AUC To Launch The Third Edition of Auc Tahrir 2026 CultureFest
April - Cairo- The American University in Cairo (AUC) will launch the third edition of AUC Tahrir2026 CultureFest on Thursday, April 2, which will run through April 4, 2026, at AUC Tahrir Square. The three-day cultural festival invites visitors to imagine Cairo's future — exploring how tradition and technology will shape the city's next era through themes of artificial intelligence (AI), innovation, business, creativity and art.
Open to the public, the festival will offer a vibrant array of activities, including panel discussions, TEDx AUC Tahrir Square talk, under the theme “Human Forward,” exhibitions, downtown excursions, live performances, a book fair, a bazaar and a dedicated children's program.
OPENING DAY HIGHLIGHTS
The launch event on Thursday, April 2, will be attended by distinguished guests, ambassadors, partners, cultural representatives, public figures, writers, and members of the AUC community. The program features a variety of highlights, including the opening of four exhibitions: I Don't Know Who I Am Anymore, Time Will Tell, Anah: Conversations with AI and Future C—AI—RO, which together explore the intersection of heritage, urban evolution and AI. The launch will also feature a projection light show, Whispers of the Walls, that will transform the historic facades of AUC Tahrir Square into a visual narrative tracing the campus's storied history and Cairo's evolving identity.
CULTUREFEST 2026 PROGRAM
The festival’s program features a wide range of talks, panel discussions, workshops and TEDx sessions addressing key questions surrounding the role of artificial intelligence across sectors. The panels tackle pressing issues related to AI and its growing influence on media, education and the economy.
PANELS AND DISCUSSIONS
Among the featured sessions is “Behind the Screen: How AI Is Changing What We Read, Watch and Believe,” which will examine how artificial intelligence is transforming journalism, television production and storytelling in Egypt. It will also address the ethical and professional challenges this transformation presents, particularly its impact on credibility and public trust. Speakers include Haitham El Sawy, head of the Digital Transformation Project, AlGhad TV; Mona Magdy Abdel Maqsoud, assistant professor at the Faculty of Mass Communication, Cairo University; Dina Samak, managing editor of Ahram Online; and Alaa El Ghatriefy, editor-in-chief of Al Masry Al Youm and author of Media in the Age of AI. The session will be moderated by Khaled Ezzelarab ’02, associate professor of practice and director of the Middle East Studies Program at AUC.
Another panel titled “Higher Ed in the Age of AI” will explore how universities are adapting to a new pedagogical reality and preparing students for an AI-driven future, with a focus on Egypt and the region. Speakers include Ghada El Shimi, MA ’93, dean of Undergraduate Studies and the Academy of Liberal Arts at AUC; Yasser El Shayeb, professor of rock engineering applications in heritage and archaeology, Cairo University; and Khalil Elkhodary ’03, ’06, professor of mechanical engineering and associate dean for undergraduate studies at AUC. The panel will be moderated by Hoda Mostafa, director of the Center for Learning and Teaching, AUC.
Rounding out the panel program, “AI and the Economy: Opportunities and Implications” will examine the impact of large language models and generative AI on Egypt’s labor market, socioeconomic landscape and digital governance frameworks. Speakers include Samer Atallah, associate professor of economics and associate dean for graduate studies in the Department of Economics at AUC; Abdulazim Ghoniem; director, ICT Operation Projects, AI policy expert, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Hoda Baraka, professor of computer engineering at Cairo University. The session will be moderated by Omnia Mohamed, a senior economics student at AUC.
SPECIAL TALK
In addition to the panel discussions, Sahar Saleem, professor of radiology at the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, will deliver a talk titled “Digital Resurrection: How Medical Imaging Is Transforming Egyptology.” Drawing on her work using CT scanning technology, the session will highlight efforts to reconstruct the faces of ancient Egyptian pharaohs.
INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP
The festival will also feature “Scenario Thinking: The Future of Cairo,” an interactive workshop inviting participants to imagine multiple possible futures for the city, exploring themes of population growth, climate change and technological change.
TEDX PROGRAM
As part of the program, TEDx AUC Tahrir Square will present “Human Forward,” scheduled to take place at Ewart Memorial Hall on Saturday, April 4 from 12 to 3 pm. The session will bring together eight speakers from architecture, business, psychology and the creative arts to examine how human-centered innovation and reclaimed agency are shaping the next phase of the digital landscape.
The speaker lineup includes Basma Rady ’13, chief data scientist at Beltone Holding and managing director of Robin, who will discuss the continued importance of human qualities such as curiosity and judgment in an AI-driven world; Karim El Shafei, chairman of Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment, who will address the role of arts and culture in placemaking and urban transformation; and Lamia Kamel ’99, ’05, founder of CC Plus and The Narrative Summit, who will examine how global communication trends are influencing a regional creative shift.
Also speaking are Mohamed Aboulnaga Nagaty ’09, technology investor and entrepreneur, who will explore the implications of AI for job creation and economic transformation in emerging markets; Sara Aziz, founder and CEO of Safe Egypt, who will discuss how individuals can reclaim agency and digital safety in increasingly restrictive online environments; and Omneya El Yammany, commercial manager at Procter and Gamble and Egypt’s first adaptive skydiver, who will reflect on the meaning of inclusion in practice.
The talk will also feature Mostafa Salem, architect and Ministry of Culture ambassador, who will speak on cultural identity in a rapidly changing world; and Caro Doss, personal stylist and advocate of intentional living, who will address questions of personal identity in an environment shaped by fast-moving trends.
PERFORMANCES AND ENTERTAINMENT
Beyond its talks and panels, the festival offers a diversity of performances, activities and experiences for all ages, including a fusion symphony by AUC Alumnus Hisham Kharma, that blends live strings with electronic and Middle Eastern elements, alongside, the Salute to Gaza Choir, established in Cairo in October 2024 by the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, followed by "The Sound of Intelligence," a three-act concert by AUC's student music club Musicana with Amr Mostafa exploring the relationship between AI and music.
The program also includes "Turning Cairo into Pixels," a live pixel art performance by Marwan Abbas, and screenings from ANIMATEX 2026. Interactive highlights range from robotics and AI activities in The Innovation Discovery Zone to children’s storytelling, puppet show and an interactive family play. The event also features a book fair by AUC Press, a bazaar of local crafts, and a diverse international food fair.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The AUC Tahrir CultureFest is an annual celebration of Cairo’s vibrant cultural, artistic and intellectual heritage and its global significance. Since its Launch in 2024, the festival has attracted thousands of visitors, bringing together diverse communities, artists, academics and thought leaders through a dynamic program that highlights Cairo’s rich history, innovation and creativity as a city and cultural hub.