TMU invites Egypt students to Toronto

University offers to waive tuition, pay $10,000 to cover cost of move for those enrolled at troubled Cairo campus

Toronto Metropolitan University has offered students enrolled at its troubled year-old campus in Egypt the option of completing their studies in Toronto, promising to waive tuition and provide $10,000 to help cover the cost of their transition.

TMU students who had expected to return to Universities of Canada in Egypt (UCE) this September have been told they can complete their fall semester online and then travel to Toronto in time for in-person classes in January. For those who prefer to remain in Egypt, TMU will help find them a local alternative for their education and will cover tuition comparable to that paid to UCE.

“The priority is our students and ensuring they can continue their education,” a TMU spokesperson told the Star. “Our reputation is based on providing quality education to our students. If we can’t deliver education that meets our standards, we need to reassess and pivot.”

Last week, with classes soon set to resume, TMU announced it had “put an indefinite hold on admitting new students to the Cairo campus in September 2023,” citing “unforeseen challenges,” including Egypt’s economic crisis and facilities that failed to meet expectations.

The news alarmed returning students. Thirty-nine, in a handful of TMU degree programs, including engineering, fashion and media production, were preparing to enter their second year at the branch campus operated by UCE. But, suddenly, their academic futures seemed uncertain.

A contingent of TMU administrators flew to Cairo to meet with them.

University executives, including Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano, TMU provost and academic vice-president, and the deans of the Creative School and the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science spoke with students on a Zoom call last Wednesday.

UCE, which did not respond to the Star’s questions, also had representatives at the meeting.

Presenting possible pathways for its students, TMU also said that those who elect to study in Toronto will receive a stipend of $2,500 per month for the first full winter semester (totalling $10,000) to help cover such costs as travel and housing.

Three students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents indicated they hope to be in Toronto by the fall to start classes.

Daniel Victor Louis is one of them. The 22-year-old, who moved to Egypt from British Columbia to be with his parents when the pandemic struck, said the ordeal has cost him sleepless nights. Still, the media production student said he is grateful for the proposed solution, even if it means uprooting — again.

TMU said it will not know the total cost of compensation until all students have determined if, where and how they will continue their studies. However, a TMU spokesperson added, “our partnership agreement in Egypt includes explicit inclusion of an insurance policy held by our local partner to help with this type of circumstance.”

Ontario students pay between $7,176 and $11,267 for a year’s tuition at TMU, with international students facing fees up to $38,584. Tuition at TMU Cairo for the coming year was set between $9,600 and $11,200 for Egyptians, with an additional $6,000 for non-Egyptian students.

The UCE, built in the New Administrative Capital east of Cairo, was launched in 2018 to offer students in the Middle East and North Africa an opportunity to obtain a Canadian degree without going far from home. The University of Prince Edward Island was the first to partner with UCE. After years of negotiating, TMU formalized its deal with the UCE to oversee the delivery of academic programming, and the school opened its doors last fall.

TMU said that, due to a confidentiality agreement, it could not discuss the financial details of its partnership with UCE, but confirmed that the university did not invest in campus infrastructure.

Despite UCE having boasted of state-of-the-art facilities, TMU found them wanting. TMU said elements of the Cairo campus were not meeting “our rigorous standards.” Students and staff told the Star that media studios, for example, remain unfinished.

TMU said the campus remains open, noting its DMZ Cairo, a start-up incubator that provides workspace and mentorship to high-tech entrepreneurs, is operating. However, a source said faculty contracts, due to expire at the end of August, have yet to be renewed. (TMU partly oversees the hiring of faculty, but staff are employees of UCE.)

According to Egyptian law that governs the establishment and organization of international branch campuses (IBC) in that country, the cancellation of an IBC requires a presidential decree, which is issued only after all enrolled students have graduated.