the horizon split into a green half and a damaged half, representing Global Warming and climate change

Research and Initiatives

Check out different research and activities taking place at AUC, reflecting AUC’s extensive work in the different areas of focus that are aligned with national and regional climate change and sustainability priorities. These key areas focus on water scarcity, urban development, green finance, energy transition and public health.

A graphic showing how electrolysis works. On the bottom, a graphic of water, tinted brown with green spots. The water is pulled up through a pipe to two green buildings representing the electrolysis. Two pipes connected to the building pipe out green hydrogen, shown as green lightning with a blue H, and bright blue, clean water.

May 2, 2023

Transforming Dirty Water into Clean Energy

A bolt of energy rattles the bonds of a water molecule: H2O. The links between the molecule begin to snap as the oxygen and hydrogen particles are pulled to separate compartments.

March 28, 2023

AUC Students Craft Sustainable Fishing Nets to Revive Local Village Economy

Armed with fruit and a desire to help the small Egyptian village of El Bahtiny in Ismailia, seniors Yara Yousry, Heidi Mahmoud, Aliaa Moussa and Mariam El-Halabi are working to fashion biodegradable fishing nets out of locally sourced, cost-effective banana fibers in order to revive the vil

flower growing out of concrete and a cityscape of old Cairo near the citadel with new course titles: Sustainability in the Cracks of Urban Policy: Communities, Bureaucracies and Adaptation and Climate Change: From Interdisciplinarity to Action

March 15, 2023

AUC Faculty Develop New Courses on Climate Change, Sustainability During 2023 Research and Creativity Convention

Two courses aimed at informing and empowering AUC students to lead the charge against climate change won this year’s Core Curriculum Course Competition during AUC’s 2023 Research and Creativity Convention (

December 27, 2022

100 PhDs in Africa Awardee Shimaa Heikal (MSc '22) Pilots Data Project on Dementia in Egypt

Pioneering a research registry on novel biomarkers found in early stages of dementia within the Egyptian population, Shimaa Heikal (MSc '22), PhD candidate at AUC’s Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (I-GHHE), is among the first 10 awardees for the 100 PhDs in Africa program.

December 20, 2022

Gender and Climate: The Importance of Intersectionality

As climate change continues to degrade the environment, disrupt people’s livelihoods and threaten social stability, it has become increasingly important to analyze its impacts and solutions through an intersectional lens.

Momen El-Husseiny takes Cairo Bike for a spin in downtown Cairo

November 20, 2022

AUC, University of Sheffield Students Collaborate to Boost Egypt's First Bike Share Program

Downtown Cairo is many things: a hub for Egyptian history, a home of historic and modern restaurants and shops, and the heart of a massive transportation network that extends all the way to the city’s desert suburbs.It is not, however, a haven for cyclists.

November 13, 2022

The Future of “Greening” Real Estate in Egypt; AUC Hosts Futures Lab to Explore Climate-Adaptive Development

Ahead of Egypt hosting COP27, the AUC Innovation Hub and New Silk Roads convened a Futures Lab in September exploring the question: “What if real estate accelerates a green transition?”

November 4, 2022

Future Fuel

Hydrogen can replace fossil fuels in essentially any area. It can be processed into fuel for airplanes and ships. It can be burned to generate electricity, power cars or facilitate industrial processes that require a large amount of heat.

A scientist in a lab holding a test tube

November 4, 2022

What Goes Around Comes Around

Numerous studies have linked the fallout of climate change to an increase in both infectious and chronic diseases, many of which are irreversible. AUC’s Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology is working to identify and understand more of these links, which may help us anticipate, mitigate or adapt to these challenges.

November 4, 2022

Eco-nomics

When Abeer Elshennawy (MA ’92), professor in the Department of Economics, was a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, her adviser recommended she concentrate on the environment — unusual advice for someone studying applied economics in 1992.

November 4, 2022

The Rubik’s Challenge

As countries scramble to improve their resilience to climate change, the need for cross-border cooperation becomes apparent.

Man wearing a suit standing in an engineering lab

November 4, 2022

Waste Not, Want Not

“Go to waste” has never been on Salah El Haggar’s agenda. A mechanical engineering professor at AUC since 1987, El Haggar is a guru when it comes to waste management, renewable energy applications and recycling.

November 4, 2022

Following in Our Footprints

Carbon is a major indicator of climate change. In the last century, the amount of carbon in our air has exponentially risen to a record high of over 400 particles per million — a level reached on Earth only millions of years ago.

Stones on top of each other in the water

November 4, 2022

Balancing the Scales

As major flooding wracks Pakistan, droughts choke much of East Africa and wildfires raze Australia, it is becoming clear that the consequences of climate change are not distributed equally across the globe. Industrialized countries in the Global North, particularly those with strong colonial histories, have the worst carbon emission records.

November 4, 2022

Sea-curity for Reefs

Stimulated by a desire to safeguard marine ecosystems and coral reefs, MBA student Aly Mohamed introduced Egypt’s first electric water scooter that uses only 3 kilowatts of electricity for a full one-hour charge, saving 8 tons of carbon dioxide emissions for every 100 hours.

Research and Initiatives

Transforming Dirty Water into Clean Energy

AUC Students Craft Sustainable Fishing Nets to Revive Local Village Economy

AUC Faculty Develop New Courses on Climate Change, Sustainability During 2023 Research and Creativity Convention

100 PhDs in Africa Awardee Shimaa Heikal (MSc '22) Pilots Data Project on Dementia in Egypt

Gender and Climate: The Importance of Intersectionality

AUC, University of Sheffield Students Collaborate to Boost Egypt's First Bike Share Program

The Future of “Greening” Real Estate in Egypt; AUC Hosts Futures Lab to Explore Climate-Adaptive Development

Future Fuel

What Goes Around Comes Around

Eco-nomics

The Rubik’s Challenge

Waste Not, Want Not

Following in Our Footprints

Balancing the Scales

Sea-curity for Reefs

AUC New Cairo Campus

AUC Tahrir Square Campus

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