AUC Reappoints President Ahmad Dallal for Second Term

The American University in Cairo’s Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to reappoint President Ahmad Dallal for a second five-year term, reaffirming confidence in his leadership and long-term vision for the institution.

Board Chair Mark Turnage said the decision reflects strong trust in Dallal’s performance and commitment to advancing the university’s mission. During his first term, AUC strengthened academic excellence across teaching, research, and interdisciplinary programs, while expanding global partnerships and enhancing student support and campus life.

The university also recorded a surge in student applications this year, reaching its highest level to date—an indicator of growing confidence in AUC’s academic quality, faculty strength, and overall student experience.

Dallal’s tenure has been marked by a forward-looking development strategy centered on major projects at the New Cairo campus. These include the Technology, Research and Innovation Lab (TRI-Lab), designed to promote interdisciplinary research and connect academic learning with real-world applications; the Extended Education Hub, aimed at preparing future-ready workforces; and the NextGen Student Living and Learning Spaces, which will provide modern residential facilities that foster community and academic engagement.

Under his leadership, AUC also implemented a comprehensive strategic roadmap built around academic excellence, future readiness, student experience, civic engagement, and the expansion of its global alumni network.

Turnage noted that Dallal guided the university through a challenging period marked by economic pressures, regional instability, and currency fluctuations, while maintaining financial stability and institutional resilience.

Dallal, who became AUC’s 13th president in 2021, is a distinguished academic with international experience in higher education. He previously served as dean at Georgetown University in Qatar and provost at the American University of Beirut, and has taught at leading institutions including Stanford and Yale. His academic work focuses on Islamic intellectual history and the development of sciences in historical Islamic societies.

Founded in 1919, the American University in Cairo remains one of the region’s leading higher education institutions, offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs rooted in a liberal arts education and global engagement.