A fund-raising campaign launched last year has so far secured the majority of financing for the project. The equivalent of about $100 million is expected to be set aside for the campus scheme from a joint US-Egypt government education fund worth £E 1,200 million ($195 million), which comprises revenues generated from economic assistance projects funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). 'We also expect some funding to come from university endowments, although we would prefer to leave these intact for future projects and education programmes,' says the spokesperson.

The new campus is designed to accommodate 5,500 full time students, in addition to 1,500 faculty staff. The board of AUC has prequalified eight local and international architectural firms for the contract to design housing for faculty staff. The project, which is separate from the main construction package, is expected to be tendered in mid-2004.

Designs for the new campus were first drawn up by a consortium of architects led by the US? Boston Design Collaborativein partnership with US landscape firm Carol R Johnson Associates. The project and construction manager is the US? Fluor Daniel International.