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. These programs have awarded dual master’s degrees to more than 60 students representing over 15 countries.

He also established several research centers in automatic control and smart engineering systems, as well as five new faculties specializing in advanced technological fields at Nile University. He has led and managed numerous international and national research projects in applied sciences and advanced engineering, with a cumulative value exceeding €15 million between 2006 and 2024, in collaboration with over 30 European universities and companies and 20 Egyptian institutions.

Prof. Akl has also contributed to national innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives. He served as Chairman of the Advisory Board of the NilePreneurs National Initiative—funded by the Central Bank of Egypt—which has supported the creation of more than 250 technology-based startup companies operating in Egypt and internationally.

In addition, he has served as Advisor to the Chairman of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Authority, as well as a member of the Engineering Education Sector Committee. He has participated in developing several national reference frameworks for higher education in Egypt, earned multiple local and international awards, and published more than 43 peer-reviewed research papers in leading international journals.