Feb. 9 (Toronto) — Seneca and Cairo-based Al-Ahly CIRA Company for Educational Services are moving forward on a plan to bring a Seneca education to thousands of students in Egypt.

The plan would establish two Seneca campuses in Greater Cairo — one in 6th of October City and one in Badr City — with programs in business, engineering, information technology and English language training.

The Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed in Cairo by Seneca President David Agnew and Karim Saada, Board Chair of Al-Ahly CIRA for Educational Services.

Dr. Mohamed Ayman Ashour, Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, spoke at the signing ceremony and lauded the agreement for supporting Egypt Vision 2030, the national agenda that includes increasing the availability of higher education for Egyptian youth. Mark Scullion, Counsellor and Senior Trade Commissioner, Embassy of Canada to Egypt, also spoke at the ceremony.

Al Ahly CIRA is a joint venture between the Al-Ahly Capital Holding Company, the investment arm of the National Bank of Egypt, and CIRA Education. It was formed in 2021 to help make global postsecondary education available to all Egyptians.

Quotes:

“We are delighted to be working with CIRA to offer more opportunities to Egyptian youth to further their education. We will bring to Cairo our decades of experience in high-quality polytechnic education that builds great careers for our graduates.”

-          David Agnew, Seneca President

“CIRA Education is keen to improve the quality of education in Egypt by supporting projects that aim to develop the educational system, especially with the need for the education sector to support the private sector to provide a high-quality education level for all segments of Egyptian society in various sectors with specializations that support the labor market with its actual needs.”

-          Dr. Hassan El-Kalla, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CIRA Education

“This agreement comes within the framework of CIRA’s strategy to contribute to the development of the educational system that provides equal opportunities for every Egyptian student to obtain a distinguished educational experience, with the aim of creating new trained cadres in the Egyptian market, which will reflect positively on our children in the future.”

-          Karim Saada, Managing Director of Al-Ahly Capital Holding Company and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Ahly CIRA Company for Educational Services

Seneca is taking on the great challenges of our time – rebuilding the economy, equity and sustainability – while navigating through the pandemic safely. We’re delivering great polytechnic education that combines rigorous academics with practical training. From health care to technology, business to creative arts, community services to arts and sciences, we help students get ready to make their mark in the world. We’re #SenecaProud of our expert faculty, excellent staff and outstanding facilities. We have deep connections with industry and offer thousands of co-op and work placements to get our graduates job-ready. Full-time or part-time, in-person or online, students choose the option that suits them. Learn more: senecapolytechnic.ca

CIRA Education is a publicly listed company on the Egyptian Stock Exchange’s highly performing index EGX30. CIRA Education, founded in 1993, is currently Egypt’s largest investor in the private education sector. It holds more than 20 affiliate companies and brands, including British Columbia Canadian International Schools (BCCIS), Saxony International School, and Badr University in Cairo and Assiut (BUC & BUA). CIRA has invested in more than 30 campuses, serving more than 48,000 students around Egypt.