This morning, Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly attended the inauguration of Badya University in New October City, in the presence of Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, along with several ministers, governors, members of parliament, ambassadors, media representatives, and CEOs of leading companies operating across various sectors of the Egyptian market.
At the outset of the ceremony—held to mark the launch of five faculties at Badya University, established in partnership with the University of Texas—the Prime Minister viewed a short film highlighting the university’s facilities and advanced educational resources. It was noted that the university is the outcome of a collaboration between Palm Hills Developments, a leading real estate developer, and Taalem Management Services, a pioneering provider of higher education services. Starting from the first semester of the academic year 2024–2025, the university will commence studies in the following faculties: Medicine, Dentistry, Physical Therapy, Business Administration and Applied Economics, and Computing & Data Science.
Occupying an area of 167,000 square meters, Badya University will accommodate over 12,000 students, offering academic, sports, and recreational services to provide an integrated and engaging campus life. The university also offers vocational training programs in partnership with major industrial and service institutions, ensuring students are well-prepared for future market demands.
During the ceremony, Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, presented the key parameters for advancing Egypt’s private higher education system as a cornerstone of overall higher education reform. He emphasized that the inauguration of Badya University underscores the strong role of the state in supporting private investment in the higher education sector.
The Minister noted that private higher education institutions in Egypt now enroll over 400,000 students, with capacity steadily increasing. This year, they can accommodate an additional 120,000 students. He also praised the societal role of private universities, highlighting their active contributions to national initiatives that impact citizens’ lives—chief among them the Presidential “Decent Life” Initiative.
Dr. Ashour further elaborated on healthcare services delivered through private universities, noting that by the end of this year, there will be nine hospitals affiliated with private universities, offering 2,000 beds. He added that the state is committed to expanding international partnerships and twinning programs with leading global universities in healthcare development, citing the collaboration with the University of Texas—ranked among the world’s top 50 universities—as a model that supports Egypt’s development goals.
Dr. Hossam El-Mallahy, Senator and President of Badya University, presented the university’s academic vision and expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for his support. He recalled Dr. Madbouly’s earlier meeting with senior officials from the University of Texas System’s medical branch to explore avenues of scientific cooperation in healthcare research between Texas and Badya University under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education, a step that strongly influenced the decision to invest in Egypt.
Dr. Jeffrey Sussman, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Performance at UTMB Health, University of Texas, showcased a short video on the Texas medical branch, outlining its history and world-class research capabilities. Representing the University of Texas, he expressed pride in partnering with Badya University on this pioneering project, voicing his enthusiasm for exchanging expertise with the Egyptian side and his aspiration to deepen collaboration in advancing scientific research for the benefit of humanity. In his remarks, Mr. Yasseen Mansour, Chairman and Group CEO of Palm Hills Developments, described the Badya project as a model of government–private sector partnership. He highlighted it as the largest real estate development in West Cairo, spanning 3,000 feddans with total investments exceeding EGP 100 billion, developed in partnership with the New Urban Communities Authority. The project aligns with the Egypt 2052 National Urban Development Plan. vMansour praised the government’s role in supporting the private sector through infrastructure development across various fields, which has enabled the establishment of many new cities. He expressed gratitude to the political leadership and the Prime Minister, saying: “We could not have realized this dream without you.”
He further stated that the opening of Badya University is a key step in Palm Hills’ strategy to strengthen Egypt’s educational ecosystem, out of the belief that education is a cornerstone of both economic and social development. The goal, he affirmed, is to prepare a new generation capable of advancing the Egyptian state. He reiterated the company’s commitment to expanding partnerships with prestigious Egyptian, regional, and international educational institutions to establish world-class educational facilities. He stressed that Palm Hills considers itself an integral partner in educational institutions within its communities, not merely a host, as it views education as central to its development mission.
At the close of the ceremony, Prime Minister Madbouly and his accompanying delegation toured the university facilities, including the Faculty of Medicine building, lecture halls, clinical skills labs, the anatomy lab, microscopy and histology labs, and the library.
In the Clinical Skills Lab, the Prime Minister observed a demonstration of an AI-powered patient-simulation robot. This system allows students to input specific medical case data, enabling the robot to respond to questions as a patient would, thereby training students to take medical histories and reach accurate diagnoses.
