More than four-thousand Cairo University students have undergone a mandatory drug test as of Saturday, a new regulation for those living in university dorms, Al-Ahram’s Arabic news website reported.

Cairo University President Gaber Nassar assured students that the tests are "for their own benefit."

Tests, which have been ongoing for a week now, have been given to 4,354 students, 1,957 males and 2,397 females.

A total of thirteen-thousand students are set to take the drug tests.

Meanwhile, preemptive measures have been taken in a number of public universities nationwide to avoid a repeat of the student demonstrations that were a regular occurrence last year.

Other security measures adopted by universities included hiring private security firm, Falcon man university gates and – as is the case at Al-Azhar University – closing some dormitory buildings to reduce numbers living on campus.

The new 2014-2015 academic year started 11 October, after a two-week delay, with a renewed round of small protests by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi .

A number of clashes also took place between police and students, the most violent of which were at Alexandria University.

At least 16 students were detained on charges of rioting, illegal protesting, sabotaging private and public properties and injuring their fellow colleagues among others.