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Professor Mohamed Loutfi invested as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by The Princess Royal at Windsor Palace

Professor Mohamed Loutfi MBE, President and Vice-Chancellor of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ, has been formally invested as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his services to education in the United Kingdom and Egypt.

The insignia was conferred at an official investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on 9 June 2026, where Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, presented the award on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III. President Loutfi's appointment was announced in , published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and recorded in The Gazette, the official newspaper of the Crown. The official citation states: "For services to Education in the United Kingdom and Egypt."

The MBE is among the most distinguished honours conferred by the United Kingdom, reserved for individuals who have achieved exceptional standing and made a tangible difference in their field. For President Loutfi, it caps an academic and professional career spanning more than three decades, dedicated to academic excellence, the internationalisation of higher education, and the building of scholarly partnerships between British and Egyptian institutions.

Professor Loutfi has held senior academic leadership positions across British higher education. Among the youngest academics to reach such positions, he served as Vice-Chancellor's Special Envoy at Coventry University and Pro-Vice-Chancellor International at Cardiff Metropolitan University, and held leadership roles at the University of Sunderland. He sat on the governing council of the Magna Charta Observatory, which safeguards the foundational values and institutional autonomy of universities worldwide, from 2011 to 2019, and currently serves as its Ambassador, alongside his role as Vice-President of the Arab European Leadership Network in Higher Education (ARELEN). He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Education by the University of Sunderland in 2023, in recognition of his contributions to the internationalisation of higher education during his years of service in the United Kingdom.

The British Embassy in Cairo marked the honour with a message of congratulations, describing President Loutfi as "a living symbol of the distinguished relations between the two countries" and recognising his significant contributions to the advancement of education in both the United Kingdom and Egypt.

"I have always believed that education is the most enduring form of diplomacy," said President Loutfi. " The relationship between the United Kingdom and Egypt in education is not a finished achievement but a living one, strengthened each year by students who study across both traditions and carry that understanding into the world. This honour belongs to everyone who has contributed to that relationship alongside me, and I see it as a responsibility to continue strengthening the bridges between our two countries through education."

Ms Farida Khamis, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ, said, "We are deeply proud of President Loutfi's recognition by His Majesty King Charles III. This honour celebrates a lifetime of educational leadership, and it reflects the standing Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ has earned as a bridge between cultures and a home for educational excellence in the region."

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