The American University in Cairo (AUC) is launching a new professional diploma in Process Safety Management (PSM) tailored for Egypt’s oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on May 5, 2025.
The agreement involves AUC, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Methanex Egypt, the country’s sole methanol producer. The diploma programme, to be delivered through AUC’s Engineering and Science Services (ESS) at the School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE), aims to equip workers in these sectors with the knowledge and skills needed to apply the 24 PSM standards and guidelines adopted by the industry.
The MoU was formalised during a ceremony attended by key figures including Karim Badawi, Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; Ahmed Dallal, AUC President; Ehab Abdel Rahman, AUC Provost; Lotfi Gaafar, Dean of SSE; Alaa El Batal, First Undersecretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; and Mohamed Shindy, Managing Director of Methanex Egypt.
“As Egypt develops its natural gas and petrochemicals sector to drive long-term growth, safety is a top priority,” AUC President Ahmad Dallal said in his opening remarks at the signing. He added that AUC, through its ESS Centre and Department of Petroleum and Energy Engineering, was proud to participate in designing and delivering Egypt’s first Process Safety Management Diploma. “It is part of our mission to foster knowledge translation through collaboration and support building technical competence in Egypt and the region,” Dallal concluded.
In his keynote address, Minister Karim Badawi highlighted the collaborative nature of the initiative. He noted the diploma results from “a distinguished tripartite partnership among the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, with its highly qualified human resources; AUC, with its prestigious academic legacy; and Methanex Egypt, with its extensive international experience in process safety.” He added, “Together, this partnership offers a robust academic and training programme that will prepare a new generation of specialists committed to operational excellence and the highest safety standards.”
The diploma curriculum was developed through collaboration between Methanex Egypt, AUC’s ESS, and the university’s Department of Petroleum and Energy Engineering. The partnership is seen as underscoring constructive collaboration among the public, private, and academic sectors to foster a strong PSM culture, enhance individual capabilities, build technical competence, and support the Egyptian economy in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030.
“We are honoured to join forces with the Ministry and Methanex Egypt on this important initiative. By combining our academic strengths with industry expertise, we are helping to shape a safer and more sustainable future for Egypt’s energy sector,” commented Lotfi Gaafar, Dean of AUC’s SSE.
Mohamed Shindy of Methanex Egypt echoed these sentiments, stating that through the initiative, “we are not only strengthening our partnership, but also investing in future generations for a safer, more resilient future for the entire sector.”
