Gifts From Sir Mohamed Mansour ’68 Fuel Students’ Drive to Succeed

Medical bills not covered by insurance. Moving expenses when a home became unsafe. Sudden changes in a family’s financial situation.

These are the kinds of emergencies that can derail the academic pursuits of NC State students.

For international students — who face additional hurdles to financing their education, while living far away from key support systems — such challenges can escalate even more quickly.

Providing second chances for these scholars is exactly what alumnus Sir Mohamed Mansour had in mind with a recent gift to the university.

“They are not eligible for federal assistance, their loan options often require a U.S. co-signor and their opportunities to work off-campus require federal approval. While that can be part of a strategy long-term, processing times prevent immediate relief,” explained Elizabeth James, director of the university’s Office of International Services. “This gift has made it possible to assist students that need that kind of short-term emergency help that not only keeps them enrolled but can be truly lifesaving.”

In addition to expanding the International Student Support Fund, which provides a way for university staff to help meet unexpected needs, Sir Mohamed’s $1.65 million, three-year commitment has established the Mansour International Graduate Fellowship Fund, with stipends designed to make NC State more attractive and supportive to top scholars.

The presence of international students enriches the NC State community, and global experiences help all of our students become more engaged citizens. We are very grateful for Dr. Mansour’s ongoing investment.”— Chancellor Randy Woodson

Along with $750,000 for each of those initiatives, his gift adds $150,000 to the Mansour Global Engagement Awards Fund, established in 2019 to support study abroad, travel to international conferences and other experiences beyond the United States for students in his home college, Wilson College of Textiles.

“Attracting outstanding students and empowering them to reach their potential is the most important part of our mission,” Chancellor Randy Woodson said. “The presence of international students enriches the NC State community, and global experiences help all of our students become more engaged citizens. We are very grateful for Dr. Mansour’s ongoing investment.”

Sir Mohamed, a native of Alexandria, Egypt, who is now based in London, England, earned his bachelor’s degree in textile technology from NC State in 1968. In October 2021, he received his college’s Distinguished Alumni Award and in May 2022, he served as the university’s commencement speaker and received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.

Today, he is an internationally known business leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He serves as the chairman of Mansour Group, a global conglomerate with a presence in more than 100 countries and some 60,000 employees that operates across many sectors and markets, and of ManCapital LLP, a London-based, family office investment firm.

His varied resume includes leadership in Egypt as the Minister of Transport and on the Egypt-U.S. Business Council, the American Chamber of Commerce and the Egyptian Centre for Economic Studies. In the United States, he has served on the advisory board for the George Washington School of Business and Coca-Cola’s International Board; he is a member of the Harvard Kennedy School Dean’s Council and the Advisory Board for the Centre for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University.

Last December, Penguin Random House published his autobiography, Drive to Succeed.

Before his many successes, decades ago, Sir Mohamed himself was an
NC State student in need of a second chance. When he and his older brother, Youssef, were undergraduates and members of the FarmHouse fraternity, Mohamed – perhaps enjoying just a bit too much campus social life, he would later recall – hit a period of academic struggle as an aerospace engineering major.  

The professor of a physics class that he was on the verge of failing gave him a bit of a break. The teenage Mohamed recommitted to his studies, ended up changing his major and excelled in textiles before going on to earn an MBA from Auburn.

As undergraduates, the Mansours also faced financial challenges when the Egyptian government nationalized the economy, including their family’s cotton firm. Mohamed tightened his budget and found a job bussing tables at Amedeo’s Italian Restaurant for $1.25 per hour.

“I have been very pleased to get to know Chancellor Woodson and I admire all of the great things that have happened at NC State under his leadership over the past 14 and a half years,” Sir Mohamed said. “As I talk about in my book, the years I spent at NC State were transformational for me. I struggled financially and nearly flunked out, but the university stood by me and gave me a crucial second chance. I hope that, through the gifts I have pledged to the university, more ‘second chances’ can be created for international students who need a leg up or a helping hand. Because everyone deserves a second chance.”

He added: “Giving back to a university that gave so much to me is especially fitting at a time when the university is honoring the chancellor’s contribution and celebrating the transformation that he and his wife have helped to create at NC State. I wish the chancellor well in his retirement and pay tribute to his outstanding leadership and service.”  [spotlight to Celebrating Transformation page transformation.ncsu.edu]

Here’s more about his three areas of support:

Mansour International Graduate Fellowship Fund

About 35% of NC State’s graduate students, who teach undergrads and conduct research as they pursue their degrees, hail from outside the United States. Around 85 home countries are represented among these 2,600-plus students.

These students are vital to propelling NC State forward as an R1 institution — one with the highest level of research activity, said Peter Harries, dean of the Graduate School.

“NC State’s research and teaching missions are tied directly to the success of our graduate students,” Harries said. “It is imperative that we enroll the most qualified students, and to do that, we need to recruit across the globe. Our incredibly talented graduate students will shape the world through their excellence in various disciplines as the next group of leaders in research, industry and government.”

Many graduate students also support family members, and international scholars face additional hurdles to financing their education while living far away from key support systems, as James noted.

Recipients of student visas typically are not eligible for U.S. federal loans or work-study programs and do not qualify for in-state tuition. International students must demonstrate a clear ability to pay for their first academic year, but they often pool every available resource and face future gaps.

Most have limited employment options – typically 20 hours per week on campus – and private loans involve high interest rates while usually only addressing tuition. Few return home during the summers to save or earn money.

For the 2023-24 academic year, the inaugural cohort of 20 Mansour Fellows each received $10,000 stipends.

The fellows hailed from four continents and 14 countries. They were enrolled in eight colleges and represented 18 programs of study.

In addition to the financial grant, the Graduate School provided opportunities like the Fellowship Scholar Success Series, which featured speakers like the chancellor and gave the students a chance to network and build community.

“Receiving this fellowship was a tremendous honor, recognizing both my academic achievements and the strong reputation of physics education at my previous institution,” said Omar Madany, a Mansour Fellow and doctoral student from Egypt. “It significantly supported my transition and first year at NC State, reinforcing my commitment to excellence in physics.”

This fall, the second cohort of Mansour Fellows includes 20 students from 16 countries.

International Student Support Fund

A few years ago, NC State’s leaders recognized that many students struggle with financial challenges beyond tuition that scholarships and loans do not offset. Pack Essentials was established under the umbrella of the Division of Academic and Student Affairs to help students meet needs for housing, food, healthcare, textbooks, technology like laptops and more.

The COVID-19 pandemic deepened the struggles. NC State’s Student Emergency Fund, established under the Pack Essentials umbrella during the Think and Do the Extraordinary Campaign, became a vital resource in meeting unexpected needs that can arise from anything from a natural disaster to a death in the family.

In addition to all the challenges mentioned so far, international students can face currency devaluation or political strife and war that impact their finances, while being ineligible for government support like Medicaid.

In 2021-22, 45% of Pack Essentials applications came from international students and 394 international students received a total of $175,000 in Student Emergency Fund grants. International students also disproportionately use the Feed the Pack Food Pantry.  

A small short-term loan program, which can be helpful for more straightforward situations like wire-transfer delays, and a very small International Student Support Fund had been inadequate to meet needs.

Sir Mohamed’s gift is helping change that, empowering James’ staff to help students in ways they previously could only dream about.

The Office of International Services established a formalized referral process by which students receive awards from the fund and its staff works closely with the Pack Essentials team to coordinate efforts. 

In February, OIS created an advisory board to develop policies around the International Student Support Fund’s usage and to review requests of more than $500. Board members include NC State staff members, a faculty representative and a community representative.

Last academic year, 34 students (32 of them graduate students, who comprise more than 80% of NC State’s international student population) from 15 countries received grants; eight have since graduated. OIS made 97 Pack Essentials referrals as well.

This fall, OIS planned to pilot a new referral process with academic advisers and graduate program directors to increase visibility, partnership and outreach efforts for students in need.  

Mansour Global Engagement Awards Fund

As the only college in North America dedicated to textiles, Wilson College of Textiles plays a vital role in research, innovation and leadership worldwide.

Since its inception, the Mansour Global Engagement Awards fund has provided undergraduate and graduate students with financial support to pursue transformational international opportunities that help them apply classroom learning, build their skills and broaden their perspectives.

In 2023, grants from the fund allowed nine Wilson College students to attend the International Textile Machinery Association exhibition in Milan, Italy, as part of a larger contingent from the college.

The conference, which happens every four years, is the world’s largest exhibition dedicated to the latest textile and garment technologies and solutions, Dean David Hinks said. The 2023 event included 1,709 exhibitors and 110,000 attendees from 143 countries.

“The success of our college is intricately tied to our students’ ability to pursue their passions and advance the revolutionary textiles industry,” said Hinks, who is also Cone Mills Distinguished Professor of Textile Chemistry. “We are grateful for Dr. Mansour being a driving force behind our students’ success and making a profound difference in their lives.”

This post was originally published in Giving News.