Aston University has signed a formal agreement with NHMC Investments to deliver undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in Egypt through the newly established Anglo Egyptian University (AEU) in Cairo. The agreement, signed by Aston Vice-Chancellor Professor Aleks Subic and NHMC chairman and chief executive Dr Naser Fouad, represents the first franchise collaboration of its kind to offer UK-awarded medical degrees in Egypt.
Degrees in medicine, nursing and allied health sciences
The AEU will offer degrees in medicine, nursing and allied health sciences at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Aston University will be responsible for course content and degree awarding, while academic staff at the AEU will deliver teaching on the
ground. Additional support will be provided both virtually and in person by Aston faculty. Teaching is scheduled to commence in September 2027.
The agreement builds on a memorandum of understanding signed between the two institutions in March 2025.
Part of a wider medical complex
The AEU will form part of a broader development by NHMC Group – a provider of health, social care and medical services operating in the UK and internationally – that will encompass a hospital, a care village for older people, an international language school, a commercial hub and residential areas.
Professor Subic described the signing as “a historic moment in Aston’s drive to increase its international reach, in line with our 2030 strategy,” adding that the programme represents “a hugely important opportunity for Aston to share its expertise in training
the doctors of the future.”
Student exchange and research collaboration
Beyond degree delivery, the two institutions intend to establish a student exchange programme and pursue collaborative medical research. Dr Fouad noted that graduates holding degrees from both the AEU and Aston University “will make a valuable contribution to the development of quality healthcare provision in Egypt and the MENA region,” describing the agreement as “the first step in what we expect to be a fruitful long-term relationship.”
Aston University, based in Birmingham, has a longstanding focus on applied research with measurable societal impact, including in medical sciences. It was named Daily Mail University of the Year for Student Success in 2025 and ranks second in England for social mobility.
