Cairo – Mubasher: The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is planning to invest $90 million in establishing centres of excellence in the fields of energy, water, and agriculture in Egypt, the US Embassy has said.
These investments come as part a partnership between a number of Egyptian and American universities, the embassy added in a statement.
Under the investment, the USAID will establish three excellence centres that will connect Egyptian and US universities, researchers, and scholars, in order to drive research and innovation in energy, water, and agriculture, which are among the top sectors for Egypt’s economic growth.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology will partner with Ain Shams University to establish an excellence centre in the field of energy, while New York’s Cornell University will partner with Cairo University to create a centre of excellence in agriculture.
Finally, the American University in Cairo (AUC) will partner with Alexandria University to develop a Center of Excellence in the field of water.
“The centres will facilitate meaningful collaboration between American and Egyptian universities, as well as to serve the critical needs of industry and government in applied research and policy development in these sectors,” commented USAID mission director Sherry F. Carlin.
The three centres will also connect “the best minds to collectively address shared goals and challenges, spur innovative thinking, encourage private sector engagement, and strengthen government policy in the agricultural, water, and energy sectors,” she stated.
According to Egypt Today, the USAID has invested around $30 billion to support Egypt’s human and economic development since 1978.
