RWTH: RWTH water expert Hani Sewilam becomes Minister in Egypt

Professor Hani Sewilam, academic adviser in the teaching and research area of ​​engineering hydrology at RWTH Aachen University and rectorate representative for the countries of Africa, was appointed Minister for Water Resources and Irrigation in Egypt as part of a cabinet reshuffle.


In addition to his work at the RWTH, Sewilam is a professor at the Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology and director of the Centers for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES) at the American University (AUC) in Cairo and managing director of the UNESCO Chair for Hydrological Changes and Water Resources Management.

After studying in his Egyptian hometown of Zagazig and in Southampton, Sewilam came to RWTH Aachen University in 2002 to do his doctorate, which he completed with distinction.

From 2018 to 2020, Sewilam was already a member of a technical negotiating group of the Egyptian government, which should resolve the conflicts over the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). This year he received the Water Energy Food Ecosystem Nexus Award 2022 for his research in sustainable resource management.