Egypt, Cairo-Cairo University – Spring 2011
IAP Program Handbook
This program is offered by International Academic Programs (IAP) at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison and the Institute for Study abroad at Butler University (IFSA-Butler) in
partnership with Cairo University. Throughout the course of your study abroad
experience you will be communicating with each IAP, IFSA Butler, and staff. It is essential
that you pay close attention to all information provided to you from both organizations.
This IAP Program Handbook supplements handbook(s) or materials you receive from IFSA
Butler and Cairo University as well as the IAP Study Abroad Handbook and provides you
with the most up-to-date information and advice available at the time of printing.
Changes may occur before your departure or while you are abroad.
IFSA Butler handles the program’s day-to-day operations. Generally, questions about
aspects of your program abroad should be directed to IFSA Butler (ie. housing
information, program facilities abroad, extracurricular activities offered as part of the
program, etc.) Questions relating to your relationship with UW-Madison or your
academics should be addressed to International Academic Programs at UW-Madison (ie.
course credits, equivalents, UW Madison registration, etc.)
This program handbook contains the following information:
Contact Information ................................................................................................... 1
Program Dates .......................................................................................................... 2
Preparations Before Leaving ....................................................................................... 2
Travel and Arrival Information .................................................................................... 2
The Academic Program .............................................................................................. 3
Living Abroad ............................................................................................................ 9
Student Testimonials.................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Contact Information
IFSA Butler Contact
Christie Harrison, MA
Director of Student Services
Institute for Study Abroad
Butler University
1100 W. 42nd Street, Suite 305
Indianapolis, IN 46208
Email: charriso@ifsa-butler.org
800-858-0229 ext. 4215
317-940-4215
317-940-9704 Fax
www.ifsa-butler.org
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UW-Madison Information
International Academic Programs (IAP)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
261 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Tel: 608-265-6329 Fax: 608-262-6998
Web: www.studyabroad.wisc.edu
Katie Saur
IAP Study Abroad Advisor
Tel: 608-890-0939
E-mail: kbsaur@bascom.wisc.edu
Emergency Contact Information
In case of an emergency, call the main IAP number (608) 265-6329 between 7:45
a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; after-hours or on weekends call the IAP staff on call at
(608) 516-9440.
Embassy Registration
Program participants who are U.S. citizens must register at the U.S. Embassy before
departure as this will help in case of a lost passport or other mishap. You can register online at <https://travelregistration.state.gov>. If you are not a U.S. citizen, register at your
home country’s embassy or consulate.
U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt
5 Tawfik Diab Street
Garden City, Cairo
Tel: (20)2-2797-2301
Fax: (20)2-2797-3200
Website: http://cairo.usembassy.gov/
Program Dates
Please refer to the IFSA-Butler web site http://www.ifsa-butler.org/egyptfor program dates:
overview/dates-and-fees.html
Preparations Before Leaving
Refer to the Pre-Departure Checklist on pages four and five of the IAP Study Abroad
Handbook for essential information.
Immigration Documents
Passport
A passport is needed to travel to Egypt and to obtain the Egyptian student visa. Apply
immediately for a passport if you do not already have one. If you already have your
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passport, make sure it will be valid for at least six months beyond the length of your stay
abroad.
Visa
All students will need to obtain two visas, a tourist visa for entering the country and a
student residence visa once they have arrived. Please read the information provided by
IFSA-Butler regarding the visa process and follow the directions carefully. It is
recommended that you proceed with applying for your visa as early as the process allows
(ie. completing whatever steps you can, even if you cannot complete others). If you are
not a U.S. citizen, contact your home country’s embassy or consulate for details on
passport and visa requirements. Non-Egyptian students are strongly recommended to get
their one month tourist visa from the Egyptian consulate in their country before their
arrival. For more information, you can refer to the Consulate General of Egypt in Chicago
web site: http://www.eg2002.net/ (the website is currently under construction, in the
interim you can refer to the following site: www.egyptnyc.net/english/index_en.asp for
more information or call the Chicago Consulate directly at 312-828-9164)
Travel and Arrival Information
There is a mandatory group flight offered by IFSA Butler. For more information on the
group flight, please see your IFSA Butler materials.
Airport pick-up and a ten-day on-site program orientation are also included in your
program fee.
*The Academic Program
The Cairo University program is hosted at the oldest public secular university in Egypt with
alumni from Egypt's political, professional and cultural elite. Located in the iconic
neighborhood of Giza, home to the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx, Cairo University is a
great choice for students from any major who are interested in international relations,
economics, political science, sociology/anthropology, statistics or pre-law. No prior study
of Arabic language is required.
Registration conditions
You must take a full course load as determined by IFSA-Butler. All students must take a
total of 16 U.S. semester credit hours per semester. The number of classes a student
takes depends on the number of credit hours each class is worth. All courses are
conducted in English and are part of the degree program within the Faculty of Economics
and Political Science and the Faculty of Law. Students may not study in any other faculty
at Cairo University.
Arabic Language (4 U.S. semester credit hours)
IFSA-Butler and Cairo University designed this mandatory course specifically for nonnative Arabic speakers. While Modern Standard Arabic is the main focus of the course,
students also will be exposed to the Colloquial Egyptian dialect.
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Core Courses (3 U.S. semester credit hours each)
Students have the option to take either one or two core courses. Both core courses are
open to degree seeking students at Cairo University, so students will have the opportunity
to be integrated with Egyptian students.
Course Information
Core Course Option: Economics of Egypt (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course
will focus on the status of the Egyptian economy in the regional and international context.
Topics will include Egypt’s economic development since 1952 (from a mixed economy in
1952-1960, a planned economy in 1960-1965, a war economy in 1967-1970, to the
current economic openness); important issues in the Egyptian economy (population,
energy, debt and economic reform); and international relations, including Egyptian-Israeli
relations.
Core Course Option: The Egyptian Political System (3 U.S. semester credit hours)
This course aims at studying the history of the Egyptian political system from Mohamed
Ali until the
1952 revolution and then will focus in detail on the period from the revolution up to the
present. Topics will include the characteristics of this system since the adoption of a plural
party system in November 1976; the roles played by the political parties; organization of
the legislative, executive and judicial authorities; and the state of the military institution.
Emphasis will be on the understanding of how the Egyptian political system has
succeeded in confronting political transformation issues such as participation, distribution,
identity and legitimacy.
Elective Courses
Electives at Cairo University are taught in English and are part of the degree programs
within the Faculty of Economics and Political Science. Students will take two or three
electives in addition to the mandatory Arabic Language course and the core course(s).
Please complete the course preference form (included in this packet) and list electives in
order of preference. We cannot guarantee that all electives will be offered.
Below is a list of possible electives and a brief description, including the U.S. semester
credit hour value of each course. All students must take a total of 16 U.S. semester credit
hours per semester. The number of classes a student takes depends on the number of
U.S. semester credit hours each class is worth.
Faculty of Economics and Political Science courses:
Economics - Note: macroeconomics and microeconomics are prerequisites for most
economics courses.
Fall courses:
 Economics of Public Finance (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course
focuses on defining the science of public finance and its development, efficiency of
resource allocation (public goods theory), financial tools and its impact (public
revenue and public costs) and the Egyptian financial problem.
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Economic Development (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course will examine
the underdevelopment phenomenon and its explanation, the economic
development process (determinants and main elements) and other substitute
development policies and strategies (investment policies, industrial strategies,
international trade policies in short and long term, financial policies, essential
needs satisfaction strategy, development and distribution).
Feasibility Studies (3 U.S. semester credit hours) The basic concepts of project
life cycle and planning will be examined. Market study (size of the market, its
characteristics, pricing techniques and market policies), technical study, and
financial study (financial structure of the project, estimation for the costs, financial
analysis in the terms of risk) will be explored in this course. Profitability studies
with different indicators and the economic and social evaluation of investment
projects through the cost benefit analysis will also be covered.
Spring Courses:
 Economics of Labor and the Development of Human Resources (3 U.S.
semester credit hours) This course will examine such topics as the labor market,
unemployment (its types and its causes), labor productivity, wages and their
determinants, working conditions, syndicates and industrial relations,
discrimination in work, human investment, employment searches and theories of
studying labor markets.
 International Economics (3 U.S. semester credit hours) The nature of open
economy and its problems, international specialization theory (traditional and
modern analysis), international payment theory (foreign exchange markets,
exchange rate systems and equilibrium of international payments), and
interference in international payment (free trade policy, commercial policies) will
be explored in this course.
 International Finance (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course will examine
such topics as internationalizing finance, the modern theory of financial
intermediation, exchange rate regimes, international monetary arrangements, the
new trends for international monetary integration, capital flows on the
international level, the evolution of the international banking system, international
debts and the role of international financial institutions, financial markets, stock
markets, and the reform of the international monetary and financial system.
 Managerial Economics (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course is an
introduction to the science of managerial economics that explores the nature of
this science and its relation with other sciences. The course deals with methods of
maximization: demand and prediction, demand theory, methods used for
estimating demand and the economic prediction of projects, theory of production,
costs, technical changes, industrial innovation, cost analysis, and linear
programming. The topics of market structure, oligopoly, strategic behavior, price
practices, risk analysis and calculation of capital The governmental relationship
with business in terms of regulations adopted to control monopoly practices,
pricing system, policies of uncertainty, procedures taken to prevent environment
pollution and the protection of property rights will be explored.
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Money and Banking (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course focuses on the
definition and functions of money, money supply and its determinants, as wells as
banks. Topics include the demand for money, the classical system and money
neutrality, money and the Keynesian system, the monetary school, inflation, and
the monetary policy with reference to Egypt. Defining financial intermediaries and
the banking system (commercial banks, central banks, investment banks, and
other specialized banks, Islamic banks, characteristics of the modern bank banking
system, the concept of financial deeping and its indicators) will also be examined
during the semester.
Political Science - It is recommended that students have one prior political science
course, however, some courses require two or more political science courses.
Fall Courses
 Development/Evolution of International Relations (3 U.S. semester credit
hours) The course focuses on the evolution of international relations since the
Vienna conference of 1815 up to the present time. The course reviews the
characteristics of each phase and demonstrates how to relate the study with
international relations theory.
 Political Systems in Africa (3 U.S. semester credit hours) The aim of this
course is to explore African political systems, including environmental and
historical issues, traditional political systems, imperialism and the effects of
forming nationality and post-independence policies. The course not only discusses
party systems, but also military institutions and the democratic transformation
within Africa.
 Theory of Foreign Policy (3 U.S. semester credit hours) The course deals with
concepts and methodological tools of foreign policy. It reviews the many
definitions of foreign policy, distinguishing between it and other concepts. The
course also examines national characteristics, political systems, external variables,
and the decision-making process in foreign policy.
 Theory of Comparative Political Systems (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This
course aims at studying: the field of comparative politics and its evolution; the
methodological basis of studying political systems; the approaches used in
analyzing political systems; internal and external environments of political
systems; governmental and non-governmental functions; inputs and outputs of
political systems; institutions that perform functions of political systems and the
assessment of their work though suitability with the environment and the
effectiveness of performance; and the performance of political systems through
public policy, evaluating how the policy is prepared and its social impact.
Spring Courses
 Political Theory (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course includes studying
values in political theory as well as discussing political values such as freedom,
equality, justice and order. Political theories such as liberalism and socialism and
issues like political commitment and citizenship are also examined.
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Political Development (3 U.S. semester credit hours) The major focus of this
course is the question of development as a fundamental issue for two thirds of
humanity. The global development of the world in general and in the Arab world
will be examined, as will the theories and concepts of progess-change.
Theory of International Relations (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course
aims at defining international relations, its approaches and its main actors. Basic
topics such as the international system, conflict and integration will be explored as
well as theories regarding international relations.
Diplomatic and Consular Systems (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course
includes the history of diplomacy in ancient ages (Pharaonic, Greek, Roman)
moving through the medieval age and into the present. The diplomatic function
(legal basis, employing heads of diplomatic missions and their members, mixed
diplomacy, responsibilities of the diplomat, and the establishment and conclusion
of a mission) will be covered. The course also discusses the history of consular
systems, formation of consulates, types of consuls, immunities of consulates, and
the difference between consults and diplomatic representatives.
Statistics - It is recommended that students have completed one prior statistics course,
however, some courses require two or more prior statistics courses.
Fall Courses
 Demography (3 U.S. semester credit hours) The focus of this course is defining
demography and its fields. Sources and tools of demographic data, population
growth, indicators of age and sex distributions, mortality, fertility, life tables,
migration, and population projects are examples of the topics covered.
 Mathematics for Economists (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course
focuses on topics of differentiation (basic concepts, marginal analysis, methods of
differentiation, optimization, graphing functions), differentiation of functions in
more than one variable(partial differentiation, basic concepts and rules, marginal
analysis using differentiation, optimization of functions in more than one variable),
integration (basic concepts and rules, different methods of integration), and
matrices (definitions, operations of matrices, inverse of a matrix input/output
tables, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, quadratic forms). These topics are examined
in conjunction with economic applications.
 Statistics for Economists (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course examines
statistical inference in the case of two populations (comparison between two
means, two proportions, two variances using F distribution) and the statistical
inference in more than two populations (analysis of variance—ANOVA). Methods of
statistical estimation (least square methods), nonparametric tests (index numbers
and their applications-advanced level), economic statistics and their sources in
Egypt (population sources, consumption data, labor and wages statistics,
important economic classifications, census) will be studied.
 Statistics for Social Sciences (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course
focuses on the statistical inference in two populations: (comparing two means,
two proportions, two variances) and statistical inference in case of more than two
populations (ANOVA test). Regression and correlation—estimating of simple linear
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regression coefficients, testing of hypotheses for linear regression coefficients,
estimating the correlation coefficient—utilizing non-parametric statistics tests
(sign—Welcoxon) and economic statistics and their sources in Egypt will be
studied.
Spring Courses
 Principles of Mathematics (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course will
examine the mathematical logic and truth tables, mathematical induction, matrices
and their properties, the solution of systems of linear equation, permutations,
combinations and binomial theory, functions (some important functions—limits of
functions), sequences and convergence tests.
 Econometrics (3 U.S. semester credit hours) The nature and methodology of
econometrics will be examined in this course. The topics of dummy variable
regression models, econometrics modeling, non-linear regression models,
qualitative response regression models, panel data regression models, dynamic
econometrics models, and simultaneous equation models will be studied.
 Sampling (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This course will cover an introduction to
sampling and examine sample design, including; criteria, simple random samples,
stratified random samples, systematic random samples, multistage random
samples, paired random samples and longitudinal random samples. Estimation
(mean-total-proportion), and the application of samples (sample size, sampling
errors, optimal allocation, improper census, non-response) will be examined.
*Information from IFSA Butler’s Political Economy of the Middle East Program
Registration
Students are required to take the mandatory Arabic language course and select one or
both of the core program courses. In addition, students must select four to six electives in
order of preference. All students must complete a course preference form and are not
allowed to change their courses after their arrival in Egypt. All students take a total of 16
U.S. semester credit hours per semester.
Equivalents and Course Equivalent Request Form (CERF)
Students will earn UW-Madison course equivalents for each course taken abroad. Grades
will also transfer back to UW-Madison and will be factored into your overall GPA. Each
course you take abroad must be assigned a UW-Madison “equivalent” course in order for
your grades and credits to be recorded on your UW-Madison transcript. In order to
establish UW-Madison course equivalents for your study abroad courses, you will submit
a Course Equivalent Requests through your My Study Abroad account. Detailed
information on the UW course equivalent process that you will use through your My Study
Abroad account is available in the IAP Study Abroad Handbook.
Credits
Pass/Fail/Drop/Audit
Please refer to the IAP Study Abroad Handbook for academic policies.
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Grades and Grade Conversions
Each course you take abroad must be assigned a UW-Madison “equivalent” course in
order for your grades and credits to be recorded on your UW-Madison transcript. In order
to establish UW-Madison course equivalents for your study abroad courses, you will
submit a Course Equivalent Requests through your My Study Abroad account. Detailed
information on the UW course equivalent process that you will use through your My Study
Abroad account is available in the IAP Study Abroad Handbook.
IFSA Butler uses the following grade conversion scale:
Egypt University Grade
IFSA Butler Equivalent
90-100% (Excellent)
A
80-89% (Very Good)
A75-79% (Good)
B+
70-74% (Good)
B
65-69% (Good)
B60-64% (Fair)
C+
55-59% (Fair)
C
50-54% (Fair)
C0-49% (Not Passing)
F
UW-Madison Equivalent
A
AB
AB
B
BC
BC
C
C
F
Living Abroad
Educate yourself about your host country. Read the Preparing to Live in Another Culture
section of the IAP Study Abroad Handbook. Consult the following resources as well as
travel books in the Study Abroad Resource Room (250 Bascom Hall). Remember- it won't
be possible to prepare yourself completely. There will be situations you will not have
anticipated and your flexibility will determine in great part the kind of experience you will
have while abroad.
Websites of Interest:
IFSA Butler Political Economy of the Middle East Program Page
http://www.ifsa-butler.org/egypt-university-programs/political-economy-of-the-middleeast.html
Cairo Scholars listserv
https://utlists.utexas.edu/sympa/subscribe/cairoscholars
Egypt Travel Guide—Wiki travel
http://wikitravel.org/en/Egypt
Egypt Guide
http://www.egyptguide.net/tourism/defaut.asp
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General orientation information (such as culture shock, international travel, etc.):
http://www.worldwide.edu
U.S. State Department:
http://travel.state.gov
Center for Disease Control (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/
Lonely Planet Guidebook:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com
Useful Travel Books:
Fodor’s Guides
Frommer’s Travel Guides
Let’s Go
Lonely Planet
Michelin Guides
Rough Guide
International Travel Health Guide by Stuart R. Rose, MD.
Egypt-Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs and culture by Jailan Zayan
I am Happier to Know You by Jeanne M. Eck
Communications
When making calls, keep in mind time zone differences
(www.timeanddate.com/worldclock).
To make an international call to the United States, dial the access code for the country
from which you are calling plus the United States country code (always “1”) followed by
the appropriate U.S. area code and local number. To call internationally from the United
States, dial “011”, the country code, city access code (if necessary) and the phone
number . Country and city codes can be found online
(www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/dialing.html). Some of above steps can vary if you
are using a calling card.
Skype
Skype is a free, downloadable software application that allows users to make live video
and voice calls over the internet. Skype users can also add money to their account and
can then use the service to call land lines and cell phones internationally at very low
rates. Additionally, Skype also provides an instant messaging function as well as file
sharing.
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To create a Skype account, users must download the application from www.skype.com
and create a user name and password. Once the application is installed onto their
computer, they can search for friends either by first and last name or using their friends'
Skype usernames. Once a friend is added to a users contact list, they will be able to see
whether that person is available to chat. If two users both have web-enabled video
cameras for their computers, they will be able to chat face to face. For users without a
web cam, a microphone is all that’s required for calls to another computer.
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