(AFP PHOTO / KHALED DESOUKI)
Cairo University plans to form an investigation committee to examine appeals by suspended students, as a part of preparing the campus for the new academic term, according to a Monday statement by the university.
The university discussed the final arrangements for the start of the new semester, which is expected to begin on 11 October, such as the maintenance of buildings and facilities as well as ensuring the safety of the students and dormitories.
The university expelled 94 students for taking part in protests last year. Security forces also arrested more than 48 students from inside the campus last year.
Other security measures announced by the university include cooperating with a private security company, reinforcing the current security members and securing the university gates.
The university’s chairman Gaber Nassar said that an agreement between the administration and the security directorate of Giza Security will take place to remove cars stationed in front of the campus’ main gate.
According to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression student observatory, security forces killed six students inside the Cairo University campus last year. Security forces killed at least 16 students inside university campuses across Egypt over the past year, according to the observatory’s statistics.
Hany El-Hosseiny, professor at the Faculty of Science at Cairo University and a member of the March 9 Movement for the Independence of Universities, condemned what he called the “restrictive regulations against universities”, such as “as surrounding campuses with arms and heavily equipped policemen, aiming to spread agents around students and professors”.
On 11 September, Minister of Higher Education Al-Sayed Abdul Khaleq announced that students are banned from practising political activities inside universities, and placed restrictions on all political agendas in university campuses.
