AUB Joins in Fostering US-style Education Abroad

AAICU website: http://www.aaicu.org/

AUB will now become one of the group of 18 American universities and colleges from the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia that forms the new association of academic institutions, which was conceived and organized on the American model of higher education. Named the Association of American International Colleges and Universities (AAICU), the organization was created during a meeting held at the American University in Cairo on April 10-12, in the presence of the presidents, provosts, and chief academic officers representing the signatories.

The association's aim is to promote American standards of education, cultural exchange, and research and development. It will monitor standards of American-style education and hopes to bridge cultures and foster dialogue among nations within the framework of the American liberal arts tradition. According to the Cairo declaration, "AAICU member institutions aim at a global standard of excellence by providing privileged spaces of intellectual interchange, academic freedom, and responsibility."

Noting that the AAICU member institutions are leaders in their communities, who drive research, educate youth, and provide an outlet for cultural exchange, AUB President John Waterbury said: "The influence of these colleges and universities extends far beyond political boundaries. Internationally, we are ambassadors of the US system of higher education and academic freedom. The AAICU Cairo Declaration expresses our unanimous dedication to these principals and urges the support of US higher education institutions worldwide."

David Arnold, president of American University in Cairo, said: "Those of us involved in higher education in this region believe that as we teach young leaders to embrace rigorous analysis and intellectual tolerance, radicalism can be trumped. Conversely, if higher education fails to provide the abilities young Arabs need to succeed in modern society, hopes will be dimmed, and minds closed."

The declaration urged both the American government and American foundations and corporations to expand their educational, scholarship, and research grants abroad and increase the development of American schools and hospitals overseas.