Charting a Future in Cybersecurity from Khartoum to Cairo

When AUC freshman Ahmed Amara thinks of his home in Sudan, he thinks of his friends.

“My favorite memory is the friendships I had in my neighborhood,” Amara says. “We would do everything together— playing football on the street, going to the supermarket and praying in the mosque. It was a really fun time that I enjoyed and still think about today.”

Born in Wad Madani and raised in Khartoum, Amara now studies computer science at AUC as a recipient of the Sudanese Undergraduate scholarship, which covers the full tuition and housing costs for a Sudanese student.

A childhood love for video games inspired Amara to major in computer science and pursue a career in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. His introductory computer science classes have emphasized experiential learning, and within his first month on campus, the courses have Amara putting theory into practice.

"I find it fascinating to learn about ethical hacking and how to protect large companies from cyberattacks."

“AUC helps you with the practical side of things,” Amara said. “You can really exercise and get your hands dirty with the work that you're doing. And even then, the theoretical part is also really good because you gain a lot of knowledge about coding and everything you need to know.”

In preparation for a career in cybersecurity, he’s interested in studying the field of white-hat hacking, or ethical hacking, which identifies and tests a system’s vulnerabilities to learn how to best protect them. “I find it fascinating to learn about ethical hacking and how to protect large companies from cyberattacks,” Amara says.

Amara moved to Cairo in late August with a laundry list of things to do: buy the essentials, travel around Cairo, settle down, move into the dorms, begin orientation and start classes.

"Egypt really feels like my home now because all of my friends are here, and some of my family also moved here."

While settling in another country can be daunting, many of Amara’s friends and family previously relocated to Egypt after fleeing the war in Sudan. Amara himself moved from Sudan to Lebanon before the civil war, attended high school there and moved to Cairo to study at AUC. Though one day he hopes to return after the war, he feels like Egypt has welcomed him with open arms. “Egypt really feels like my home now because all of my friends are here, and some of my family also moved here. And AUC is really a great university,” Amara says.

AUC’s Core Curriculum grounds Amara’s technical interests in the liberal arts, and he says the variety of themes to choose from “broadens your understanding of the world around you.” Through exploring the theme of cultural heritage and Egyptian identity, he has found other connections between Egypt and Sudan, besides the heat. “I find it fascinating to learn more about Egyptian culture since it closely relates to Sudanese culture, as we were once one country,” Amara said.

Beyond the classroom, Amara is an aspiring chef, he plans to join the Cooking Club at AUC and looks forward to honing his cooking skills. “I really like cooking and enjoy making pasta, chicken, desserts, cookies and brownies.”

With the next four years full of opportunity, Amara looks forward to trying everything the University has to offer.

“I look forward to many opportunities at AUC, such as taking part in an internship to improve my skills, joining an athletic team and representing the University on a major stage, and becoming involved in clubs that match my interests,” Amara says.