(Photo By: Abdelhamid Mekawy)
Students at the German University in Cairo (GUC) gathered at the university campus on Sunday to protest against the administration following its decision to increase tuition fees. The students blocked the entrance to the financial affairs office.
Ahmed Hesham, a student at GUC, reported that approximately 400 students attended the protest on Sunday. He added that the students had blocked the entrance to the financial affairs office and were still discussing what action to take in the next few days.
Abdelhamid Mekawy, another student at GUC, reported that the student union president Karim Naguib presented the student’s demands to the university’s president, Mahmoud Hashem Abdel Kadr, on Sunday. Naguib gave the president two days to respond.
The students set up a petition refusing the administration’s decision and by Saturday evening they had collected 1,710 signatures and intended to continue collecting more on Sunday.
The financial affairs office informed the students of the rise in fees via email last Wednesday, said Hesham. He added that the increase in fees is 8% from last year, but the students reject this rise on the basis that there have been no improvements around the university. “There are 10, 000 students at GUC and we have three computer rooms, less than 100 computers for the whole campus,” Hesham said, adding this is one example of many improvements the students want to see around their campus.
The fees at GUC currently range from EGP 45,000 to 55, 000, according to Hesham.
The GUC Leftist Student movement published a statement in response to the rise in fees last Wednesday, saying the administration has “continued its usual policy of placing the burden upon the students and treating them like customers and not seekers of knowledge”.
The student group also warned: “Enough fooling around; you have the British University as an example,” referring to a protest at British University in Egypt in March where students accused the university’s administration of corruption. The protesting students at the British University were able to pressure the secretary general and the president of the university to resign.
The GUC administration could not be reached for comment.
