Center of Excellence for Energy Empowers Egypt’s Future Energy Workforce with over 100 Summer Internships
CAIRO, EGYPT, September 2024 – Supported by the American people through USAID, the Arizona State University-led Center of Excellence for Energy (COE/E) has successfully secured internships for 102 Egyptian engineering students specializing in energy-related studies for the Summer of 2024. This initiative is a key component of the Center’s mission to cultivate a highly skilled, job-ready workforce capable of driving innovation and enhancing competitiveness in Egypt’s energy sector.
Over the past three years, the COE/E Summer Internship Program has placed around 350 undergraduate students from Ain Shams University, Mansoura University, and Aswan University. The internships have taken place at Schneider Electric, Halliburton, Infinity, Total Energies, TAQA Arabia, Hydro Plants Generation Co. Aswan, Fresh Home Appliances, Cairo Oil Refining Company, Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals Company (SIDPEC), and more. The program’s goal is to train the energy workforce in Egypt, especially in energy generation, power systems, renewable energy, industrial automation, green manufacturing, etc.
“Through these hands-on field experiences, students are building the practical skills and insights needed to drive Egypt’s energy transition forward,” expressed project director Dr. Sayfe Kiaei, professor at Arizona State University. “As we continue to support Egypt’s target of 42% renewable energy by 2035, programs like this are essential in building a workforce capable of turning ambitious goals into reality.”
The program provides students with exposure to real-world operations and processes while engaging them in on-site projects where they can apply independent thinking and develop innovative solutions to industry challenges. By enhancing students’ career readiness and technical competencies, the program helps address the skills gap between academia and industry that employers are currently experiencing.
In 2022, the COE/E Summer Internship Program placed 132 students in internships, surpassing its initial target of 100. In 2023, 115 students completed their internships, and in 2024, the program received more than 590 applications, with 102 participants completing their internships. The program has consistently engaged students from its three partner universities, with the majority coming from Ain Shams University, followed by Mansoura and Aswan Universities. The gender distribution reflects a positive engagement from women, with female participants comprising approximately 25% and male participants around 75%.
“I think getting exposed to the market side of things and getting experience from people who work in the field was the most important part of the internship as we didn’t get any hints about that in our studies,” noted energy and renewable energy engineering student Mariam Yasser from Ain Shams University for whom the program has yielded several benefits.
For Mohamed Raouf, an electrical engineering senior at Aswan University, being a part of the program also offered future career inspiration. “Aside from seeing the PLC controllers we studied in college and gaining experience in industrial automation in action looks like at manufacturing sites, we also learned about the various responsibilities of maintenance engineers which taught me how to lead a technical team one day.”
Ganna Osman, an electrical power and machines engineering senior at Ain Shams University, shared her experience saying “I worked in the research and testing department at an internship through the center. You’re surrounded by equipment and you’re doing something with your hands. You’re not just hearing information,” she said. “So, it prepared us for the market.”
For more information on the Summer Internship Program and other center activities, visit the Center of Excellence for Energy.
The Center of Excellence for Energy is funded by USAID with the support of the American people with a goal to help Egypt reach its target of 42% renewable energy by 2035 and position the country as a regional leader in clean energy. The center is operated by Arizona State University in partnership with three Egyptian universities: Ain Shams, Mansoura, and Aswan.
The U.S. Agency for International Development administers the U.S. foreign assistance program providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 80 countries worldwide.
This announcement is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Center of Excellence for Energy and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
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