Abraaj Capital, a leading private equity firm investing in global growth markets, and the American University in Cairo (AUC) today announced the creation of the “Abraaj Capital Professorship in Private Equity” at the School of Business at AUC.

University President  Lisa Anderson commended the development stating that the university’s delighted with Abraaj’s “commitment to their business curriculum”. This professorship enables AUC to attract a leading international scholar who will create innovative educational and research opportunities for our students seeking careers in the financial industry.

Chief Executive Officer of Abraaj Capital Limited, and a member of the AUC Business School Advisory Board, Mustafa Abdel-Wadood said; “Having worked closely with the investment community in Egypt for a number of years, we are delighted to be able to endow the Abraaj Capital Professorship in Private Equity at one of the leading universities in the country. ”

“We are firmly committed to nurturing local talent in all the markets in which we operate and I am confident that the students will benefit enormously from the program”, he added.

The Abraaj Capital Professorship will be a cornerstone of the newly introduced Master of Science in Finance program that will be launched in Fall 2012. As part of the professorship, an endowment fund will be created to further strengthen academic research activities in the field of private equity, venture capital and investment management.

Professorships honor the best teacher scholars and make it possible for AUC to recruit and retain outstanding teachers and researchers. The presence of esteemed faculty members also helps attract the best students to the university, adding to an already thriving academic climate.

“The academic excellence of The American University in Cairo allied with the deep practical knowledge of Abraaj Capital will create an unparalleled learning experience for students and make a major contribution towards the development of the private equity industry in Egypt. We are particularly pleased that by participating in regular guest lectures, Abraaj executives will remain actively involved with the program throughout the academic year,” said Ahmed Badreldin, Senior Partner, Abraaj Capital.

Dean of the School of Business Shefir Kamel also shared his optimism stating that Abraaj’s generous gift would ensure  that  the AUC’s School of Business will continue to realize its mission as a premier education institution focused on preparing future business leaders and entrepreneurs to make a difference.

“The newly introduced endowed professorship in private equity will undoubtedly contribute to the growing resources and facilities made available for the concentration in finance”, he quipped.

This initiative serves as a model of corporate and academic cooperation to better serve the communities, in addition to its significant impact, not only on AUC, but also on the field of finance in Egypt and the region.

Abraaj Capital is one of the largest private equity firms in growth markets worldwide. Since inception in 2002, the group has raised over $7 billion and distributed in excess of $3 billion to investors. With over $6 billion in assets under management, the group has also helped accelerate and facilitate the growth of more than 50 companies in 15 countries in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region in sectors as diverse as healthcare, education, energy, aviation and logistics.

Source: ameinfo