Nobel Laureate and San Marino Resident Announces Egypt Education Project

Nobel Laureate, Caltech Professor and San Marino resident Ahmed Zewail announced at Caltech graduation Friday that he will launch a $2 billion education project in his native Egypt, according to the Pasadena Star-News.

The project, deemed the Zewail City of Science and Technology, will be located on 300 acres outside Cairo, modeled after Caltech and offer undergraduate and advanced education in various fields such as medicine and materials.

"The idea is not to deviate from true excellence in science, engineering and technology," Zewail told the Star-News. "This the first time it's going to be in this part of the world."

The Egyptian government is offering the land, Zewail said, while the Egyptian people will need to contribute the desired $2 billion to build the project, according to the Star-News.

The United States, Europe and China will also be involved in the project.

Zewail was also in the international spotlight in February, when .

Patch will update this story as it progresses.

Correction: The original version of this article credited the San Gabriel Valley Business Journal with the article about Zewail's announcement. The correct source is the Pasadena Star-News.