Yesterday, Columbia University appointed Egypt’s Nemat Shafik, who sometimes goes by the nickname, Minouche, a president of the University. Notably, Shafik made history by being the first Egyptian woman to be entrusted to lead an American Education institute, let alone a prestigious New York Ivy league.
The Appointment decision came following Harvard University’s recent hiring of a woman as their new president a month ago, in addition to other renowned institutions, including Dartmouth and M.I.T. Claudia Gay is namely the first black female ever to hold this position at Harvard.
In their statement, Colombia University announced that Shafik will officially assume her position as the twentieth president of Columbia University on July 1st, 2023.
Born in Alexandria, The prolific economist has an extensive background in academia, public policy, and banking. Shafik kick-started her career as a banker. At barely 36, she was the youngest employee to fill the vice-president position at the World Bank.
After that, she went on to work as a deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund “IMF” and as a top official in the UK’s Department for Development. Later on, she became the Bank of England Deputy Governor and is currently the London School of Economics President.
It is worth Noting that the chair of the Columbia Board of Trustees, Jonathan Lavine referred to 60-year-old Neamat Shafik as the perfect candidate.
Lavine said: What set Shafik apart as a candidate is her unshakable confidence in the vital role institutions of higher education can and must play in solving the world’s most complex problems.
