The American University in Cairo (AUC) received the single largest philanthropic gift in the institution’s history to support excellence in business education, interdisciplinary research, and exchange programs with leading American universities. In appreciation and recognition of this transformative gift from the Sawiris family, the University will name its business school the Onsi Sawiris School of Business in perpetuity. The name honors the exceptional personal and professional legacy of the late Onsi Sawiris, a titan of business in the Middle East, founder of the Orascom Group, and patriarch of the family.
This gift is made possible through the generosity of the NNS Foundation, the Naguib Sawiris Charitable Fund, Naguib Samih Sawiris, the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, and Orascom Construction. It will provide funding for scholarships, research, and a professorship in artificial intelligence/data science, combined with visiting faculty and student exchange programs with leading U.S. universities, including the University of Chicago. The gift has an estimated value of more than $30 million.
The Sawiris family is a long-time friend of AUC. The wife of Onsi Sawiris, Yousriya Loza Sawiris, is an honorary doctor of AUC and an alumna (MBA ’82), a former member of the Egyptian Parliament, businesswoman, and philanthropist. Over the years, the family has supported scholarships for students from Upper Egypt, students with disabilities, women’s empowerment, and the renovation of AUC’s historic Tahrir Square campus.