CAIRO: AUC's undergraduate chemistry program has recently been accredited by the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC), making it the first and only accredited chemistry program in Egypt. “This accreditation by CSC, which applies rigorous international standards, will open up doors and opportunities both for the students to pursue their careers internationally and for the department to cooperate with other accredited programs abroad,” said Adham Ramadan, associate professor and chair of the chemistry department, adding that although a number of chemistry programs in the region have acquired the same accreditation, AUC is the first in Egypt to receive it. The department embarked on the accreditation process approximately two years ago, receiving it in January 2012. “The evaluation process involved two site visits to the department to meet with both faculty members and students,” explained Ramadan. “It also involved examining all the academic details of the program, as well as the facilities of the department.” This process was coordinated by a departmental accreditation committee, chaired by Hassan Azzazy, professor of chemistry. AUC's chemistry program attracts between five and 10 students each year. “We do not have a large number of students, but we have dedicated ones who are really interested in chemistry and who do very well when they graduate,” said Ramadan, an AUC graduate of chemistry and winner of the 1991 President's Cup. “The newly acquired accreditation will assist in attracting more students.” As part of the accreditation, chemistry graduates will receive certificates from CSC, along with their AUC degrees. A nonprofit entity, CSC is a technical association that unites chemistry professionals, and it is one of the most important accreditation bodies in the field for international chemistry programs. CSC accreditation lasts for five years, after which the department would apply for reaccreditation. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/Y7cua Tags: AUC, Chemistry, Program Section: Egypt, Latest News
