AUC Appoints Hala El Said As University Counselor

The American University in Cairo (AUC) announced the appointment of Hala El Said, economic advisor to the President of Egypt and former minister of planning and economic development, as the new University Counselor. 

El Said will succeed Tarek Shawki, former minister of education and technical education, who served as University Counselor since May 2023. 

Shawki will return to his academic role as a faculty member in AUC’s Department of Mechanical Engineering at the School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE).

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Hala El Said as the new University Counselor. As a member of AUC’s senior leadership, Dr. El Said will play a key role in advancing our relationships with national universities, the Supreme Council of Universities and the Egyptian government,” said AUC President Ahmad Dallal, in his message to the AUC community. Dallal also recognized Shawki and extended appreciation for his dedicated service and longstanding commitment to AUC, noting that “during his term, Dr. Shawki strengthened AUC’s collaboration with government bodies and national institutions, supporting the University’s mission of public service.”

El Said is a distinguished economist, public servant and academic leader. She served as Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform from 2017 to 2019 and as Minister of Planning and Economic Development from 2019 to 2024, where she oversaw the development and update of Egypt’s Vision 2030. El Said was previously Chair of The Sovereign Fund of Egypt, the first elected Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University, and a member of the Central Bank of Egypt’s Board of Directors.

Earlier in her career, El Said was Executive Director of the Egyptian Banking Institute, leading it to become the first internationally accredited financial training body in the Middle East and North Africa. She holds a PhD in Economics from Cairo University and has published extensively on financial reform, international finance and economic development.

“I am deeply honored to join AUC as University Counselor, a role dedicated to advancing the University’s relationships with national universities, the Supreme Council of Universities, and the Egyptian Government,” said El Said.

El Said added that AUC has long served as a beacon of intellectual rigor and innovation, fostering the critical thinking and collaborative spirit that the region needs to navigate today's complex challenges. “As we stand at a moment of profound technological and societal change, universities like AUC play an essential role in shaping leaders who can bridge cultures, drive sustainable development, and transform knowledge into meaningful impact. Through strengthening these vital institutional partnerships, I look forward to contributing to AUC's mission of empowering generations of change makers who will not only excel in their fields but also serve as catalysts for progress across Egypt, the region, and beyond,” El Said emphasized.