Annual Report FY19: Center of Excellence for Water

The project aims to create a Center of Excellence for Water at Alexandria University in Egypt, with a total allocated budget of $30 Million USD. The project is managed by The American University in Cairo (AUC) and has multiple partnerships and stakeholders, including universities, public institutions, and industries. During the reporting period from February 20th 2019 to September 30th 2019, the project achieved several key milestones. The project kick-off meeting was held on March 25th and 27th at the American University in Cairo, and the Advisory Committee of the project was established, chaired by the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The first meeting of the Advisory Committee was held on September 12th 2019, with the participation of 24 members or their representatives. The project also established the Steering Committee, which is composed of representatives from Egyptian and US universities, as well as Egyptian and US companies. The Steering Committee held its first meeting on June 18th 2019, with the participation of all members or their representatives. A semi-annual meeting was held among the Egyptian Partners of the project, and a similar meeting was held among the US partners of the project. In addition, Alexandria University issued three decrees to establish the administrative identity of the Center of Excellence at Alexandria University, and adhering it to the University's administrative structures. The basic administrative staff of the Center of Excellence for Water at Alexandria University was hired as of September 1st, including the Acting Director, Prof. Roushdy Zahran, and the Deputy Director, Dr. Waleed Elbarky. The project also carried out a comprehensive Needs Assessment campaign in Egypt, where experts from US universities visited all Egyptian partner universities, the Ministry of Higher Education, and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, in addition to two research centers and two private sectors. The campaign took place between 9th and 27th of September 2019, and its final report is expected to be published before the end of 2019. The project's governance structure is being drafted jointly between Alexandria University and Washington State University, and a white paper on the governance structure of Water Centers in the US and Egypt is being prepared. The project's online platform for project management, communication, and document repository is also being used, and a monthly online meeting for each pillar of the project is taking place through Video Conference. The project's progress is being monitored through a semi-annual meeting among the Egyptian Partners of the project, and a similar meeting is held among the US partners of the project. The project's management team is working closely with the Advisory Committee and the Steering Committee to ensure the project's success and to address any challenges that may arise. The project's budget for the reporting period was $5.5 Million USD, and the project's expenditure was $4.5 Million USD. The project's remaining budget for the remaining period of the project is $24.5 Million USD. The project's management team is confident that the project will be completed successfully and that the project's objectives will be achieved.