Historical Background on

The Economic and Political Science Programs

at the University of Alexandria

The various Egyptian Universities provide study opportunities for students in the fields of economics or political science through the specialized academic departments within their Faculties of Commerce. The only exception, until recently, was Cairo University which includes an independent Faculty of Economics and Political Science. Therefore, since 1961, Cairo University kept pace with the global trend in the developed world and was distinct in the field of social and human sciences among the other Egyptian universities.

In Alexandria University, several political science courses were taught in the Department of Economics at the Faculty of Commerce upon its establishment in 1949. In the year 1956/57, the program was changed to the "Department of Economics and Political Science," where students were taught several courses of both majors. However, the rising call for specialization in the late 1960s advocated the closure of this joint department and the restructure of the program to become the Department of Economics. In the year 1983/84, the Department of Political Science was reopened as an independent program by the late Prof. Dr. / Mohamed Taha Badawi, one of the pioneers of political science in Egypt and the Arab world.

The two departments of economics and political science at the Faculty of Commerce played a major role for several years in preparing qualified graduates to occupy prime positions in Egypt and abroad, whether in the public offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Media, as well as in banks, capital markets, finance companies and others. However, this role has been gradually shrinking since 1992 due to the Faculty of Commerce changing its course structure, which had adverse effects on both specializations, by closing several important courses and loading the students with many others in the other disciplines.

As it became more and more difficult to plan and deliver modules that prepare students for the specialization in these two branches of science under the umbrella of the Faculty of Commerce, the staff members of both departments held several meetings since the beginning of the 2010/11 to request the establishment of an independent Faculty of Economic Studies and Political Science at Alexandria University. These meetings were driven by a deep sense of responsibility for the development of university education in Egypt and the implementation of the strategic plan for the development of Alexandria University to improve the quality of educational services.

After long debates with the responsible bodies, and preparing the study programs and rules and regulations for the new faculty, came the decision of the Prime Minister in 2014 to establish the "Faculty of Economic Studies and Political Science" at Alexandria University, which started to admit students in the academic year 2014/15.