State Council commissioners have advised the Administrative Court to return disputed land to Nile University, following the latest court hearing on the legal dispute between Nile University and Zewail Science City.
In an advisory report issued during Tuesday’s session, the commissioners also recommended that President Mohamed Morsy issue a decree announcing Nile University as a civil university.
The advisory report comes in response to two challenges to the Administrative Court ruling issued on 18 November, said Nile University professor Mahmoud Allam. The court had already ruled cancelling Former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq’s decision to allocate the lands upon which Nile University was built to the Zewail Science City project.
One challenge was filed on behalf of President Mohamed Morsy, Prime Minister Hesham Qandil and Minister of Higher Education Mustafa Sa’ad, requesting the revocation of the court ruling. The other challenge was filed on behalf of Nile University, requesting a decision to turn it into a civil university as well as requesting legal confirmation of its claim to the entire piece of land and the buildings constructed upon it.
Nobel-prize winning scientist Ahmed Zewail, chairman of the Zewail Science City, had earlier challenged the Administrative Court’s verdict. The court referred the case to the State Council’s commissioners who advised turning down the appeal.
The dispute between Zewail Science City and Nile University has been ongoing for almost two years.
