Cairo University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cairo University

جامعة القاهرة
Former names	Egyptian University Fuad I University
Type	Public
Established	1908; 117 years ago (1908)
Academic affiliation	UNIMED
President	Mohammed Othman Al Khasht
Administrative staff	12,158
Students	231,590
Location	Giza , Giza Governorate , Egypt 30°01′39″N 31°12′37″E / 30.02760°N 31.21014°E / 30.02760; 31.21014
Campus	Urban

Cairo University

Cairo University (Arabic: جامعة القاهرة, romanized: Jāmiʿat al-Qāhira) is a very important public university in Egypt. It's like a big school for grown-ups. Its main campus is in Giza, right across the Nile River from Cairo.

The university started on December 21, 1908. At first, its different departments were in various places in Cairo. But by October 1929, they all moved to the main campus in Giza.

Over the years, the university had different names. From 1908 to 1940, it was called the Egyptian University. Then, from 1940 to 1952, it was known as King Fuad I University, named after King Fuad I. After the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, it was renamed Cairo University.

It is the second oldest university in Egypt, after Al-Azhar University. Cairo University is a huge school, with about 155,000 students. Many famous people have studied here, including three who won the Nobel Prize!

History of Cairo University

The idea for Cairo University began a long time ago. Before 1907, a British leader in Egypt, Lord Cromer, didn't want a university to be built. He worried it might cause problems.

But in 1908, the university opened as a small private school. It became a model for other universities in the Arab world. In 1925, it became a state-run university. Then, in 1954, it officially became Cairo University.

The university was founded because people wanted a national center for higher education. Some colleges, like the College of Engineering, existed even before the university was officially formed. Cairo University was designed to be a modern, non-religious university, different from the religious Al Azhar. In 1928, for the first time, female students were allowed to enroll.

How Cairo University Started

Around the year 1900, smart people in Egypt wanted to create a modern university. They wanted to give Egyptians a good education. One of the first people to suggest this was Yaqub Artin in 1894. He thought that existing professional schools could form the base of a university. These schools taught subjects like law, engineering, agriculture, and ancient history.

A journalist named Jurji Zaydan also suggested an "Egyptian college school" in 1900. He looked at schools in India and Beirut as examples. This new school would offer a different way for Egyptians to get an education, instead of only going to Europe. Many important Egyptians helped make this dream come true. This included wealthy landowners, government officials, members of the royal family, and even journalists and lawyers.

Rich Egyptians started donating money for the university as early as 1905. A wealthy person from Beni Suef, Mustafa Kamil al-Ghamrawi, promised money in 1906. Other important people like Saad Zaghlul and Qasim Amin also helped gather support and funds. By the time the university opened in 1908, Prince Fuad I was in charge of the project.

Challenges in Building the University

Cairo University after sunset.

The British government in Egypt, especially Lord Cromer, was against building this university for a long time. They were worried that a European-style education might lead to political problems or a strong sense of Egyptian nationalism. Education in Egypt was not a priority for the colonial government.

In its early years, the university didn't have its own campus. Lectures were held in different palaces and meeting halls. It also struggled financially, especially during World War I. When it first opened in 1908, there was a section for women, but it closed in 1912. Women were allowed back into the arts department in 1928.

Another problem was finding enough qualified teachers. There weren't many Egyptians with advanced degrees who could teach in Arabic and knew about Western studies. So, the university hired European scholars. They also sent their own students abroad to get the training needed to become professors.

In 1925, the university was officially restarted and grew bigger as a state institution under King Fuad I. New departments were added, like a science faculty. Ahmed Lutfi al-Sayyid became the first president of the university.

University Rankings

Cairo University is often considered one of the best universities in Egypt. It is also ranked among the top universities in Africa.

For example, in the QS ranking for 2021, Cairo University was ranked 2nd in Egypt. It was also the 6th best in Africa. Worldwide, it was ranked between 561st and 570th.

In another ranking, the ARWU 2020, the university was ranked 1st in Egypt. Globally, it was placed between 401st and 500th.

What's Inside Cairo University?

Cairo University has many different schools and departments. It includes a School of Law and a School of Medicine. The Medical School is very famous. It is also known as Kasr Alaini (القصر العيني). This was one of the first medical schools in Africa and the Middle East. Its first building was given by Alaini Pasha.

The first president of Cairo University was Professor Ahmed Lutfi el-Sayed. He led the university from 1925 to 1941.

Saad Zaghloul.

Famous People Who Studied Here

Many important and famous people have graduated from Cairo University. Here are a few:

• Abdel Khalek Sarwat Pasha (1873–1928), who was the Prime Minister of Egypt twice.
• Mohamed Atalla, an engineer who invented important parts for computers.
• Naima Ilyas al-Ayyubi, the first female lawyer in Egypt.
• Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who was the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1992 to 1996.
• Eli Cohen, an Israeli spy who worked in Syria.
• Wael Ghonim, an important activist during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.
• Saddam Hussein (1937–2006), who was a former president of Iraq.
• Yuriko Koike (born 1952), a former Japanese Minister of Defense and the first female governor of Tokyo.
• Mohamed Morsi (1951–2019), a former President of Egypt.
• Amr Moussa, who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League.
• Omar Sharif (1932–2015), a famous actor.
• Magdi Yacoub (born 1935), a well-known heart surgeon.

Nobel Prize Winners

Three graduates of Cairo University have won the Nobel Prize, which is a very special award:

• Naguib Mahfouz, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988 for his writing.
• Yasser Arafat, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his work towards peace.
• Mohamed ElBaradei, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 for his efforts to prevent nuclear weapons from spreading.

Images for kids

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  Yasser Arafat, 1956

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  Mohamed ElBaradei, 1962

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  Naguib Mahfouz, 1934

See also

• Ahmed Lutfi el-Sayed, first president of Cairo University
• Education in Egypt
• List of universities in Egypt