Arid Lands: USAID Center of Excellence Brings Egyptian Students to USU

The United States Agency for International Development funded a $30 million dollar Center of Excellence for Water that focuses on curriculum reform, capacity building, commercialization of research, and technology transfer.

Utah State University engineering professors are working to improve the instructional innovation and curriculum development aspect of the project. One such professor is engineering education Professor Kurt Becker, who traveled to Africa to work with Egyptian Universities and build engineering education capacity in the areas of instructional technology and innovative teaching methods.

The Center of Excellence for Water in Egypt informs national and local water policy information, promotes efficient water use, and develops innovative applied research solutions for water-related issues. It is managed and ran by the United States.

Within the Center are its three academic pillars: (1) Instructional Innovation and Curriculum Development, (2) High Quality Applied Research, and (3) Exchanges, Training and Scholarships. Sustainability is the overarching goal of the center and governance is its foundation.

The project, which started in 2019, will last seven years. Egyptian faculty and students were funded by the center to study at USU to assist Egypt in improving and meeting water demands. Egypt also plans to meet its goal of raising all aspects of higher education including curriculum, teaching and research, to international standards by 2030.

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Writer: Sydney Dahle, sydney.dahle@usu.edu, 435-797-7512

Contact: Kurt Becker, kurt.becker@usu.edu, 435-797-2076