I'm not too involved with the Guc business anymore; more relevant people are doing that task. But I received this on email from the embassy yesterday and I couldn't let it pass without a few thoughts. I'll only touch this briefly and it should be up to you - gucians - to lead the discussion, leave comments if you want, and I'll put it together to formulate the response. In the meantime .. (blue italics are my comments)
Cairo, 4 April 2011
Michael Bock
German Ambassador
on the German University in Cairo
The young people of Egypt have brought the promise of democracy and rule of law to their nation. It was deeply gratifying to witness students of the German University in Cairo at the forefront of the peaceful revolution. As a consequence, Egyptians everywhere are now asking how a higher degree of participation and responsibility can be achieved. This question is also being asked at the country's universities.
As a member of the GUC's Board of Trustees, I take a deep interest in these developments and, in particular, in the current debate on how the university should function and be further improved. I know that all my fellow board members, whether they are Egyptian or German, are committed to this goal.
I don't doubt the sincerity of the ambassador,but if the other members of the board had really been committed to this goal, how come they tried to shut down the discussion with (allegedly) threats and (factually) suspensions? And how come they refused to listen, respond or set a meeting with the students as they requested during the last board meeting?
We can be proud of what GUC has achieved since it opened its doors to the first students just 8 years ago. GUC today provides a higher education that is among the best in Egypt and the entire region. GUC alumni go on to be highly successful in both the professional and academic spheres; the feedback I get on the quality of graduates is excellent.
Concerning Alumni: the guc releases no data, on what criteria is 'highly successful .. professional and academic ..', do we have reports on Alumni placements? positions? research achievements? how they compare through the region (say Auc) ?
GUC is a private university under Egyptian law and is dependent on its students' tuition fees. Admission to GUC is not, however, limited to those with the necessary financial means. We believe that the GUC system of reductions and grants gives talented students from all backgrounds a chance to receive an outstanding education. GUC invests heavily in people, equipment and infrastructure. Shareholder value is quite evidently not the university's first priority.
There's a lot to say here, but mainly: 'necessary financial means' 'invests heavily in people, equipment and infrastructure' as many times as we asked, the university was never forthcoming or transparent whenever questions were posed by students and faculty that the Guc does not, in fact, invest heavily at all in any of those three categories - the most advertised of those equipment like the dmc for example (digital media campus) were not open for real use by students since they were installed - the industrial park is too inaccessible and students go through a long process to get authorization to work in it and some machines are off-limits as well (according to materials science students).
But the main question is: if the Guc does really place education financially first, then why does it not respond to any inquiries in financial spending? instead more and more fees are levied on students (you can't check your final exam grade unless you pay a 'remarking' fee! does any respectable university in the world force students to pay should they wish to see their grades? 'Shareholder value .. first priority' I really cannot agree with that statement, unless the Guc was willing to provide strong and factual evidence. The facts on the ground - what we see with our own eyes every day, is that more and more policies are introduced which increase profit and do not contribute to a better quality of education - quite the opposite, sometimes. .
GUC devises its curricula in cooperation with leading German universities. Most of its curricula are compatible with the Bologna process and the great majority of them are accredited by ACQUIN, the German Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute. GUC also has the highest number of Germans on the teaching staff of any German university abroad worldwide. The German government funds extensive mobility programmes for GUC students and scholars.
The initial promise of the Guc was that degrees would be awarded from the Universities of Stuttgart and Ulm, this was part of the reason many of us enrolled. Why did the two patron Universities not go through with this agreement, if the Guc curricula was as good as they initially deemed? Bearing in mind that the two rectors of those universities are in the Guc's board of trustees. As for ACQUIN, 'the great majority' means some curricula are not accredited? 'even though Guc? The Guc claims '.. fully accredited courses and degrees ..'.
'highest number of Germans' but not the '50%' explicitly promised? how much is the percentage, then? 'the German government funds mobility programs ..' yet the Guc does not let most students go through these programs unless they pay certain fees to the Guc while they're away - that is, while they're not even attending in the Guc (the University claims those fees are for costs like flight and dorms, but when students asked to handle their own arrangements because the Guc's were much more expensive they were refused) .. This happens in visits to both Ulm and Stuttgart, the rectors of those two Universities should know.
Also, the ACQUIN accreditation is based on the Guc's promise of 8 semesters international degrees (for Engineering) the Guc broke that promise and in fact, forced students to stay and pay fees for the fifth year or they would not get the international degree they already fulfilled the requirements to - this is beyond their right even as a Business Entity with which we had a set agreement and then they do not deliver what they promised in that agreement.
GUC's educational vision is not limited to academic quality. Students are encouraged to be an active and responsible part both of their immediate environments and society at large. In the next days, the students of GUC are to elect a student union. It will voice their views and concerns and thus contribute to a more open and structured communication at GUC. Germany continues to support this process and I myself remain personally committed to it.
'Students are encouraged to be active' 'voice their views' '.. open ..'? how are they encouraged if, for protesting - peacefully and without any harm to anyone- 15 of them were suspended and they're only back at the Guc now because they 'committed' to not breaking the 'rules' again? how can we say that, when we know there has been allegations of threats and harassment to student and faculty representatives during the past couple of weeks and no inquiry, no response, was issued from the University to those allegations nor have the Embassy responded formally to our demands to look into the situation?
Effectively, the Guc sent a message by its last actions: Students are not allowed to voice their concerns openly or they would be target, what would be the use of those students being in a 'union' - the bylaws of which give the University the power to 'discipline' the entire 'organization' should any of this unions committee members make a 'false statement .. either orally or in writing .. to any University employee .. outside media .. external organizations ' 'the organization shall be subject to discipline'. Those last three quotes were taken from the official bylaws.
I'm assuming determining its a 'lie' and deciding on the 'discipline' are both tasks in the hand of the University's management.
'open communication'?
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Edit: Because the law prohibits personal insults, I'll have to remove any comments with swearing or cursed-words against any individuals, should someone feel that a certain content in the blog personally offends them, they're welcome to contact me and I'll rectify the situation - this is about ideas, not people.
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