Gaber Nassar, Cairo University president and head of the committee to amend the law on university regulations, has announced a new amendment that will allow swift actions to be taken against offenders and those who use violence on college campuses, allowing the university president the right to expel students immediately.
The new regulations are aimed at quelling the constant protests on campus, similar to universities across Egypt. Many students have died in the ensuing violence with security forces, who have stormed some campuses to break up the protests.
Though the new expansion of powers could open opportunities for abuse by the university administration, Nassar defended the move, saying it is a way to quickly control students who have gotten out of hand. “The families of most of the rioting students in the universities do not know anything about them, since they live in university dorms, because they originally come from rural areas,” he said in a telephone interview with privately-owned satellite channel CBC.
“Developments within the university became easy to monitor using technological means, and do not need to stipulations noting that the decision to dismiss students within the period of 12-15 weeks,” he explained. “Crimes are caught by cameras.”
“The law regulating universities, which was issued in 1972, ties the hands of officials in facing the violence within the university,” Nassar added.
He pointed out that the cabinet has not yet applied the regulations considering the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group to universities.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
