3 November 2026
Ahead of the THE Arab Awards on 4 November, Hugh Martin has been speaking with those shortlisted for the AQ-sponsored Leadership and Management Team of the Year Award, hearing the stories behind their submissions and learning more about the people, ideas and achievements making a real difference across higher education. It’s been a great opportunity to hear directly about their work and share the impact they’re having across the sector.
In this interview, Hugh speaks to Professor Mohamed El-Shinawi, President of Galala University in Egypt, about the ambition to establish a new kind of university in a previously underserved part of the country. Founded in 2020, Galala has grown from just 750 students to 18,000, establishing an international profile, developing significant research activity and building partnerships across the world. At the heart of its progress is a strategy built around five priorities: student-centred education, research, internationalisation, quality assurance and sustainability.
A new model for Egyptian higher education
Galala University was established as part of a wider transformation of Egypt’s higher education system. Since 2014, the number of universities in the country has grown from around 50 to more than 130, while student numbers have increased from 2.7 million to approximately 4.1 million.
The introduction of national, non-profit universities was an important part of this expansion, alongside new international branch campuses and technological universities. The ambition was not simply to increase capacity, but to broaden access to higher education, improve quality and strengthen Egypt’s position internationally.
Galala was established in 2020 in a relatively remote area, away from the traditional concentrations of universities around Cairo and Alexandria. Its location was deliberate: the university was intended to help create a new community and bring educational opportunities, services and economic activity to an area that had previously lacked them.
When Professor Mohamed became President in 2022, having initially served as Vice-President, he set out a strategy to build a university that could become a model not only for Egypt, but for the wider Middle East and Africa. The five priorities underpinning that strategy have shaped the university’s development, from its academic offer and research activity to its international relationships, quality standards and contribution to the community.
Putting students at the centre
Student experience has been a central consideration from the beginning; Galala has expanded from 750 students in its first year to around 18,000, with its academic offer growing from an initial provision to approximately 55 programmes. It has also begun developing postgraduate provision, including MBA and master’s programmes in areas such as nanotechnology, nutrition and digital healthcare, with doctoral study planned for the future. But Professor Mohamed is keen to stress that being student-centred means more than offering a wide range of courses.
The university has introduced a wellbeing centre, a student satisfaction unit that gathers and follows up feedback from students and staff, and an equal opportunities unit. These are intended to ensure that the student experience is considered across all aspects of university life. It has also invested in opportunities for students to gain international experience, with more than 700 students have travelled overseas through its partnerships, with destinations including the United States, Germany, the UK, Italy, Japan, Malaysia and South Africa.
For Professor Mohamed, these experiences are an important part of preparing graduates for an increasingly interconnected world and giving them opportunities that extend beyond the classroom.
International partnerships built on more than degrees
Internationalisation has been one of Galala’s defining priorities, particularly its relationship with Arizona State University (ASU). The university is described as being ‘powered by Arizona State’, with the partnership extending well beyond dual degrees. While students can access nine dual-degree programmes, with plans to increase this to 12, the collaboration also provides access to ASU’s expertise, systems and experience in areas including strategy, marketing, curriculum development and institutional processes.
Professor Mohamed was clear from the outset that the value of the partnership should not be measured simply by the number of degrees on offer. The real opportunity was to learn from ASU’s experience and adapt its approaches to the culture, needs and ambitions of Galala University. The partnership also offers accelerated master’s opportunities, allowing students to take additional courses during their final undergraduate year before progressing to a further year at ASU and graduating with a master’s degree.
Beyond ASU, Galala has developed more than 40 active international collaborations, including relationships with Hiroshima University and institutions across Europe and Asia. These partnerships have helped create opportunities for student and academic exchange, joint research and access to international funding. The university is also involved in projects supported by programmes including Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe, as well as working with organisations such as the British Council.
For Professor Mohamed, successful international relationships depend on mutual respect, shared ambition and a willingness to learn from one another. The aim is not to replicate another institution’s model, but to build a partnership that benefits both sides.
Growing research and strengthening quality
Having established its undergraduate provision, Galala is increasingly focused on developing its research profile. The university now reports more than 2,000 publications and has established its GU Innovate funding initiative to support research projects. Its first round has funded 22 projects, with a second round now under way. This investment is intended to encourage academics to develop their research, pursue external funding and build the university’s contribution to international knowledge and innovation.
Quality assurance is another central part of the strategy. Alongside working towards national accreditation through Egypt’s quality assurance and accreditation authority, Galala is pursuing accreditation through the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. It is also exploring European accreditation opportunities. The university’s progress has already begun to be reflected in international rankings. In its first entry into the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, it was placed in the 1,001–1,200 band. It has also achieved recognition in the THE Arab University Rankings and Impact Rankings, as well as the Interdisciplinary Science Rankings.
For a university only six years old, these are significant milestones. However, Professor Mohamed sees rankings as a way of understanding performance and encouraging improvement, rather than an end in themselves, recognising the value of competition while acknowledging that comparisons can be challenging for newer institutions.
Making a difference beyond the university
Galala’s commitment to sustainability and community engagement is another important part of its identity; the university has undertaken more than 400 community activities, with its dentistry school alone providing free treatment to more than 60,000 patients over a nine-month period. It also runs medical outreach activities in surrounding areas, including one recent initiative that treated more than 1,500 patients in Suez Governorate.
Its wider work includes supporting capacity development for English teachers and contributing to regional collaboration on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Galala leads the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in the Euro-Mediterranean region, helping to bring together institutions and partners around sustainable development priorities.
Financial sustainability is also a key consideration. Although the government funded the initial construction of the university’s substantial campus, Galala operates as a non-profit institution and does not receive ongoing government funding for its operations. Its income is reinvested in the university and its continued development.
For Professor Mohamed, these commitments are all connected. A successful university must be able to demonstrate its value not only through its academic results, but through the contribution it makes to the people and communities around it.
Building a culture that brings people together
While Galala’s growth has been impressive, establishing a new university in a remote location has brought considerable challenges. In the early days, it had limited accommodation, transport and infrastructure, as well as the task of building trust with students, government, local authorities and international partners. The university has since expanded its accommodation capacity from 400 to 10,000 beds and now operates around 160 buses each day to support student transport.
But perhaps the greatest challenge has been bringing together people from different institutional backgrounds and creating a shared sense of purpose. Its academics and professional services staff have come from public and private universities in Egypt and from institutions overseas, bringing different experiences and expectations. Professor Mohamed believes that building a strong culture requires regular discussion, openness and genuine involvement – he has encouraged an open-door approach, creating opportunities for staff to share ideas and understand the university’s direction, while maintaining clear decision-making and a shared roadmap.
One particularly unusual initiative is an internal university ‘league’, bringing together teams of academics, professional services staff and students to develop ideas and improve the university’s culture. Teams earn points throughout the year for their contributions, with an award for the group making the greatest impact. The aim is to encourage people to take ownership, collaborate and find new ways to improve the institution.
Developing future leaders is equally important. Several senior members of Galala’s team have gone on to take up significant national roles, including appointments as Egypt’s Minister of Culture and senior positions across the higher education system. While losing talented colleagues presents a challenge, Professor Mohamed sees it as a source of pride and is investing in the next generation of programme directors to ensure the university has the leadership capacity to continue growing.
His philosophy is straightforward: the success of individuals is also the success of the institution – referring to an old African proverb, he said ‘If you want to fly fast, fly alone. But if you want to fly far, we have to fly together.’
For other universities, particularly those building new institutions or looking to establish a stronger international profile, Galala’s experience offers valuable lessons. A clear strategy matters, but so does the ability to bring people with you, invest in their development and create a culture where innovation and collaboration can flourish.
As Professor Mohamed reflects on the university’s journey from a largely empty campus in 2020 to an institution with thousands of students, international partnerships and growing research activity, it is clear that its ambition extends well beyond its initial foundations. Its next challenge is to sustain that momentum, deepen its academic and research contribution and continue preparing the people who will shape its future.
