Acting Executive Presidentat Zewail City of science and technology
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Email: wakl@zewailcity.edu.eg
Dr. Wael Akl
Biography
Prof. Wael Akl is the Acting Executive President of Zewail City of Science, Technology, and Innovation. He has held several senior leadership positions in Egyptian higher education, most notably at Nile University, where he served as Dean of the School of Engineering (2017–2019), Provost (2019–2021), and President (2021–2025). During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in doubling the university’s research output, expanding its colleges and academic programs, and establishing an integrated system for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Prof. Akl holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Ain Shams University, as well as a Master’s and PhD in Structures and Smart Materials Engineering from the University of Maryland, USA, where he was also a visiting professor at various periods between 2006 and 2015.
Throughout his career, Prof. Akl has supervised numerous graduate students from Egypt and abroad. He was a founding member of the Center of Excellence for Smart Structures and Materials at Ain Shams University, and he spearheaded the creation of academic programs in mechatronics, robotics, and automatic control engineering at Nile University in collaboration with three European universities.