♪ THEME MUSIC ♪ >>GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES.

FROM OUR HOME STUDIOS, I'M DAVID DUMKE.

>>AND I'M KATIE CORONADO, WELCOME.

>>TODAY WE ARE JOINED BY DR. SHERIF KAMEL, WHO IS THE DEAN OF THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO'S SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, AS WELL AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN EGYPT.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW DR. KAMEL.

>>THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>>SO WE WANT TO ASK, FIRST OF ALL, WHEN WE THINK OF EGYPT, IT'S BEEN A TOUGH 10 YEARS.

YOU HAD TWO REVOLUTIONS YOU WENT THROUGH, WHERE IS THE EGYPTIAN ECONOMY TODAY?

>>IT'S A COMPELLING STORY.

THE BEGINNING OF LAST DECADE, WE HAD A COUPLE OF VERY TOUGH YEARS.

AS YOU SAID, A COUPLE OF REVOLUTIONS, AND THEN ALL ECONOMIC INDICATORS WERE GOING SOUTH.

THE GOVERNMENT IN 2015 TOOK A BOLD DECISION TO ESTABLISH A PROGRESSIVE ECONOMIC REFORM PROGRAM THAT STARTED IN 2016 AND FINISHED IN 2019.

THIS WAS WAY OVERDUE AND IT WAS SUPPORTED BY AN EXTENDED FUNDING FACILITY FROM THE IMF WORTH $12 BILLION.

THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO IMPROVE MACRO ECONOMIC STABILITY, RESTORE CONTENTS IN THE ECONOMY, ADDRESS OBVIOUSLY THE MACRO ECONOMIC IMBALANCES AND ENHANCE THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.

BY THE END OF THAT THREE YEAR PROGRAM, ALL MACRO MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS WERE HEADING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.

ACTUALLY ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR 2019 WAS 5.6%.

AND IRONICALLY, THE PROJECTIONS FOR 2020 WAS 6% OR CLOSE TO 6%.

THEN COVID HIT.

WHEN COVID HIT, OBVIOUSLY THE IMPACT WAS RIGHT LEFT AND CENTER.

MY BACKGROUND IS ACTUALLY TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT.

OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS WHENEVER WE TALKED ABOUT THIS OPTION, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, THE IMPACT OF INTERNET, MOBILITY, MOST RECENTLY THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

BUT 2019 NOVEMBER HAD A DIFFERENT STORY.

I THINK THE WHOLE WORLD WAS STRUCK WITH A PERFECT STORM, IF I MAY, A STEALTH ATTACK, AN INVISIBLE ENEMY, COVID-19.

IT AFFECTED VIRTUALLY EVERYBODY AROUND THE WORLD, AFFECTED BILLIONS OF LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS.

ECONOMIES, FINANCIAL MARKETS, TRAVEL AND MANUFACTURING.

THERE'S NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL WITH VARYING DEGREES FROM ONE COUNTRY TO THE OTHER.

AND SURELY EGYPT WAS INCLUDED.

EGYPT FIRST CASE WAS ON VALENTINE'S DAY, FEBRUARY 14TH.

WASN'T THAT GOOD OF A DAY THERE BACK THEN.

TODAY, ALMOST 13 MONTHS LATER, 192,000 CASES, ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL NUMBERS.

SADLY, USUALLY A FATALITY... ONE FATALITY IS ONE TO MANY, BUT 5.9% OF THOSE ACTUALLY REPRESENT THE MORTALITY RATES.

AND AS ABOUT 77% ARE THE ONES WHO THANKFULLY ARE NOW FINE.

THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSE WAS RIGHT LEFT AND CENTER, TAKING HEALTH, SAFETY, FISCAL, AND MONETARY MEASURES TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS.

I SHOULD SAY THAT THE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAPPENED TO THE ECONOMIC REFORM PROGRAM DURING THAT PERIOD, 16, 19 ACTUALLY HELPED ABSORB THE SHOCK, GAVE US A BIT OF A CUSHION.

AND THE GOVERNMENT REACTION WAS BASICALLY THREE FOLD.

A, PROTECT THE POPULATION FROM A HEALTH AND SAFETY POINT OF VIEW.

THE SECOND, WAS TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY BY TAKING, AS I SAID, FISCAL AND MONETARY POLICIES, BUT THIRD, WHICH WAS ALSO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO TRY TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE CONTINUING REFORM AND KEEPING THE VERY HARD WON SUCCESSES THAT HAPPENED THROUGH THE THREE PROGRAM INTACT.

BECAUSE ALL OUR NUMBERS WERE POSITIVE AND WE WANTED TO KEEP THAT.

>>TODAY YOU ARE AT AUC AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PLEASE.

>>WELL, I'M A PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT, TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT AND CURRENTLY THE DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS.

AUC TWO YEARS AGO CELEBRATED 100 YEARS.

THE ROLE OF AUC IN EGYPT HAS ALWAYS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ACTUALLY PRODUCING THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS, THE LEADERS, THE ENTREPRENEURS, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IN THE ECONOMY.

MANY OF THEM STAY IN EGYPT, MANY OF THEM ACTUALLY RESIDE IN 47 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.

AND OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN SUCCESSFUL THROUGH OUR MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES, BUT PRECISELY OUR CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP INNOVATION AND OUR ACCELERATOR, WHICH WE CALL THE VENTURE LAB.

MANY OF THOSE GRADUATES ARE NOW SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED THEIR OWN STARTUPS AND HAVING A SAY IN ACTUALLY FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR OUR PROBLEMS.

>>ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS SOMETHING YOU JUST MENTIONED, AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT FOR EGYPT.

ALWAYS CREATING NEW JOBS, PARTICULARLY FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

EGYPT, OF COURSE, HAS NOTORIOUSLY HAD A LARGE BUREAUCRACY AND PART OF IT WAS, THERE WERE A LOT OF REGULATIONS TO CUT THROUGH IN STARTING A BUSINESS.

SO WHAT'S BEEN DONE IN RECENT YEARS IN EGYPT TO MAKE THAT PROCESS EASIER SO THE GRADUATES YOU'RE TRAINING ACTUALLY HAVE A GOOD CHANCE TO SET UP A BUSINESS?

>>THAT'S A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION AND ACTUALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION.

AND THAT ACTUALLY TAKES ME BACK TO THE THIRD POINT I MENTIONED WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO MITIGATE THE RISKS AND AVOID THE IMPACT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OF COVID-19, WHICH IS THE KEEPING THE BENEFITS WON AFTER THE THREE YEAR ECONOMIC REFORM PROGRAM.

WHICH IS TO CONTINUE WITH WHAT I CALL A 4.2.

AND I THINK THAT IS EXTREMELY ESSENTIAL TO COMPLETE THE JIGSAW PUZZLE OVER THE VIBE GROWING AND PROSPEROUS ECONOMY.

2020 FOR EGYPT, DESPITE ALL THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THE PANDEMIC WE STILL, AS AN ECONOMY MANAGED TO HAVE A 3.6 GROWTH RATE, WHICH I THINK IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN OUR REGION THAT RECORDED POSITIVE GROWTH.

HAVING SAID THAT WE'RE NOT DONE YET.

I WILL NOT EVEN... WE'RE NOT EVEN CLOSE.

THERE IS A SECOND WAVE OF REFORM THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS PUSHING TO ENABLE A ROBUST AND AGILE PRIVATE SECTOR ENVIRONMENT THAT IS CONDUCIVE TO PUTTING DIRECT INVESTMENT, BUT ALSO IT CAN HELP THE PRIVATE SECTOR FLOURISH.

ACHIEVE MORE GROWTH, MORE IMPORTANTLY MORE INCLUSIVE GROWTH, AND OBVIOUSLY FOSTER A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR ENTERPRISES.

THAT IN ITSELF WAS ENDORSED AND SUPPORTED THROUGH LAST YEAR.

EVERYTHING HAS A POSITIVES AND I LOOK ALSO AT 2020 THAT THERE ARE SOME LIGHTS AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, WHICH IS THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, I THINK REPRESENTS A KEY PLATFORM FOR EGYPT IN GENERAL, ACROSS DIFFERENT SECTORS TO DIGITIZE MANY OF THE GOVERNMENT SERVICES.

LIKE YOU SAID DAVID, TRY TO AVOID BUREAUCRACY, REDUCE IT AT LEAST, RED TAPE BUT ALSO COMBAT CORRUPTION.

IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY ALSO COULD BE A RESULT OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION.

SO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY ONGOING IS ACTUALLY TO INTRODUCE AND IMPROVE THE LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK THAT CAN HELP IMPROVE THE BUSINESS CLIMATE BOTH BY THE WAY, FOR LOCALS, BUT ALSO FOR INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS.

>>WHEN IT COMES TO THE DIGITIZATION, IT'S A LONG ROAD.

WE HAVE A YOUNG POPULATION, FAIRLY YOUNG.

I ALWAYS CALL IT A BABY POPULATION BECAUSE OVER 60% OF THE POPULATION ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 30.

SO THEY ARE MOSTLY TECH SAVVY, EDUCATED.

WE HAVE A PENETRATION RATE OF MOBILITY OVER 100% AND INTERNET 60%.

SO THE GOVERNMENT STARTED IN ONE OF EGYPT'S GOVERNORATES, THE GOVERNOR ATE OF PORT SAID TO INTRODUCE DIGITAL SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY.

I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, BUT I THINK WE HAD TO START AND WE STARTED IT.

AND HOPEFULLY IN THE YEARS TO COME, THIS DISSEMINATION OF DIGITAL SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO HAPPEN ACROSS DIFFERENT GOVERNORATES.

>>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING PEOPLE VIA ZOOM.

AND WHEN I WENT TO CAIRO FROM THE TRADITIONAL, OLDER COMMUNITY, IF YOU WILL.

WE CAN CONSIDER OURSELVES OLDER IN SOME ASPECT AS WELL, BUT MEANING PEOPLE WHO PERHAPS WERE INVOLVED IN DECISION-MAKING MAYBE 30 YEARS AGO, PERHAPS.

AND SO HOW DO YOU WORK WITH THAT COMMUNITY TO GET INTO THE TRANSITION OF, "HEY, DIGITAL IS IMPORTANT.

IT IS IMPORTANT AND ACCESS IS IMPORTANT."?

>>AGAIN, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

LET ME TELL YOU ONE THING.

SO I'VE BEEN WORKING IN THE FIELD FOR CLOSE TO 35 YEARS.

I DO NOT BELIEVE PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STARTED IN 2020.

I THINK DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STARTED THE DAY THAT PERSONAL COMPUTERS WERE INVENTED.

THE DAY WE STARTED BUYING COMPUTERS, TAKING THEM HOME.

OBVIOUSLY IT GOT ACCELERATED IN THE NINETIES WITH THE INTERNET, FURTHER ACCELERATION LATER IN THE NINETIES WITH THE MOBILITY AND THEN FURTHER AND FURTHER WITH THE LAST 10 YEARS.

AND SUDDENLY IT GOT ACCELERATED BIG TIME IN 2020.

I ALWAYS SAY THAT THE CIOS, THE CDOS PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THE FIELD, WHETHER FROM THE PROFESSION SIDE OR FROM THE ACADEMIC SIDES INCLUDING MYSELF, ACTUALLY FAILED AS COMPARED TO WHAT COVID-19 MANAGED TO DO JUST IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.

BUT THE REASON HERE IS THAT PEOPLE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT CHANGE AND SOMETIMES THEY PROMOTE CHANGE, THEY ENDORSE CHANGE, THEY'RE DRIVEN BY CHANGE, BUT THEY NEVER WANT TO CHANGE.

>>WELL, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN 2020 IS THAT THEY ACTUALLY CHANGED.

MAYBE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE, OR MAYBE THEY REALIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME OTHER OPTIONS THERE.

EGYPT HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN TRAINING AND EDUCATION, AS I SAID, FOR THE PAST THREE PLUS DECADES, THE YOUNGER, WHAT WE CALL THEM NOW, THE DIGITAL NATIVES AND SO ON NATURALLY, ARE MORE RECEPTIVE TO THAT.

WHEN YOU GO TO RELATIVELY THE OLDER GENERATIONS, I THINK IN MY VIEW GIVEN THEIR EDUCATION LEVEL IN EGYPT, THEY ACTUALLY REACTED POSITIVELY.

WE'VE SEEN THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN ONE OF THE...

I THINK MOST IMPORTANT APPLICATIONS THAT ARE BEING USED NOW IN EGYPT, WHICH IS A FINTECH APPLICATION THAT HELPS THE FINANCIAL INCLUSION OF THE INFORMAL WORKERS TRYING TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO GET AWAY FROM BEING OUTSIDE OF THE FORMAL ECONOMY.

SO THIS IS YOU'RE HITTING MORE ONE BIRD WITH ONLY ONE STONE.

BY PUSHING THEM TO USE TECHNOLOGY THROUGH MOBILE APPLICATIONS, BRINGING THEM INTO THE FORMAL ECONOMY AND ALSO TRYING TO ENGAGE THEM AND PROVIDING THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES THAT OTHERWISE, WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY THEY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD ACCESS TO.

AGAIN, IT'S NOT EASY.

EVEN EGYPT REACTIONS IN THE BIG CITIES IS DIFFERENT THAN IN THE REMOTE LOCATION.

BUT FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN TERMS OF TRAINING, IN TERMS OF EXPOSURE, IN TERMS OF THE EAGERNESS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, INCLUDING PEOPLE IN THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES AND EVEN OLDER, I THINK IT'S VERY PROMISING AND MOVING FORWARD WITH FURTHER DIGITALIZATION OF SERVICES.

IN REALITY, AGAIN WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE SAME NOTION THAT I SHARED WHEN COVID HIT.

THEY WILL NOT HAVE SO MANY OPTIONS.

IT'S EASY TO USE IT'S AND IT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE BY DIFFERENT SECTORS IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF EDUCATION OR A CERTAIN LEVEL OF EXPOSURE AWARENESS.

>>IT'S THAT IT'S THAT SIMPLE TO USE.

AND THE EXAMPLE OF THE FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND THOSE FINTECH STARTUPS THAT ARE OPERATING EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL NOW IN EGYPT JUST PROVES THE POINT, BECAUSE MANY OF THOSE WHO ACTUALLY USE THEM ARE IN FACT ILLITERATE.

>>WHAT ARE YOU SEEING TO TRY TO BRING IN THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS?

BECAUSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IS REAL HERE EVERYWHERE, BUT CAN WE SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT IN EGYPT?

>>WHEN I LOOK AT TECHNOLOGY, I SEE THREE THINGS.

THE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS, THE DATA PLATFORM, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM, WHICH IS THE HUMAN CAPITAL.

MANY PEOPLE GO TO THE SOFTWARE, TO THE HARDWARE, TO THE COMMUNICATION.

I THINK THIS IS THE EASIEST PART IN THE FORMULA.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN HAVING A SOCIETY ENGAGE AND BENEFIT FROM THE DISSEMINATION OF TECHNOLOGY AND WHAT IT CAN CAUSE TO EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS, AND PRODUCTIVITY, AND MAKE SUSTAINABLE AND SCALABLE IS ACTUALLY THE HUMAN CAPITAL.

AN AGE THIS RICH WITH HUMAN CAPITAL, WE'RE 100 MILLION CITIZEN AND COUNTING.

SO I CONSIDER EGYPT'S MOST IMPORTANT ASSETS AS HUMAN CAPITAL.

AND TECHNOLOGY CAN NEVER BE EFFECTIVE FOR THE ECONOMY, LET IT BE FOR AN ORGANIZATION, FOR A UNIVERSITY, FOR A PRIVATE SECTOR OR A PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANIZATION, UNTIL IT IS READY.

>>AND WHAT I MEAN BY READY IS THAT THE READINESS OF THE HUMAN CAPITAL.

THE AVAILABILITY OF THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, THE TIMELINESS, SECURITY AND CURRENCY OF DATA AND THE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM.

SO ON THOSE FOUR FRONTS, IF I PUT THE HAT OF SCHOOL, WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO TO OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES TO SHARE THAT KNOW-HOW, TO SHARE THAT THROUGH DIFFERENT COURSES, THROUGH DIFFERENT SEMINARS IN CAIRO, BUT ALSO IN DIFFERENT CITIES ACROSS THE NATION.

BECAUSE AGAIN, I SAY CAIRO IS NOT EGYPT, THERE'S A LOT MORE OUTSIDE EGYPT THAT NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED, BUT THERE ARE ALSO MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE GET THAT WE CAN CAPITALIZE ON.

SO THROUGH THE SCHOOL, THROUGH THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES WE TRY TO BRING THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S NOT JUST TECHNOLOGY.

EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO DIGITALIZATION, IF YOU AUTOMATE PROCESSES THAT ARE REDUNDANT, THAT ARE DUPLICATES AND SO ON, YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE.

>>IT'S HOW YOU USE TECHNOLOGY AS A MEANS TO AN END, NOT AN END BY ITSELF.

AND I THINK TECHNOLOGY OFFERS SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND WE'VE SEEN THAT.

AND I CAN SHARE WITH YOU A FEW NUMBERS, STAGGERING NUMBERS OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS NOW, SINCE COVID HIT EGYPT IN TERMS OF CHANGING EVEN SOME OF THE LAWS, AND I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

UP UNTIL LAST YEAR, DISTANCE LEARNING WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED IN EGYPT.

WE AT AUC EVEN COULD NOT OFFER DEGREES ONLINE BECAUSE OF THAT.

THIS IS CHANGING.

SO THE NOTION THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN PROVIDE A PLATFORM TO OUTREACH, TO COMMUNICATE, TO LEARN, TO SHOP, TO GET ENTERTAINED.

ALL THIS IS PUSHING THE SOCIETY TO UNDERSTAND MORE, TO LEARN MORE, TO BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THOSE PLATFORMS.

>>I WANT TO ASK A LITTLE ABOUT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY CAIRO SPECIFICALLY.

THIS IS A VENERABLE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING THAT'S BEEN AROUND NOW 102 YEARS.

WHAT IS IT IMPORTANT FOR AMERICANS TO KNOW ABOUT AUC AND WHY THAT COULD BE IMPORTANT TO THEM?

>>I'VE BEEN WITH AUC FOR THE PAST 38 YEARS.

I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT I'VE TRAVELED WITH THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO THE UNITED STATES FOR MORE THAN 15 [INAUDIBLE] GOOD THING I NEVER HAD TO EXPLAIN THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO.

WHEREVER I WENT.

MEETINGS AT CONGRESS, MEETING IN ONE OF ANY DEPARTMENT WITH STAFFERS, WITH SENATORS, YOU NAME IT.

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, THERE WAS SOMEONE, STATE DEPARTMENT, YOU NAME IT, COMMERCE...

THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOMEONE WENT TO AUC OR WENT TO EGYPT TO STUDY ARABIC FOR A SEMESTER OR FOR A STUDY ABROAD, OR AS AN EXCHANGE STUDENT OR SPEND TIME THERE.

SO I THINK, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE PREVIOUS QUESTION, THE IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN ANY FORMULA IN MY MIND, WHICH IS HUMAN CAPITAL.

IF PEOPLE TO PEOPLE FACTOR BETWEEN EGYPT AND US WAS VERY WELL SERVED THROUGH A NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY CAIRO.

THAT EXCHANGE, NOT JUST IN TERMS OF EDUCATION PROGRAM OR PEOPLE SPENDING A YEAR HERE OR THERE, BUT ALSO ESTABLISHING CONTEXT, ESTABLISHING A NETWORK BECAUSE WITH TIME, THOSE PEOPLE ACTUALLY GROW.

>>AND IN THEIR BUSINESSES, THEY OPEN UP OPPORTUNITIES AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EGYPT AND US...

WHICH BY THE WAY, ACTUALLY NEXT YEAR WILL MARK THE 100 YEARS OF US-EGYPT DIPLOMACY.

MANY OF IT WAS BASED ON FRIENDSHIP AND PEOPLE TO PEOPLE, BUT ALSO NATURALLY GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS TO BUSINESS.

SO I THINK THE ROLE OF AUC OVER THE PAST 102 YEARS, AND I SEE THAT IN THE FUTURE, WILL BE INSTRUMENTAL IN BUILDING THOSE BRIDGES.

AND THIS IS WHY POST 2011, WHEN OBVIOUSLY FOR CORRECT REASONS, WHEN THE MANY OF THE EXCHANGE AND TRAVEL ABROAD STUDENTS PROGRAM WERE SUSPENDED BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT REASONS, INCLUDING SECURITY AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, I ALWAYS WAS THINKING THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME FOR THE IMPACT TO COME BACK.

BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE STUDENTS GOING BACK AND FORTH, GENERATION AFTER GENERATION, YOU HAVE THOSE LINKS, BUT WHEN IT JUST STOPS FOR SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, THAT PROVIDES A GAP.

AND I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR THAT FOR YEARS BUT I PERFECTLY UNDERSTAND THE REASON BEHIND A SUSPENDING IT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, AND THEN REDUCING IT IN SOME OTHER POINTS.

AND WE LOOK FORWARD FOR THESE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS TO GO BACK TO ITS NORMAL LEVELS.

BECAUSE AUC PART OF IT, WE CALL OURSELVES EGYPT'S GLOBAL UNIVERSITY.

WE ALWAYS WERE PROUD THAT A BIG CHUNK OF OUR STUDENTS ARE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, PRIMARILY AMERICAN STUDENTS.

THIS HAS NOT BEEN HAPPENING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT I LOOK FORWARD IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS THAT THEY COME BACK.

>>WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN BUSINESS?

YOU TEACH MANAGEMENT, YOU ARE A PROFESSOR, A DEAN, AND YOU'RE HIGHLY INVOLVED.

SO WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN CHANGE, IF ANYTHING, IN YOUR CLASSES AND IN THE WORLD OF BUSINESS AND IN YOUR LOCATION?

>>I CAN TELL YOU I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION AS AUC, BUT ALSO AS AMCHAM, BUT ALSO AS A WITNESS TO DYNAMICS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE EGYPTIAN MARKET AT LARGE.

SO AT AUC WOMEN HAVE BEEN PART AND PARCEL OF OUR INSTITUTION AS STUDENTS, AS FACULTY AND AS STAFF.

IT HAS NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGES, WHO'S HERE, WHO'S THERE.

WE ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE BEST.

WHETHER IT'S A STUDENT AS A STAFF, OR IT'S A FACULTY.

AND IT HAPPENS TO BE... AT LEAST DURING MY TENURE, WHICH IS 35 YEARS, AS I SAID, WHICH IS ALMOST A THIRD OF THE UNIVERSITY LIFETIME, SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE.

THIS IS PUTTING HAT AT AUC.

BUT ALSO WE, AS THE SCHOOL TOOK THE INITIATIVE TWO YEARS AGO TO TAKE THE LEAD IN AN INITIATIVE THAT IS CALLED THE WOMEN ON BOARD.

AND THE SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE INITIATIVE IS THAT THE PUSH FOR EACH AND EVERY COMPANY BOARD IN EGYPT TO HAVE A 30% OF ITS MEMBERS WOMEN.

THIS OBVIOUSLY TOOK A LOT OF TRACTION, GOT LOTS OF SUPPORT FROM LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION.

AND WE ACTUALLY TAKING LEAD ON THAT.

AND WE'RE TAKING IT GRADUALLY PUSHING THEM THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE WOMEN MEMBERS, THOSE WHO HAVE WON THOSE WHO HAVE TO, WITH AN OBJECTIVE TO REACH 30%.

IF I TAKE THE HAT OF AMCHAM, IT'S VERY MUCH THE SAME.

WE'VE BEEN SEEING LEADERS ACROSS DIFFERENT COMMITTEES IN AMCHAM, BUT ALSO THE PROJECTS THAT WE DO AND THE INSTITUTIONS THAT WE DEAL WITH, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF SECTORS IN EGYPT THAT HAVE SO MANY WOMEN LEADERS ACROSS DIFFERENT... FOR EXAMPLE, BANKS IN THE FINANCIAL SECTORS, INCLUDING AS WELL AS OTHER SECTORS IN THE POSSIBLE CONSUMER GOODS.

IF I LOOK AT EGYPT AT LARGE, YOU LOOK AT FOR EXAMPLE, THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED, SORRY, THE NEWLY ELECTED PARLIAMENT IT ACTUALLY HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF WOMEN IN RECORDED HISTORY IN EGYPT, THE PERCENTAGE OF THE PARLIAMENT IS WOMEN.

SO THIS REFLECTS IN SOME WAYS, FOR EXAMPLE, EMPLOYMENT I CAN TELL YOU YES, WHEN IT COMES TO MAYBE THE BIG CITIES.

IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY REFLECT THAT WHEN IT GOES TO THE SMALL REMOTE VILLAGES.

AND YOU CAN FIND THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT I SHOULD SAY, WHEN IT COMES TO THE VILLAGE, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE MAIN CITIES.

BUT AGAIN THAT RELATES TO THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND THE OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.

BUT IN MY VIEW, MY FACULTY, MY COLLEAGUES, STAFF WITHIN THE SCHOOL AND ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN NATURAL TO FIND...

I MEAN, I SHOULD SAY NO DISTINCTION WHICHEVER.

MEN IN MANAGEMENT, OR WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT.

>>YOU'RE TELLING US ALL THESE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS ABOUT EGYPT.

DO YOU SEE THAT AS CONTINUING GOING FORWARD OR IS THERE ANY SPOT WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT?

>>THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE POSITIVE PUSH.

I'M CONVINCED WITH THE POTENTIAL IN EGYPT, BUT I'M ALSO AWARE AND CONSCIOUS THAT OUR ISSUES.

THOSE ISSUES SOME OF THEM RELATE TO THE POPULATION SIZE.

I DO NOT THINK THAT ANY ECONOMIC GROWTH WE CAN ACHIEVE EVEN 6%, EVEN 7% CAN SUSTAIN WITH THE POPULATION GROWTH, WHICH IS GROWING AT ABOUT 2% EVERY YEAR.

THAT'S A WORRY FOR ME.

NUMBER TWO, WE WERE TALKING OF AT LEAST OVER THE PAST YEAR, OVERNIGHT EVERYTHING TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.

SO WE NEED TO BE MORE RESILIENT.

PRIVATE SECTOR WE NEED TO BE MORE POSITIVE, MORE...

I WOULDN'T SAY AGGRESSIVE BUT MORE COMPETITIVE.

I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE PLANS THAT ARE SET NOW, BUT I SHOULD THINK OF ISSUES LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, EXPORTS.

WE HAVE BEEN ALL... AND I GO BACK HERE TO THE EGYPT-US RELATIONS.

EGYPT AND US TRADE BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES IS $7 BILLION A YEAR, FIVE EXPORTS FROM THE US TO EGYPT, AND TWO EXPORT FROM EGYPT TO THE US BUT THE TOTAL EXPERTS OF EGYPT IS WAY BELOW PAR.

AND THAT'S WHAT PUSHED THE GOVERNMENT TO HAVE A THREE-YEAR PLAN IN TRYING TO FACILITATE THE ENVIRONMENT TO REACH A $100 BILLION EXPORTS AT PER YEAR, IN THREE YEARS.

THIS IS KEY BECAUSE WITH THE CURRENT RATE BALANCE, WHICH IS ANOTHER WORRY, IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.

SO SOME OF THE ECONOMIC INDICATORS ARE POSITIVE, BUT THERE ARE THINGS WE SHOULD THINGS WE SHOULD WORRY ABOUT, THINGS WE SHOULD BE OF CONCERN.

AND WE NEED TO PROVIDE THE LEGAL REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN HELP THEM GET BETTER, INCLUDING, AS I SAID, BUREAUCRACY AND COMBATING PRODUCTION.

>>WELL, WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.

WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.

DR. SHARIF KAMEL.

WE WILL HAVE YOU BACK AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT THE US EGYPT ASPECT OF THIS.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DISCUSSION.

>>LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>>AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT WEEK ON ANOTHER EPISODE OF GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES.