On Tuesday, 27 September 2016, the graduation ceremony of Round 8 of the “University to Work” program (UTW-8) was held at InterContinental Citystars Cairo Hotel in the presence of Housing Minister Dr. Moustafa Madbouly, his Assistant for Urban Renewal & Informal Settlements Dr. Ahmed Darwish, Former Environment Minister Dr. Laila Iskandar, and ECG Chairman Amr Allouba. The ceremony marked the graduation of 500 engineering students from various Egyptian universities amid the applause of a large crowd of parents and alumni.
This year’s edition of the UTW program witnessed the participation of students in Autodesk competitions, and students from various UTW-8 teams received several top prizes. During the ceremony, top-achieving graduates from different engineering disciplines were awarded employment letters offering them jobs at ECG after they graduate from university. ECG’s cosponsors and partners in success were also held in recognition, including Ideal Standard, Schneider, Scib, and Two Brothers, along with a number of program patrons from the academia.
During the event, UTW Program Manager Dr. Nevine AbdelKhalek announced the Bridge Initiative cosponsored by ECG and Egypt Club to provide young Arab engineers with the qualifications necessary for the labor market. Dr. AbdelKhalek also stated that UTW-9 would be held next year at El Gouna Campus of the Technical University of Berlin.
In her speech on behalf of her fellow graduates, UTW Graduate Deena Hassan, an architecture student at the German University in Cairo (GUC), explained how the UTW Program has brought about positive change in the mindsets of students, and how it has broadened the professional skills qualifying them for the labor market.
In his speech to UTW graduates, Dr. Darwish acclaimed the visits of UTW students to Al-Mawardi slum area in Cairo, during which the students surveyed the needs of inhabitants. He stated that the survey results would be taken into account in the urbanization plans for the slum.
In his inspiring talk to UTW graduates, Human Development Expert Dr. Khalid Habib emphasized how important it is for university graduates to seize every opportunity available to fulfill their potential and develop their leadership and life skills. He also stressed the importance of early career planning.
