In recognition for his valuable, distinguished role in strengthening the German-Egyptian relationships in the fields of culture, education, and research, Horst Koehler, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, awards Professor Ashraf Mansour, the Prime Founder of the GUC and the Chairman to its Board of Trustees, the Federal Order (Cross) of Merit – First Class. Such an elite order is exceptionally awarded to persons who achieve a unique accomplishment that can become an example to follow or for achieving an unusual success in positively affecting the economy, the political life, the culture or the society in a long term, supreme, and distinguished manner. H.E. Mr. Bernd Erbel, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Egypt, decorates Professor Mansour at the German Embassy in Cairo on behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany on the 26th of October, 2008. Awarding Professor Mansour with this elite order is an honoring for the longstanding Egyptian-German relationships represented in Professor Mansour’s person. It is noteworthy that such an order is usually not awarded except to persons who are older than 65 years of age and who have priorly been awarded an order of a lower class no less than four years before the order of merit- first class is awarded.
Source: Akhbar Al Youm – October 25th, 2008