BUE

The British University in Egypt welcomed our guests at the Distinction Award Ceremony on Saturday 27th January. This ceremony encapsulates the University’s initiative to recognise and encourage outstanding research and community efforts carried out by students and Staff Members. The awards are presented to celebrate the very highest excellence displayed by the University’s thriving community.

To begin this event, speeches were delivered by Ms Farida Mohamed Farid Khamis, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Professor Mohamed Loutfi, President and Vice-Chancellor. We were honoured by the attendance of H.E. Dr Ashraf Sobhi, Minister of Youth and Sports in Egypt and H.E. Professor Hani Sewilam, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources in Egypt, H.E. Mr Roberto Pace, Ambassador of Malta to Egypt. These were joined by the Board of Trustees Members, including Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, Chancellor, H.E. Professor Mostafa El Feki, Ambassador at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr Amre Moussa, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Professor Hossam Badrawi, Secretary-General of the National Diplomatic Party in Egypt and Mr John Cappock, Secretary of the Board of Trustees.

We were also delighted to welcome Professor Medhat El-Hadek, Professor Mohamed El-Shenawy, Diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Egypt, Professor Mohamed El-Khayyat,  along with the presence of Court Members such as Professor David Phoenix, Chief Executive of London South Bank University, H.E. James Moran, former Ambassador of European Union to Egypt, Professor Ahmed Amin Hamza, former President of University of Mansoura, H.E. Professor Nadia Iskandar Zakhary, former Minister of Scientific Research, Professor Magdy Ishak, Mr Robin Lamb, Mr Mark Howard, and Mr Mohannad Taha Khaled. The Vice-Chancellor’s Office made an appearance as well, which includes Professor Yehia Bahei-El-Din, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President for Research and Enterprise, Professor Guy Daly, Provost, Mr Fathi Abdelmoneim, Chief Financial Officer, Ms Ranya Boraie, Chief Strategic Projects Officer, Ms Rasha Mabrouk, Chief Marketing Communications Officer, Engineer Youssef Youssef, Chief Operating Officer, and Mr Sherif Hosni, Chief People and Business Process Officer. Others notable in their attendance were the esteemed Deans of our Faculties and our exceptional Academic Staff.   

The ceremony saw the granting of the Mohamed Farid Khamis (MFK) Award for Research Excellence to standout members of the community. To share in the University’s purpose to promote a research-active environment, these awards strive to recognise and reward the academic and research prowess of those not only in our community, but throughout Egypt. To introduce the award, Professor Catherine Harper, Senior Consultant Office of the Provost, gave an introductory speech that commemorated the achievements of the honoured recipients. The awards were presented by H.E. Dr Hani Sweilam, Ms Farida Khamis, and Professor Yehi Bahei-El-Din to eight distinguished researchers both from within our University and from other institutions across Egypt. The recipients include Dr Dina Hamada Kassem from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Dr Amgad Mohamed Albohy from the Faculty of Pharmacy, The British University in Egypt, Dr Gomaa Abdelgawad Mohammed Ali from the Faculty of Science, Al Azhar University, and Dr Walaa Salah Eldin Ismaeel from the Faculty of Engineering, The British University in Egypt. Other recipients are Gannah Assem Khalil, Jantan Ahmed Mohamed, Sandra Walid Ezzat, and Mariam Mohamed Ibrahim –all students in the Faculty of Pharmacy at The British University in Egypt. Their scholarly contributions cannot be overstated as highlighted by the enlightening speech by H.E. Professor Hani Sewilam.

This was followed by an inspiring speech by Professor Guy Daly, the University’s Provost and Senior Vice-President for Teaching and Learning, to venerate the awe-inspiring academic and leadership qualities of our valued Staff and students.  Furthermore, the Distinction Ceremony conferred the BUE’s Best and Brightest Award to three distinguished students. Professor Fardos Rizk, Pro-vice Chancellor for Students, delivered the introductory speech to highlight the elevation of the recipients. These exceptional students have exhibited outstanding academic adeptness and leadership proficiency. To abide by our University’s priorities to encourage student-centricity, these students were honoured and celebrated to encourage an atmosphere of innovation and resilience. Presenting the awards was H.E. Dr Ashraf Sobhi, Minister of Youth and Sports, Ms Farida Khamis, and Professor Guy Daly. The recipients include Karim Tarek Elsayed Gouda, in the Faculty of Dentistry for his remarkable leadership of the ‘Tahya Masr’ initiative in the University. The second recipient is Jumana Ahmed Megahed, in the Faculty of Business Administration, Economics, and Political Science for her irreplaceable contributions to the University’s role in COP27 and COP28. Lastly, the third recipient is Farida Hany Ibrahim, in the Faculty of Business Administration, Economics, and Political Science for her outstanding role as COP27 president. Indeed, they have proven to be among the best and brightest we have to offer and were honoured by an address from H.E. Dr Ashraf Sobhi.

In addition, the University also celebrated our Postgraduate students’ success as they complete their Postgraduate studies. These Staff and students across five unique Faculties have shown incredible academic excellence. The awards were presented by Professor David Phoenix, Vice Chancellor of London South Bank University, Professor Mohamed Loutfi, President and Vice-Chancellor, and Professor Guy Daly, Provost of the University. We wish these outstanding achievers all the best in their future academic endeavours.

Moreover, we hosted the conferral of an Honorary Doctorate to Professor David Phoenix, Vice Chancellor of London South Bank University. He then delivered an inspiring address to express gratitude and to encourage greater innovation and intellect to the captivated attendees. Finally, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, Chancellor of our University, delivered a truly rousing concluding address, celebrating our strong successes. Hence, this Distinction Ceremony has presented the ideal opportunity to recognise and encourage scholarly and leadership skills.