A new and unique collaboration between Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Cairo University in Egypt allows students to earn a joint bachelor’s degree in animal sciences as they enhance the globalization of agricultural education.
Under the Penn State/Cairo University Joint Undergraduate Program in Animal Sciences, Egyptian students will spend their first two years at Cairo University and their final two years at Penn State, graduating with bachelor’s degrees from both institutions.

Offering congratulations on the ratification of their unique joint educational endeavor, Robert Steele, dean of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, shakes hands with Negeeb Goher, president of Cairo University.

Robert Steele, dean of the college, says the program builds on both universities’ long traditions to enhance the globalization of agricultural education.

“We’ve linked together the animal science programs of these two universities to prepare our students to become global leaders,” he says. “We’re proud that Penn State granted the first agricultural degrees in the United States more than 100 years ago. One hundred years later, the world has gotten smaller and globalization of the curriculum is essential. This cooperation is vital as we prepare our students for that global leadership, building on the efforts of those before us.”

The international cooperation was nurtured by Magdi Mashaly, retired Penn State associate professor of poultry science, who was instrumental in establishing the relationships. “The cooperation between our universities started over a decade ago when we collaborated on a U.S. Agency in International Development grant to establish joint research links in microbiology,” Mashaly says.

Nageeb Goher, president of Cairo University, says, “Dr. Mashaly’s exchange visits have been invaluable in laying the groundwork for this initiative. This is only the start. We hope to have more joint programs between our universities in the near future. We’re excited to sign the agreement that carries us into the future, so that our degrees are just as important and relevant in the future. I’m quite confident that progress is only beginning. Success will be greater and greater.”

“Our faculty and administrators are committed to preparing the workforce of the future by providing students with the best education and skills necessary to function in and contribute to the current global environment and business demands,” says Deanna Behring, director of the college’s international programs. “We’re continuing to develop opportunities to share our knowledge of agricultural sciences globally through the internationalization of our programs. While this agreement is important for meeting the growing agricultural needs of the two nations, it also has a much bigger role in bringing our two cultures together.”

Salwa El-Magoli, dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Cairo University, says, “We’re very proud to be the first to have this kind of joint project at our university. This was very important for us because the relationship between the United States and Egypt in agriculture is very old and mature. It allows us to open doors for students that we hope to expand upon.”

The Animal Sciences major is an interdepartmental program offered by Penn State’s dairy and animal science and poultry science departments. It looks to prepare students interested in any domestic animal species with basic and applied knowledge in biological and physical sciences, nutrition, genetics, reproduction, physiology, economics, business management, agronomy, and animal products.

The program started with 22 students at Cairo University, who began taking courses in 2002. They are scheduled to begin taking classes at Penn State in September 2004.

For more information on the joint program, contact program coordinator Erskine Cash at 814-863-3662 or Deanna Behring at 814-863-0249.

—Gary Abdullah