Cairo – U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Leadership for Education and Development (LEAD) scholarship recipients hosted their tenth annual conference at the American University in Cairo (AUC) on September 20, 2014.  This year’s conference aimed to empower students to translate technologies and innovations into commercially-viable ventures and contribute to Egypt’s economic development. 

“The skills you have been developing – working in teams, listening to others, drafting plans, and presenting your findings – are all extremely valuable professional skills that will serve you well throughout your life,” noted Mary C. Ott, Egypt Mission Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which sponsors the LEAD program.  “I hope that, in typical LEAD spirit, you take what you are learning about entrepreneurship and use it to inspire others to take risks and be more innovative.” 

The conference is the final event in an ‘Ideas Marathon’ (Fekrathon) launched in April with a two-day camp hosting professional, academic, and motivational speakers who delivered inspirational remarks on entrepreneurship.  Over the summer, forty students received training in business planning and mobile application design.  The students developed projects under the mentorship of TREE, a partner organization at Cairo University, and presented those projects at the Fekrathon conference. 

LEAD is a joint effort of AUC, the U.S. Government, and the Ministry of International Cooperation that provides scholarships to university students to study at AUC and provides them with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and commitment necessary to develop their potential as future leaders of Egypt.

For over three decades, the American people through USAID have helped to improve the quality of life for Egyptians through nationwide programs in health, education, governance, and economic development.  USAID has provided nearly 600 scholarships to Egyptian universities for talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds and nearly 250 scholarships and fellowships to professionals to study at U.S. universities.  Additionally, USAID has provided training and awareness for more than 12,000 entrepreneurs, leading to the launch of 149 innovative companies – 58 of which have received seed capital and/or outside investment.