. Although it was founded on December 21st, 1908, it was not until October 1929 that its colleges, starting with the Faculty of Arts, were built on its current main campus in Giza.
Even though there were earlier higher professional schools that later evolved into the university’s constituent colleges, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in Egypt, after only Al Azhar University.
It was established and supported as the Egyptian University by a group of private citizens with royal support in 1908, and under King Fuad I, it became a governmental institution in 1925. The university was renamed King Fuad I University in his honor in 1940, four years after his passing. In the wake of the 1952 Egyptian revolution, it underwent a second renaming. The university currently has 3 institutions, 20 faculties, and about 155,000 students enrolled. It is one of the 50 largest higher education institutions in the world by enrollment and has three Nobel Laureates among its alumni.
Lord Cromer, the British ambassador to Egypt, fought for the establishment of higher education in the nation until he departed in 1907 out of concern that it might spark unrest. In 1908, the university began operations as a modest private institution. It served as a template for other colleges throughout the Arab world because of its early creation and location. In 1925, it was taken over as a state institution, and in 1954, it changed its name to Cairo University. [Reference needed]
In an endeavor to become a national center for higher education, the institution was established on December 21, 1908. Before the university was founded, there were several constituent institutions, notably the College of Engineering () in 1816, which Sa’id Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan, ordered closed in 1854. Being the first indigenous model for other state colleges, Cairo University was established as a civil university with European influences rather than a religious one like Al Azhar. The institution admitted its first set of female students in 1928.
Cairo University’s decision to prohibit its teachers from donning the niqab, or face veil, which was established in 2015, was approved by Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court on January 27, 2020.
At the turn of the century, Egyptian intellectuals and public leaders started calling for the creation of an Egyptian higher education institution to give Egyptians access to contemporary, career-focused education. Egyptian university establishment was first mentioned in print in 1894 by Armenian administrator Yaqub Artin. He wrote in a paper that “the higher professional schools already in existence might well serve as the foundation for a university.”
These higher education institutions included Dar al-Ulum in 1872, the School of Agriculture in 1867, the School of Antiquities in 1869, the School of Management and Languages in 1868 (which later changed its name to the School of Law in 1886), and the School of Irrigation and Construction (also known as the School of Engineering) in 1866.
In 1900, Syrian journalist Jurji Zaydan urged the establishment of an “Egyptian college school” (madrasa kulliya misriyya) in his periodical Al-Hilal. He offered two examples of this institution of higher learning: the Syrian Protestant College in Beirut, which is now the American University of Beirut and was run by American missionaries, or the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in Aligarh, India, which offered a Western-style education in English.
However, in place of the student missions to Europe that were started under Muhammad Ali, the new school would offer an alternative. Later, controversy about Zaydan’s writings would prevent him from accepting a teaching position at the university. The founding of the institution involved several other well-known Egyptians.
A group of big landowners, administrators, members of the royal family, journalists, attorneys, and school professors included Mustafa Kamil, pupils of Muhammad Abduh such as Qasim Amin and Saad Zaghlul, and finally Khedive Abbas II and Prince Ahmad Fu’ad I joined involved. Royalist partisans emphasized Fu’ad’s foundational role, Watanists highlighted Mustafa Kamil’s desire for a university, and Wafdists emphasized the achievements of Saad Zaghlul, Muhammad Abduh, and Qasim Amin, according to Donald M. Reid.
As early as 1905, wealthy Egyptians made individual financial commitments to the founding of a university. Princess Fatma Ismail made crucial contributions. She contributed land to the institution in the early 1900s as a part of her fundraising effort for the creation of Egypt’s first official university.
In September 1906, rich Beni Suef prominent Mustafa Kamil al-Ghamrawi donated 500 Egyptian pounds to a university in response to the Dinshaway incident. Although Saad Zaghlul and Qasim Amin organized a meeting that was attended by Muhammad Farid and 23 other notable Egyptians, Mustafa Kamil published a request for further funding. All but three of the attendees donated at least 100 Egyptian pounds to support the university, and they established a committee with Zaghlul serving as vice president and Amin serving as secretary.
However, splinters immediately arose between the Watanists, the students of Abduh, and the Royalists, leaving the project in the hands of the Palace. Only one of the individuals who had met in 1906 was still on the committee when it was established in 1908, with Prince Fuad I serving as the rector.
relating to the engineering faculty The following programs were introduced by the institution in 2006 as part of its transition to the credit hour system: construction engineering and computer and telecommunications engineering.
Mechanical design engineering, architectural engineering, building technology, and petrochemical engineering were among the programs created in 2007.
The formation of such a university has long been opposed by the British colonial authority, particularly Lord Cromer. The Egyptian University was finally formed under Sir Eldon Gorst about a year after he left Egypt. The colonial administration, led by Lord Cromer, continued to disregard the Egyptian educational system. Less than 1% of the state budget went toward education two decades after the British administration began.
Although Sir John Scott, the Khedive’s Judicial Advisor, obtained the money to renovate Cairo’s law school so Egyptians wouldn’t have to study law overseas, Cromer publicly remarked that free public education was not an acceptable policy for a country like Egypt. According to Donald M. Reid, this was because they were concerned that European-style education would spark political instability or nationalistic feelings.
As soon as the private committee started to pursue the issue without the support of the colonial administration, Cromer also voiced his opposition to funding the institution.
The institution didn’t have a campus in its early years; instead, lectures were promoted in the newspaper. Many palaces and meeting rooms would host lectures. Following a formal opening in 1908, it had a period of financial instability before almost failing during World War I. The Egyptian University had a women’s section when it was first established in 1908, but it was shut down in 1912. In the arts faculty for the first time, women were allowed in 1928.
During this time, there were also issues with a shortage of qualified professors to carry out the founders’ educational vision. There just weren’t any Egyptians qualified to occupy professorial positions with Ph.D. degrees, the capacity to instruct in Arabic, and knowledge of Western literature.
Hence, until the 1930s, many positions were occupied by European Orientalists who taught classical Arabic. The institution also sent its students on study abroad programs to get the training they needed. Due to King Fuad’s connections to Italy, the institution first employed three Italians: Carlo Nallino, David Santillana, and Ignazio Guidi. French orientalists Gaston Wiet and Louis Massignon filled the vacancies left by the Italians during their invasion of Libya. Few people from Germany and the UK were there.
Under Fuad I, the university was re-established and enlarged as a governmental institution. The legal and medical schools were combined with the liberal arts college (kulliyat al-adab) of 1908, and a new faculty of science was added. The first leader was Ahmed Lutfi al-Sayyid.
One of the top universities in Africa and one of Egypt’s lower-ranked universities is Cairo University.
In Egypt and 558th overall, the university was placed first by the Center for Global University Rankings (CWUR) for the academic years 2020–21.
There are schools of law and medicine at Cairo University. One of the first medical colleges in Africa and the Middle East was the Medical School, also known as Kasr Alaini (, Qasr-el-‘Ayni). Alaini Pasha provided the organization’s initial building. Since then, it has witnessed significant expansion. Professor Ahmed Lutfi el-Sayed presided over Cairo University from 1925 until 1941. The university was once known as the Egyptian University.
Faculty and Departments At Cairo University
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Computers and Artificial Intelligence
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Agriculture
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Economics and Political Science
- Faculty of Mass Communication
- Faculty of Archaeology
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Commerce
- Faculty of Specific Education
- Faculty of Nursing
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Physical Therapy
- Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Faculty of Dar El-Ulum
- Faculty of Education For Early Childhood
- Faculty of Graduate Studies for Statistical Research
- Faculty of African Postgraduate Studies
- National Cancer Institute
- Faculty of Regional and Urban Planning
- Faculty of Graduate Studies for Education
- National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES)
- Center of Open Education
- Cairo university center for Languages and Arabic Culture
- Faculty of Nanotechnology for Postgraduates Studies
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) about Cairo University
How many Students Does Cairo University admit per year?
This is at the discretion of the school but about 155,000 students are currently enrolled in the University’s faculties and institutions.
Is the Cairo University a Federal or State School?
It is a state institution.
What is the cut-off mark for Cairo University?
Students who want to attend Cairo University in Egypt must maintain a minimum percentage of 75 to have a chance of admission.
What is Cairo University Official Website?
Is Cairo University a good school?
Yes. It is typically rated as one of the best universities in Africa and one of the lower-ranked universities in Egypt. Cairo University placed second in Egypt, sixth overall in Africa, and 561–570 globally in the QS ranking of 2021. The institution was rated as the top university in Egypt by the ARWU 2020 ranking.
Are there hostels at Cairo University?
Yes. At Cairo University, hostels are available for all incoming international students. They have a kitchen where students can prepare their meals in addition to a canteen system. Students can eat out because there are several restaurants close to the school. The accommodations in the hostels are tidy and come with the necessities. Students have access to a doctor in an emergency. The hostel has power, and a security monitoring system is in place.
When is the Admission Form coming out for Cairo University?
Visit the university’s website to know more about this.
Who founded Cairo University?
The university was founded and funded as the Egyptian University by a committee of private citizens with royal patronage.
What are the requirements for Cairo University?
Cairo University Admission Process
- Step 1: Complete the university-provided online application form. Complete the course registration form. a scanned copy of your higher secondary school diploma grades (12th grade) and scanned copies of your secondary school diploma grades (10th grade) NEET grade report. a scan of your current passport.
- Step 2: Print out the form. The form must be signed and a scanned copy sent to the institution with the necessary paperwork.
- Step 3: Email the scanned copies of the required documentation with the heading “Application for Admission” to indicate your intention.
- Step 4: Only documents submitted before the application deadline will be approved. Make sure to submit all of the required paperwork by the deadline.
- Step 5: The student will receive an acceptance letter or a rejection letter from the university when the university has verified the student’s paperwork.
- Step 6: If the candidate is accepted, the initial fees must be paid. The Fee Acknowledgement Letter will then be sent to them.
- Step 7: The applicant must immediately apply for a student visa for Egypt if they have been accepted. Student invitation letters will be mailed to them by the university.
Document Required For Cairo University Admission
- Birth certificate
- Medical certificate
- Passport-size photographs
- Financial records
- Scanned copy of the original passport
- Scanned copy of 10+2 mark sheets
- Scanned copy of the application form
- Scanned copy of the NEET report card