As school year begins, Egyptian students face repressive measures

With a new academic year starting on 11 October, Egypt's university authorities began implementing a new raft of measures to clamp down on political activism on campuses, targeting both students and members of staff.

Cairo University President Gaber Nasser has already banned on-campus political activity, threatening to expel any student who engages in activity linked to a specific political party or organisation.

At Alexandria University, six student groups have already been suspended for supposed links to Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafi Dawah group. An unknown number were also suspended for links to the liberal Free Egyptians Party and Dostour Party, Egyptian online new site Mada Masr reported.

Students who want to renew their ID cards at Mansoura University, will reportedly have to sign a document saying they will “respect the traditions and norms of the university.”

Mostafa Magdy, the first student to circulate the document online, told Madr Masr that he was worried about the implications of the new rules.

“I do not know if I will sign this document or not. But if everyone else is signing it, there is no point that I don’t do the same,” Magdy said.

“I really do not know what the ‘norms and traditions’ of the university are. This is a very wide statement that could be used to penalize any student.”

In one of his first moves after his election in June, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi stopped the election of university presidents by professors and deans – a system put in place after the 2011 Arab Spring protests that overthrew dictator Hosni Mubarak – and reinstated the system by which the head of state chooses the heads of universities.

He also brought forward new powers to allow university heads to fire any faculty member without a disciplinary hearing.

Many universities have instituted a new rule whereby they will suspend any student who criticises “symbols of the state” or attack the legitimacy of Sisi.

Last week, Sisi gave a speech during a ceremony at Cairo University, honouring 27 top students from nationwide, in which he reached out to young people in Egypt.

"I want Egypt's youth to be by my side," he said. "I love Egypt's youth and consider them my children."

He also warned students against involvement in “malicious” behaviour and cautioned against political activism saying university should be just for education.

Students Against the Coup (SAC) criticised the speech.

“The speech comes as an attempt to abort any student mobilisation in university campuses,” said spokesperson Youssef Saleheen. “Practising politics on campus was always an efficient way to prepare political leaders.”

Saleheen also highlighted the increased security on campus during Sisi’s visit.

“While the majority of revolutionary students and professors were banned from entering the campus, he [Al-Sisi] was accompanied by the old guards of the regime to listen to his speech.”

According the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, Egypt’s security services killed at least 16 students inside university campuses across Egypt in the past year. Ninety-four students were also expelled and 48 arrested.