The new academic year will now begin on 11 October instead of 27 September. The reason given for the delay is to allow for the completion of renovations and the repair of damage sustained on campuses during earlier rounds of student protests. There is widespread speculation, however, that the delay is a result of official fears of continued protests. Minister of Higher Education Sayed Abdel-Khaleq told a press conference the extra time was needed to upgrade buildings and dormitories and install security devices, including CCTV cameras, on campuses. “Maintenance work on university dormitories, in which 15 per cent of Egypt's 1,587,323 university students reside, is not yet complete,” said Abdel-Khaleq. He added that it was also necessary to complete a security upgrade on campuses to ensure stability, safety and security. Al-Azhar University Council, headed by university president Osama Al-Abd, said time was needed “to complete work at student hostels that were burnt and damaged by Muslim Brotherhood during the last academic year.” University presidents are urging all students to follow university regulations. Ain Shams University now requires students to sign a pledge saying they will only take part in legally approved political and religious activities on university premises and will abide by government-approved Student Union regulations. Under interim president Adli Mansour a law was passed giving university presidents the right to expel students for causing disorder on university premises or damage to university property. Cairo University President Gaber Nassar told the press students will be banned from campus if they participate in activities, organised by political groups, that threaten the educational process or the safety of their fellow students, staff members or university properties. “Student groups that engage in political or partisan activities will be disbanded. Should the activities be repeated the participants will be expelled from university for a term or two, depending on the seriousness of the violations,” said Nassar. Students Against the Coup (SAC) says it will organise on-campus protests on the first day of the academic year to protest Nassar's decision. On its Facebook page SAC said that Nassar's decision undermines Article 322 of the student bylaws which requires universities to “encourage student activities and clubs and foster an environment that “allows students to develop political awareness and positive participation in political life and to communicate with different political currents.” Beni Sueif University Council has issued a decree that allows for the expulsion of any student who criticises or insults the president or members of the government. Beni Sueif Student Union head Mohamed Al-Sherbini describes the decision as “an attack against students and their freedom of expression.” Said Al-Sherbini, “Expulsion should only be applied against those who actively interrupt the academic year destroy university property.” Many university teachers are unhappy with the delays and blame the authorities for failing to restore order on campuses across the country. The postponement, says Dahlia Hegazi, a professor of statistics at Cairo University, really targets Muslim Brotherhood students who have been demonstrating since Mohamed Morsi was removed. “Postponing the academic year is a waste of time. Whenever it begins some students will start to protest,” she said. Hafez Abu Saeda, head of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR), described the actions of officials at Cairo and Ain Shams universities as “a clear violation of students' right to freedom of expression on university premises.” During the last academic year security forces killed 16 students inside the Cairo University campus and injured dozens at Ain Shams University, according to a recent report compiled by EOHR. Ninety students were expelled in the last academic year for inciting violence on the Cairo University campus. An additional 42 were arrested and remain in prison. The real reason for the delay, claims Abu Saeda, are government fears of the disruption being planned by Muslim Brotherhood students, fears fanned by security reports claiming Islamist groups are plotting a campaign of arson. Hassanein Ebeid, a former vice-president of Cairo University, says postponing the new term is the result of several factors, including the fact that the appointment of the presidents of seven national universities has yet to be announced and that the day on which term was originally scheduled to begin coincided with the final hearings in Hosni Mubarak's trial. She added, “Nor have the ministries of interior and higher education reached agreement yet on whether security personnel will be allowed on campus or be restricted to securing gates.
