International scholars and Egyptologists from Egypt, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Switzerland, France, Germany and a host of other countries will be at AUC Tahrir Square from October 31 to November 2 for the Women in Ancient Egypt: Current Research and Historical Trends conference, the first-of-its-kind in Egypt and the Middle East. 

The largest gathering of scholars working on women in Ancient Egypt, the conference will discuss different topics related to ancient Egyptian women: law, portrayal in literature, cultic participation and access to power.  

Click here for the conference website. 

The Fountain of Bakhchisarai produced by Amir El-Shenawy ’13 has just won two CineGouna Springboard awards at El Gouna Film Festival 2019 (GFF).

CineGouna SpringBoard is a project development and co-production lab that supports Arab filmmakers in finding the creative and financial support to produce quality films.

"This is my first feature documentary project as a producer, so it means a lot to me that we won two awards at CineGouna Springboard this year at El Gouna Film Festival," said El-Shenawy "The GFF platform is such a perfect place to meet and network with many international professionals in the film industry, and get to know their feedback on our project."

El-Shenawy, who studied communication and media arts at AUC, won two awards at GFF 2019, a cash prize worth $10,000 presented by Synergy Films, and $15,000 in-kind award sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and Film Independent, to fund his travel to Los Angeles for a production residency in April 2020.

The Fountain of Bakhchisarai is a feature documentary project about Magda Salah, Egypt’s first Prima ballerina, who reunites with her former colleagues after 50 years in an attempt to recreate their first public dance together. 

El-Shenawy’s feature documentary debut, Kilo 64, had its world-premiere at the 40th Cairo International Film Festival. It was the only documentary to be screened at the festival. It was also screened at AUC's Tahrir Cultural Center and selected to compete in the feature-length documentary competition at Malmo Arab Film Festival in October 2019.

#MakingAUCProud

AUC theatre students were involved in over 20 different plays and workshops brought to Cairo from around the world as part of the 26th annual Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre. Students majoring and minoring in theatre volunteered their time to help translate, organize workshops and volunteer both behind the scenes and on stage at one of largest theatre festivals in the region. 

Senior Ali El Shourbagy's experience took an unexpected turn when he ended up performing in a supporting role in the American musical The Fantasticks, which was brought to Cairo from the U.S. through sponsorship by the U.S. Embassy. El Shourbagy was working as a volunteer backstage for the production when one of the main actors got sick during dress rehearsals. The director and cast recognized his talent and asked El Shourbagy to join the company in the role of Mortimer. He performed at the Cairo Opera House and then traveled to Alexandria to perform with the company and fellow theatre students Laila Ghoneim and Yara Adel Mohamed, who worked backstage on the production.

Other students were involved in workshops and masterclasses in addition to supporting the many other plays from Uganda, France, Switzerland, Saudia Arabia, Syria, Brazil, Portugal, Bulgaria, South Africa and Egypt. Students gained first-hand knowledge about touring productions, performance techniques and theatre traditions from around the world as they represented AUC.

The newly renovated Tahrir Cultural Center celebrated the opening of the new cafeteria last night with a reception and concert. 

The Arab International Women’s Forum (AIWF) is holding a conference in Cairo for the third time since 2005, and this time around, it’s coming to AUC.

Click here for the event page and registration link. The conference agenda can be found here. 

The conference, Women as Engines of Economic Growth, will take place on September 17 and will examine critical development challenges and opportunities for Egyptian and Arab women leaders in business, entrepreneurship, academia and public service in Egypt and the broader MENA region. The conference program, made in collaboration between AIWF and senior leadership at AUC, will deliver recommendations for empowering women as drivers of economic development, growth and sustainable change — advancing AIWF’s global advocacy for women in business, public service and entrepreneurship. All panel discussions will be under the overarching themes of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Agenda 2030 for Women and will discuss how to fulfill SDGs on gender diversity, women and youth empowerment, and societal and economic progress for all.

“I am very excited that AUC is hosting this timely conference with an impressive roster of speakers that showcase women’s leadership on corporate boards, in family businesses, in public service and in the informal economy,” said Ghada Howaidy, associate dean of executive education and external relations at AUC's School of Business. 

Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani, AIWF founder, will be the keynote speaker during the opening and closing sessions. The opening session will feature AUC President Francis Ricciardone; Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform Hala Elsaid; President and CEO of PepsiCo Egypt Mohamed Shelbaya '90; and President of the National Council for Women Maya Morsy '95. Other speakers include prominent women from a diverse set of careers, including presidents of corporations, members of parliament, professors and directors of NGOs. Read here for the full conference agenda.

The conference will consist of four panels, each focusing on different topics related to business, entrepreneurship, public service and the future of women in leadership. These includegender diversity on corporate boards and in family businesses, women in public office and in academia, as well as the role and contributions of women in the rural and informal sectors.

“Fully recognizing the value of women’s contribution to the economy and inclusive growth is an ongoing global conversation that we need to be a part of,” Howaidy said.

AIWF was founded by Kaylani in 2001 with the goals of empowering Arab women to be global leaders and internationally advocating for gender equality in the workplace. Partnering with AUC, conference organizers expressed the importance of this initiative, which will make for critical discussion on challenges and opportunities for women in the MENA region and globally:

“AIWF is proud to have the opportunity to partner with the American University in Cairo on this much-needed and timely initiative...[and] is looking forward to working closely with our partners at AUC, one of the region’s leading and pre-eminent universities, under the leadership of Francis J. Ricciardone, to deliver another high-impact joint conference which examines the empowerment of Egyptian and Arab women leaders as a key priority for economic growth in Egypt and the wider MENA region, without which a peaceful, prosperous and progressive Arab future cannot be secured.”

“I've always loved the projects that bring a fresh look at history,” said Nagla Samir, associate professor of practice, Department of the Arts.

With a fresh unconventional take on history, AUC students have worked on producing an archival publication as part of the University's centennial celebrations to document the 1919 Egyptian Revolution while reproducing and recreating the ingenious songs of the Egyptian composer Sayed Darwish and poet Badie Khairy, who “informed as they entertained” Egyptians at the time.

This is What Has Come to Be is the outcome of a yearlong cooperation between graphic design students and the music program, where students have showcased their contemporary reflections and designs on the 1919 Egyptian Revolution as well as songs that both documented and started the first spark — inspiring the people to revolt against the British occupation.

“Each one of the students has made thorough research on the 1919 revolution and its songs," said Samir. "It was their first time to listen to these songs and the first time to learn about Sayed Darwish and Badie Khairy. It was an opportunity for them to get introduced to different Arabic colloquial languages and deep-dive into Egyptian history.”

The graphic design students — Haidy Helmy, Hana Zaher, Helen Bakhoum, Mariam Ismail, Merhan Amer, Sarah Azzab and Zeina Mansour — have had their own reflections on the revolution. Their works echo their diverse backgrounds and individual perceptions “My project was mainly inspired by the Egyptian sense of humor and the idea of making fun of a bad situation. I chose the songs that highlighted and proved this concept,” said Mansour.

It all started when Wael el Mahallawy, associate professor in the Department of the Arts, decided to do a reproduction of the 1919 songs as part of the This is What Has Come to Be centennial project. He started refining and researching the original lyrics of Sayed Darwish from old recordings, as some of the lyrics and music notations have changed over the years.

“The stories behind each song were the most interesting part of the research,” said Azzab. “For example, Aho Da Elly Sar song was originally written to respond to the British representative’s reaction when Egyptians took a stand against the British occupation.”

“You’d be surprised by how time has changed the songs, showing some cultural changes over the years,” added Samir. “For example, the national anthem used to be Masr Ya Set el Belad. Now, it is Masr Ya Om el Belad.”

Sarah Azzab: "What caught my attention the most were the songs made specifically for Saad Zaghloul by using hidden messages because people were prohibited from mentioning his name when he was exiled. So they sang for him indirectly in a way that only the Egyptian people would understand. I used that to divide the lyrics. I used the fact that the Arabic words don't make sense until they’re connected and then divided the lyrics into two layers."

Mariam Ismail: "My design is based on the concept of hope because I think that is what got people going at the time. I made all the pictures in black and white and added color to them to support the idea of hope — that you can still add life to the most monochrome and colorless things."

Haidy Helmy: "When I thought about Saad Zaghloul and the 1919 Egyptian Revolution, I thought how new it was back then. It was very experiential through different artworks, each showing hidden messages. The design indicates the Egyptian slogan that “numbers beat courage,” symbolizing huge numbers with lemons. This is what the design is all about."

Zeina Mansour: "The idea behind my design was to use humor to highlight the underlying meaning of the song, which in this case was making fun of the people who refused to accept different cultures under the umbrella of religion, but this was a facade."

“It is brilliant how these songs have indirectly contributed to the rise of the 1919 Egyptian Revolution, how these songs spread so that almost every Egyptian was singing them everywhere without the British occupation representatives getting the hidden messages — and eventually it resides under the radar and triggers the spark of the revolution because the people understand what this is about,” noted Samir.

All the lyrics were also professionally translated into English, all in one publication, and the music is on SoundCloud with easy access to the public.

The project is a joint collaboration between AUC’s Office of the Provost and Department of the Arts. 

For the whole playlist of songs, click here or scan the QR code below.

AUC graphic design graduate Maha Hesham ‘19 became a city sensation with her senior thesis: colorful postage stamps depicting historical Egyptian female pioneers, from Um Kulthum to Doria Shafik and Huda Sharawi. 

For Hesham, the project was an opportunity to raise awareness of these impactful women and the unequal representation they’ve been given within historical narratives and popular culture.

"We have so many female leaders to be proud of, and people have no idea,” she explained. “I wanted to create stamps that would value these women and discuss their significance -- bringing them some measure of equality.”

Picking Postage

So why did she choose stamps as her medium?

Hesham wanted to pursue a subject that could incorporate her passion for illustration. “My first idea was to design the stamps that go in passports,” she said. However, when she proposed the idea to her professor, the teacher thought she was referring to postage stamps.

“I thought it was an interesting idea, and I decided to look into it,” she confessed.

Hesham started her research broadly, first looking into the history of postage stamps and then focusing on Egyptian postage stamps specifically. Using the AUC Library as her main resource, Hesham discovered that something as seemingly innocuous as a stamp had a rich history and a variety of purposes.

“I found so many uses for postage stamps -- of course their primary function is to prepay mail, but they’re also a form of propaganda. They can advertise for things like the opening of a new hotel or the Art Deco movement,” she explained. “They also have touristic value. If you send a letter from Egypt to the US and it has Egyptian monuments on it, you can get a sense of what Egypt has to offer.”

According to Hesham, the first Egyptian postage stamps were ornamental and detailed with Turkish script. After becoming an independent country, the new motifs in Egyptian postage became symbols of the country’s vast history, like the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx.”

“Looking at these stamps, you can see how Egypt saw itself and decided to represent itself,” she explained. “These stamps really are an important method to record history.” She also saw historical figures represented in these stamps -- leaders, scientists and changemakers who were contributing to society at the time.

A Commemorative Stamp

From her research, one thing stuck out to Hesham: You could learn a lot about a country’s values through its stamps. And by looking at Egypt’s historical stamps, she realized that they were used to pay more tribute to men than to women.

“This is when I decided to start researching Egyptian female leaders,” she stated. And for Hesham, this research was eye-opening. “I learned about so many female pioneers between the 1920s and the 1960s whom I had never heard about,” she exclaimed.

She decided to choose nine women to represent in her stamps, and she picked women whose stories moved her. These were Amina Al Said, a writer and magazine editor; Suhayr Al Qalamawi, an academic and journalist; Lutfia Al Nadi, the first female pilot; Doria Shafik, an activist and writer; Huda Sharawi, a feminist and activist; Moufida AbdelRahman, a pioneering female lawyer; Sameera Moussa, a nuclear researcher; Um Kulthum, the famous Egyptian singer; and Safiya Zahgoul, a political activist and revolutionary figure.

During the process, Hesham also sat in on a meeting of a philatelic (i.e. stamp-collecting) society in Cairo. “If I’m going to design something, I need to have a target market,” Hesham explained. Originally, she had considered making her stamps digital, since traditional postage has fallen out of use in Egypt. However, after meeting members of the philatelic society, she realized that there are people out there keeping stamps alive. “Maybe I should do something for them,” she posited.

Making Mail

Once Hesham decided the stamps would be physical instead of digital, she began the design process.

For the representation of women on the stamps, Hesham decided she wanted to incorporate all the colors of the rainbow. She drew the leaders vividly in bright hues -- symbolic of hope. She decided to number the stamps 1, 2, 3 and 5 since these were the most common values for vintage stamps at the time the women depicted on them were alive.

“I experimented with so many art styles from pointism to monochromatic, but then I started with lines, and I realized that minimalism is in right now and that just simplifying everything to lines was the way to go,” she said, explaining her stamps refined look.

Hesham's project touched a chord with people. After the final exhibition of her thesis, someone from Women of Egypt reached out, writing an article about her stamps for International Women’s month. Since then, Hesham has been interviewed by more than six news sources about her project.

“Even now it's very hard to process. It still feels like a dream -- so surreal,” Hesham exclaimed.

So where will Hesham go from here? “It would be so nice to see Egypt develop the production of these stamps,” she suggested. “There is still a debate over whether I should make then a collector's item, print them or sell them in local bookstores.”

According to Hesham, a lot of people are getting into stamps these days, even outside of the philatelic society. “Vintage things are coming back into fashion,” she explained. “More and more people are getting into it.”

And what else is on the horizon for Hesham? “I want to continue to create art that raises awareness about important issues,” she stated.

In the end, her stamps are at once an artistic homage to female leaders, a feminist story and a beautiful collector's item.

“They are like miniature paintings -- masterpieces,” she stated.

Want to learn more about Hesham and her work? Check out her website here.

A Cloudy Dream

Last week, graphic design students on the team Ciel, Ghenwa Yehia ElMougy, Farah Habib, Nehal Ezz and Mariam Ismail, won the AUC-TAMEER water tower beautification competition with their blended composition of the sky. Their submission fuses the shades of the firmament at different times of day and incorporates hazy lines and vivid colors. At the bottom of the design, a crowd of people look up at in awe at the heavens above them.

“We wanted to have the chance to show Egypt different, but familiar faces — the type of faces you feel like you could meet while walking down the street, inspired by the sight of the sky at different times of day,” the team explained.

Their creative interpretation of the sky will soon decorate Egypt’s first beautified water tower, situated on the south side of AUC’s New Cairo campus. Currently a bulky bare concrete structure, soon it will be transforming into a towering artistic landmark, contrasting the real and imagined sky against the sandy background of New Cairo.

An Integrated Neighborhood

The announcement of the winning team selected by TAMEER out of three finalists came at AUC’s Watson House gardens, amidst friendly chatter and a sense of anticipation coming from the contestants. With flowers in full bloom and a clear blue sky above, it was a fitting setting for the launch of the naturally inspired design project.

According to AUC President Francis J. Ricciardone, the initiative is an attempt to positively impact New Cairo by further integrating the University with the neighborhood.

"We started talking about how AUC and our New Cairo campus can be what AUC was on the old Cairo campus,” he explained. “We were integrated. An engine of richness and of life. … This campus is still new, and it isn't fully developed. And we want to be that vibrant center of life here."

The announcement of the competition winners kicked off the beginning of production — the process of turning Ciel’s water tower design from a cloudy dream to an emerging reality.

The project will take place over the next couple of months and will tentatively be finished and inaugurated in September 2019. If the project goes well, the promoters of the competition hope it can be replicated in other parts of Cairo and Egypt.

"This is something we want to do right, really right, so it’s enduring and so it will get a lot of attention from the neighbors,” Ricciardone added.

The real estate development company TAMEER has been AUC’s partner in the competition and will take over funding and management of the design production from this point forward. Ciel will have a say on the final shop-drawings to ensure the final artwork embodies the idea and spirit of their original design.

"Once [the student design] is executed, people should no longer see a water tower," said Antoine El Khoury, managing director of TAMEER. “They should see a piece of art.”

Beyond Complications

Besides beautifying the New Cairo skyline, the decorated structure will serve as a landmark for New Cairo as it continues to develop. According to El Khoury, initiatives like this are important for promoting the desert city and building a community.

“When we work together in this way, we become friends. We become a community, and we overcome fences.” El Khoury stated.

AUC and TAMEER’s investment in this project is a testament to their dedication in giving back to the local community. According to Nagla Samir, associate professor of practice in the Department of the Arts, art is the perfect way to do this.

"Art is perceivable beyond complications. It’s very flexible in content, and it’s so inviting by its very nature. Art has always been playing this role. By giving a message without clearly setting boundaries, it creates open space,” Samir explained.

“Their [Ciel's] work draws from the context by including real portraits of the 'humans of New Cairo,' creating a subliminal sense of place and visual recognizability without being literal and direct," added Magda Mostafa, associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Architecture, describing how Ciel's design will relate to the New Cairo community. 

A Creative Challenge

For students, this challenge wasn’t just a competition; it was a comprehensive business experience simulating real-world conditions and constraints. When formulating a viable design, they had to consider everything from engineering footprints and mathematical calculations to weather conditions and brand identity. Their submissions not only had to be creative and practical, but they also had to fit within budgetary and regulatory constraints and communicate something meaningful to the community.

For many of the participants, the competition was a cross-disciplinary experience and a form of experiential learning, combining architecture, design, business and engineering, among other disciplines.

"The competition is a successful example of collaboration between industry and academia," said Soha Hassan, assistant director for experimental learning at AUC's Career Center. "It provided our students with a valuable learning experience that links what they learn in the classroom to real life."

While AUC offered the students mentored workshops led by faculty mentors on subjects such as urban design and project management, the workshops just provided guidance. The results were all student-based and included impressive and imaginative submissions incorporating everything from 3D-overlays and colorful patterns to shocking shades and asymmetrical structures.

“We sometimes stayed up almost all night working on it,” the Ciel teammates confessed.

Final Contenders

At the first exhibition, 25 students in seven groups submitted designs, with the teams Colors of Life, HRSH Architects and Ciel chosen as finalists.

The students’ submissions were awash with color and creativity, submitted to the scrutiny of the judging panel which included AUC's Magda Mostafa and Nagla Samir; Arch. Bachir Moujaes, architect, urban designer and head of design at Solidere; Engineer Mahmoud Hussein, vice president of New Cairo Municipality for Development; and Mona Hussein ‘83, designer and owner of Mahally furniture store. Non-voting jury members included John Hoey, associate professor of practice in the Department of the Arts; Engineer Ghada Oteifa, construction engineer and project management professional; and Engineer Sally Hussein, director of the Beautification Division of the New Cairo Municipality.

The judges weren’t just looking for appealing designs; they were also searching for realistic submissions.

In the end, Ciel’s design was chosen for its feasibility, creativity, durability and ability to convey the shared values of AUC and TAMEER. “We avoided the abstract so we could reach a wider audience,” the team explained.

"I believe the winning project presents an example of tackling and successfully balancing one of the most difficult challenges in creative work — being powerful and meaningful while remaining simple," said Mostafa.

El Khoury acknowledged the students, saying, “This project is your baby, your dream, and it would have never happened without the passion, the determination, the commitment and hard work of each one of you. We promised to offer you a real-life business experience and we delivered. Today, TAMEER’s promise is to turn your dream into reality."

As their prize, the Ciel team members will take part in an educational trip to Beirut, fully funded by TAMEER and in collaboration with Solidere, the urban development company responsible for the regeneration of Beirut’s central district after the war. The trip will include a presentation on urban planning and the cultural, economic and social aspects of the company and a field tour of Beirut central district guided by Solidere’s architects.

The two other finalists, Colors of Life (Best Story) and HRSH Architects (Best Architectural Design), have received from TAMEER a cash award in recognition of their commitment and creativity.

All three finalist teams will be offered a job shadowing experience with TAMEER in the department of their choice.

To the Canvas of Reality

The finalists were humbled and excited about their win. “I have no words,” said Farah Habib, one of the winners.

“When we first started the competition, we didn’t really think we had a shot. We just said, 'let's try it out,'” team member Mariam Ismail continued. “There were a lot of moments where we said ‘Oh, let's give up; we’re not going to win."

“We are all design students, so we got some background in architecture through this — and we learned a lot,” Nehal Ezz affirmed.

According to El Khoury, all the student participants have received more than just work experience and prizes from this project.

“It's not only about awards. I think that you have all understood that behind business there are people with values. It's not only about creating something, but it’s also about initiating a dynamic and inspiring other people, and we are very curious to learn what will come next and how your work will inspire others,” Khoury said to the three finalists.

AUCians will now have the opportunity to witness the fruits of Ciel’s labors, watching their artwork transform from the stuff of dreams to the canvas of reality.

As part of AUC's efforts to engage high school students, the Department of the Arts and the Office of Enrollment, Admissions and Student Service Center recently planned and held a Wall Art Competition for high school students from seven different schools in Cairo. The competition aims to get talented high school students involved with AUC's graphic design program and promote community engagement, since the paintings will be donated to decorate public schools. 

"The aim of the competition was to promote the arts at AUC and provide a platform for students from different schools in Cairo to meet, reflect and produce art around important issues such as global citizenship, gender equality and the environment," said Bahia Shehab (MA '09), associate professor of professional practice in the Department of the Arts. "We are hoping that this will become a yearly competition for different schools in Cairo to look forward to joining us in producing art on our beautiful campus."

The students, together with Tarek Abdelkawi, adjunct faculty member in the Department of the Arts, brainstormed and sketched three main themes for the workshop: global citizenship, gender equality and the environment. The event took place over two days, including an introductory workshop and a competition where the students implemented what was discussed at the workshop and painted the murals.

First Place: International School of Elite Education  (Malak Ibrahim, Sohaila Tamer and Malak Hussien)

Second Place: Narmer American College (Farah Nashaat and Daniel Essam)

Third Place: Hayah International Academy (Zeina Ashour, Jana El Zaghal and Alia Abdelghaffour)

All participating members will be given participation certificates. 

A Towering Win

Graphic design students on the team Ciel, Ghenwa Yehia ElMougy, Farah Habib, Nehal Ezz and Mariam Ismail won the TAMEER-AUC competition with their design of an amorphous dream-like sky. Their creative interpretation of the celestial sphere will soon decorate Egypt’s first beautified water tower.

The water tower in question is the bare concrete structure on the south side of the New Cairo campus, just visible from the AUC Sports Center. The decorated tower will become a monument for AUC and a marker for the New Cairo community.

And the prize for the winners? A fully funded educational trip to Beirut in collaboration with Solidere, an urban development company responsible for much of the reconstruction of Beirut’s central district after the war. The trip will include a presentation on urban planning and the cultural, economic and social aspects of their current projects. Bachir Moujaes, architect, urban designer and head of design at Solidere, was one of the judges of the challenge and was present at the finale.

“The trip to Beirut is intended to encourage students to explore art and architecture in a different country,” said Soha Hassan, experiential learning manager at AUC's Career Center.

The two other finalists were given a cash reward and honorable recognition. Colors of Life, with team members Haidy Helmy, Mostafa Ahmed and Merhan Amer, was awarded Best Story for its design, and HRSH Architects, with team members Rana Abdelkhalek, Hana Elshiaty, Hady Eissa and Sana Soliman, was awarded Best Architectural Design. 

All three teams will be offered a job shadowing experience with TAMEER in the department of their choice. 

Street Art With a Soul

Ciel’s design was ultimately selected for its creativity, technical feasibility and compliance to budgetary and logistical constraints.

Antoine El Khoury, managing director of TAMEER, expressed his pride in the students' work. “We will turn this functional structure into street art that has a soul,” he stated. “Today, TAMEER will take over your dream and make it a reality.”  

TAMEER will now take over the production of the students work. The award-winning team will have a say on the drawings before they are executed, to ensure that the final design conveys their original idea.

The finalists were humbled and excited about their win. “I have no words,” said Farah Habib, one of the winners.

“When we first started the competition, we didn’t really think we had a shot. We just said, 'let's try it out,'” team-member Mariam Ismail continued. “There were a lot of moments where we said ‘Oh, let's give up; we’re not going to win."

“We are all design students, so we got some background in architecture through this -- and we learned a lot,” Nehal Ezz affirmed.

Their hard work clearly showed to the judges and soon it will show to the whole New Cairo community -- a water tower painted in splashes of sky, standing out in hazy hues against its physical counterpart.