INTERVIEWER: MAHMOUD MANSI
EDITED BY: NADA ADEL SOBHI
1- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: As a businessman, what drove you to open a new business in the field of education?
Ibrahim Badrawy: In my work in the field of business and investments, I made a lot of interviews and noticed that the education of most of the candidates I interviewed was far from the management and business fields. These candidates don’t have any experience that enables them to work according to their education; in addition, most of them want to work in the private sector in different management fields. That’s when I realized that candidates need different and updated professional business knowledge to keep up with the business market requirements.
2- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: When you were a student, what were your negative opinions about education, and how are you setting a better environment for the students of your institute now?
Ibrahim Badrawy: When I was a student, I noticed a big gap between what we studied and what came later in practice; this gap put us farther away from market requirements. Accordingly, in Cambridge College in Egypt, we aim to provide modern professional education that is applicable and that enables students to feel a real impact on their careers after graduation.
3- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: As a businessman who is clearly experienced in many fields and well aware of the Egyptian business environment, have you ever thought about teaching and conducting your own courses for the students at your institute?
Ibrahim Badrawy: No, as I’m not an expert and I believe that one of the main problems in Egypt, one that we have to face and solve, is that most of us think they can do anything with no respect to experience and specialty.
4- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: What are the challenges that you faced when you first started Cambridge College in Egypt? And how did you overcome them?
Ibrahim Badrawy: Our main challenge is that we are a franchise from a British college and we have to follow their terms of agreements to maintain the license, so, we have to give excellent service and have excellent teaching staff. However, it is common knowledge that in Egypt, we do not have qualified caliber and candidates. That’s why we have to be very picky.
There is also the challenge that most students have great enthusiasm at first, but lose their excitement after a while. So, we need to help them stay alert and excited during their educational class. Education is not exciting like entertainment and needs hard work especially the British method; that’s why we constantly try hard to help them enjoy learning and I think we have succeeded in doing so.
5- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: Who are the first people you recruited to work with you (job titles) and how did their recruitment process go?
Ibrahim Badrawy: The first people whom I worked with were a mix of nationalities some American/Egyptian and British.
The job titles were academic advisor, senior executive administration, customer service and marketing representatives, graphic designers, professors of business and a senior accountant.
According to our recruitment criteria, we have a scientific method that allows us to analyze what we need and set questions to ask. Each answer has a grade along with other factors like skills and presentation. All of these points result in a final grade and we select the person who achieves the best or highest grade.
6- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: On what basis did you choose your lecturers? And how did you attract them to work with you?
Ibrahim Badrawy: We choose our professors who are PhD holders in their careers, while also teaching college and MBA students at well-known colleges like AAST and Alexandria University. What attracted them to work with us was that we as a Cambridge college are known and new in Egypt, which made them interested in working with us.
7- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: You have studied medicine and you are actually a doctor. Why didn’t you work in this field and why did you choose to be a businessman?
Ibrahim Badrawy: This question will make me go back 10 years. When I was a medicine student, I felt that the whole medical system in Egypt is not going as well as it should, and that I would just be a part of it with no ability to create a change. That’s why I decided to work for myself and work according to my own terms and do what I believe in. For me, the business and investment field was the only way for me to express myself.
8- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: As a doctor, what do you think are the common problems doctors face in their careers as beginners and professionals?
Ibrahim Badrawy: As beginners, the education system does not have good standards at all, whereas after graduation, there are a lot of working hours with no fair payments. This question needs a full article and it will not be enough either.
9- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: What are your comments regarding postgraduate students in Alexandria?
Ibrahim Badrawy: I think I see myself in this regard. My comment is that postgraduate students need to feel free and do what they really like and not go after money. They need to chase their own dream; then, the money will follow. They also need to be patient and ready for everything that comes their way.
10- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: How are you able to manage all your businesses at the same time?
Ibrahim Badrawy: I believe in team work and specialties, so I try to build my teams from talented and experienced people. I also implement a leadership system; it’s not a one-man-show.
11- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: What is your opinion regarding unemployment in Egypt? And what are your personal suggested solutions?
Ibrahim Badrawy: I believe that unemployment is not the problem, but the main problem is education, as it is not creating dreams or clever people. Therefore, I think that developing and improving education will create dreamers and creative people, which will result in opportunities.
12- HR Revolution Middle-East Magazine: What’s your advice to fresh graduates who cannot find a job yet?
Ibrahim Badrawy: Actually, I don’t feel that I’m qualified enough to answer this question, as I don’t think I have the experience that allows me to give advice. However, if it were me, I would begin by asking for help from people while putting my faith in God. I would also work hard, do something I like and be ready for everything, while accepting both success and failure in the same way.
Facebook page for Cambridge Training College Egypt Office:
https://www.facebook.com/cambridgetrainingcollegeegyptoffice1/?fref=ts
