The head of Cairo University has said there's no intention to delay the academic semester after three bombs went off on Wednesday outside the campus gates, killing at least one person. 

Gaber Nassar told the privately-owned TV station Sada El-Balad that the situation called for greater measures to be taken, as he couldn't do anything as university head to "deal with terrorism."

"Dealing firmly with the lawless students, expelling them and denying them access to the campus, is not enough," Nassar said. "There has to be an anti-terrorism law."

Earlier in the day, three bombs detonated just outside the university's campus, where security forces had been deployed to control the regular protests that have been held by students in favour of ousted president Mohamed Morsi since the beginning of the academic year last fall.

The first two bombs followed each other in short succession, killing at least one person, Brigadier-General Tarek El-Margawi, and injuring five others.

The third bomb went off nearly an hour later. No injuries were reported.

The three bombs had been planted either beneath or above trees, Hesham Youssef, the head of the explosives section at Giza security directorate, told Al-Ahram's Arabic news website.

Nassar added the campus was being inspected twice daily to ensure the security and safety of the school against possible terrorist attacks.

"To preserve the state, all procedures should be taken, even if that means applying emergency law," Nassar said.

Universities across Egypt have been the stage for recurrent pro-Morsi demonstrations, which have often ended in clashes between protesting students and security forces.

At least a dozen students have been killed in the clashes on and outside campuses nationwide.

The violent demonstrations disrupted the first semester and mid-term examinations, and delayed the start of the second semester by three weeks.

Meanwhile, attacks targeting security personnel and installations have spiked after Morsi's ouster in July.

Interim authorities have blamed the Muslim Brotherhood and their Islamist allies for the violent attacks and declared the group a terrorist organisation in December following the bombing of a security directorate in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura.