Georgetown University in Qatar Students Discover Egypt through Visit to AUC

From the classroom to the streets of Cairo, students studying Arabic at Georgetown University in Qatar immersed themselves in Egypt’s language, culture and society during a visit to AUC last week. The experience combined Arabic-language learning and engagement with AUC faculty alongside opportunities to explore the country’s political, economic, historical and cultural landscape.

The program, coordinated by AUC’s International Programs and Services Office, focused on engaging students with academics at AUC by attending classes, connecting with faculty, participating in on-campus events to experience student life firsthand, and exploring Cairo through tours and excursions around the city.

“It’s a total immersion into Egyptian culture from all sorts of perspectives,” said GU-Q student Jannat Almazbel. “We’re talking about history and academia through AUC, street life — even interactions at cafés and restaurants. We are able to see Egypt – Misr – from all sides,” she said. 

“It’s a packed schedule, but that’s what makes it fun. In the same day, you can experience both the newer and the older: explore the Nile and then go into the desert,” said GU-Q student Dinassyl Smadil. 

For students, experiencing AUC was a significant highlight of their trip. 

“On our first day here, we had a tour around the campus,” said Faris McDowall-Rose, a GU-Q international history student. “I thought it was amazing … to see all this greenery. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a campus this nice.” 

Georgetown-Qatar student Mamie McCreary was fascinated by the blend of Egyptian and American systems present at AUC. “I wanted to see how an American curriculum but with a majority of Arab or Egyptian students worked,” McCreary said.

The students met with President Ahmad Dallal, went on a Nile cruise and toured Saqqara, the Giza Plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and Coptic and Islamic Cairo. They attended several courses by AUC faculty, tailored to their visit, including topics of Egyptian history, journalism and political economy. 

With the conclusion of their visit, the Georgetown-Qatar students reflected on their experiences throughout the week, citing the many exciting opportunities they underwent.

“I found the lecture we had on Egyptian history to be really interesting. Egypt is so much more than just ancient Egypt. It’s Greek and Roman Egypt, Persian Egypt, Islamic Egypt, Coptic Egypt – I found that to be really interesting. Growing up in the British curriculum, Egypt is kind of just shown through the Pharaonic lens. So that breadth of learning was really interesting to me,” said Macdowell-Rose. 

Echoing the same sentiment, Almazbel said, “It’s a beautiful and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I’m incredibly grateful for. I learned a lot about Egypt and the rich history of Egypt. I know that I don’t know enough, and I want to keep learning.”