The American University in Cairo (AUC) was founded in 1919 by Americans devoted to education and community service in the Middle East. Today, AUC is the region's premier English-language university, an essential contributor to the social, political and cultural life of the Arab world. It also serves as a crossroads for the world's cultures. The AUC School of Business is recognized as the top private business school in Egypt and one of the best in the Arab region and Africa.