PRME Partner Interviews

PRME Partner Interviews: Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim, The American University in Cairo, Egypt

Interview with Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim, Associate Professor, Operations Management, Heikal Department of Management, The American University in Cairo, Egypt.

BI is a member of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), a global network of more than 800 business schools committed to advancing responsible management education (RME)—a key element of BI’s strategy.

PRME

Through this interview series, we introduce PRME partner schools from around the world and explore their approaches to responsible management education. The series aims to raise awareness of the PRME network within BI, showcase how peer institutions are embedding responsible management education in their teaching and research, and support BI’s internationalisation by fostering connections with business schools across different regions.

Interview with Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim, The American University in Cairo, Egypt

Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim

  1. How does your school work with Responsible Management Education (RME)?
    The American University in Cairo Onsi Sawiris School of Business has been a member of Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) for over ten years and has recently joined the 2026–2027 PRME Champions cohort. Over the next two years, the cohort will engage in a set of self-selected focus areas, defined through an initial period of collective inquiry, to advance the Principles of PRME and the Sustainable Development Goals through sustained commitments to community development and the advancement of education.
  2. What initiatives or practices have been particularly effective?
    One particularly effective approach has been the integration of innovative experiential learning methods, especially through the i5 framework, with a strong emphasis on active and iterative components. This is reflected in course integration with United Nations Global Compact industry partners, which has enabled students to work on locally relevant challenges. These collaborations help bridge theory and practice while addressing real issues faced by students, organizations, and communities in the region.
  3. What advice would you give to other schools seeking to strengthen their work with RME?
    PRME offers a rich global network of like-minded institutions. One of its key strengths is the openness of the network, which allows schools to collaborate closely—whether within regional chapters or across global networks. This flexibility enables institutions to join forces on shared priorities or expand their reach by engaging with partners in different regions. It is a highly valuable proposition that is not commonly found in other academic or professional networks.