Who is Prof. Mohamed Loutfi, President of the British University in Egypt?

On Tuesday, the British University in Egypt (BUE) announced that Mohamed Loutfi has assumed his position as the fifth President of the University in Egypt.

“SEE” gives a glimpse into the story of the prominent Egyptian professor:

It is a story of an Egyptian university professor who was able to assume many senior positions in the higher education field, as he has become the youngest professor to take a leadership position in a British university.

During his career, Loutfi has engaged in many projects and achievements that helped in the renaissance of higher education, leading to his appointment as president of the British University in Egypt, which is one of the largest and most important private universities in Egypt.

Prof. Loutfi has nearly thirty years of experience in higher education and he is currently the High Commissioner for Coventry University, as well as the President of the International Knowledge University, and the former Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University for International Affairs.

Farida Khamis, Chairman of the BUE's Board of Trustees, confirmed that the decision to select Dr. Mohamed Loutfi as the university president was unanimously approved by all Board members, expressing her happiness that Loutfi took the lead at the British University during a period full of challenges, difficulties and changes, to achieve more successes for the university, as one of the most important universities in Egypt and the Arab region.

She added that the university, under the leadership of Loutfi, aspires to achieve more achievements and overcome challenges, with outstanding academic programs.

Professor Leslie Croxford, Senior Vice President (Teaching and Learning) said: “I am delighted to welcome Professor Mohamed Loutfi to lead the British University in Egypt on the next step of its journey to becoming what H.R.H. Prince Charles called ‘The Best University Ever’.

While having retained close associations with Higher Education in Egypt, he brings us the profound experience of British universities with their emphasis on quality, academic excellence, research, enterprise and the student experience. We also greatly look forward to benefiting from Professor Loutfi’s previous successes in institutional profile-raising and internationalization.”

Professor Yehia Bahei-El-Din, Vice President (Research and Enterprise) said: “Professor Loutfi’s inauguration as BUE President and Vice-Chancellor brings unparalleled experience in higher education from both the UK and Egypt to advance BUE regionally and internationally. It comes at a time when BUE is enjoying significant achievements in education, research, and enterprise, and aspires to become the top university in the MENA region. Professor Loutfi, with his wealth of leading international roles and responsibilities, brings to BUE a highly impressive track record in promoting change, growth, and innovation and I look forward to working with him to achieve the university’s goals.”

Loutfii's biography

Professor Loutfi was born in Alexandria and holds a BSc in Economics and Political Science and an MSc in Information Technology from Alexandria University. He also spent time studying System Dynamics at the University of Bergen, Norway before attaining his PhD in Systems Thinking from the University of Sunderland, UK. His passion for blending innovation and systems led to his research in Modelling and Simulation of Social Systems, and Non-linear, Dynamic Feedback Systems.

Loutfi professional experience

Professor Loutfi is also a leader in international partnerships and cooperation, initiating and

coordinating high-level partnerships in over 25 different countries, some at the governmental level, with projects including enhancing institutional cooperation in learning, teaching and enterprise, as well as internationalization strategies.

Professor Loutfi, a renowned Professor of Internationalisation from Cardiff Metropolitan

University, UK, is also a visiting Professor of Innovation and Globalisation at Eurasia University, China, and has extensive experience in universities’ leadership and management.

His expertise has led him to initiate many “firsts” in the field of higher education. He was the first British/Egyptian academician to be a council member at the Observatory of Magna Charta Universitatum of Fundamental University Values and Rights in Bologna and also the first professional in Europe to take part in a global education think tank, set up by the Ministry of Education in China to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and start-up education.

He is also the Founder and Vice President of the Board of the Arab European Leadership

Network in Higher Education (ARELEN) and was heavily involved with the Leadership

Foundation for Higher Education as an International Associate and member of the reference

group for the Global Leadership Programme for Higher Education.

Professor Loutfi said: “University is where you are encouraged to doubt, to imagine, to

assimilate and to explore the unknown, the culture of dissent.

The British University in Egypt has, at its core, a unique blend of one of history’s most revered ancient civilizations, and the United Kingdom’s world-renowned revolutionary teaching methods – two forces that, when combined, can create the perfect ecosystem for creativity, innovation, visionary growth and

leadership.

“I feel privileged to have been appointed as the incoming President and Vice-Chancellor. The

higher education sector is living a challenging time worldwide, trying to meet the ever-changing societal needs combined with the continuing pandemic, but I am optimistic. Working with esteemed colleagues at the British University in Egypt, I am certain that we will be able to overcome them and deliver the societal expectations.”