Human-centered design thinking approach is a core part of the AUC educational experience.
By integrating design thinking into the curriculum, AUC is teaching students to approach complicated problems with a sense of empathy, creativity and resilience, explained Hoda Mostafa, professor of practice and director of the University’s Center for Learning and Teaching (CLT).
Design thinking is a methodology used by Fortune 500 companies, including Apple and J.P. Morgan, to transform their way of operating and develop innovative, customer-centric products and services. International development institutions, such as the World Food Programme and UNESCO, have employed it to create policies and programs that effectively address poverty, gender inequality and other complex global challenges.
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“We have a large challenge ahead of us –– the fight against climate change. This is the largest challenge for mankind,” said Ambassador Frank Hartmann, Germany’s ambassador to Cairo during “The Road to Sharm El Sheikh” civil society COP27 meeting.
In preparation for COP27, Alternative Policy Solutions, a public policy research project at AUC headed by Rabab El Mahdi '96, '98, associate professor of political science, hosted "The Road to Sharm El Sheikh” in cooperation with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung-Egypt. The event brought together more than 50 civil society associations and key government representatives to discuss climate change strategies and policies ahead of COP27 this fall.
“COP27 is a huge opportunity for Egypt, for Egyptian civil society to show what knowledge [they] have, how [they] can help and assist in solving problems on a local level. … Most importantly, it’s an opportunity for the world,” said Richard Probst of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung – Egypt. “A successful COP is not only important for a country but important for all of us –– Global North, Global South, government, civil society –– and therefore we are very happy that we found with AUC, APS, Rabab El Mahdi and all her team the most valuable partner to convene this workshop.”
Hartmann pointed out that Germany is preparing for a visit by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to Germany and organizing a bilateral international conference, Petersburg Climate Dialogue, co-chaired by Egypt and Germany, to discuss climate policy and bilateral issues. “We are giving all our support to the Egyptian preparations for COP27,” he said.
Ambassador Mohamed Nasr, director of the Environment and Sustainable Development Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, affirmed the need to move beyond pledges to implementation on the ground. “Our vision for COP27 is clear and focused,” he said. “We spent six years negotiating the Paris Rulebook, and it's time now to transition from commitments and pledges to concrete action and specific deliverables. Science tells us that we are most certainly off track and that the window of opportunity is rapidly closing. It’s clear that we need urgent action through scaling up and implementing mitigation ambition.”
Adaptation and finance are also key. “We need to ensure effective and well-resourced adaptation and solid resilience solutions, and deliver a solid adaptation agenda,” added Nasr. “We need to ensure the provision of reliable, appropriate and predictable finance to assist developing countries in making their contribution to the global effort in line with their needs and circumstances. And we need to find a way forward to assist in averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage. And since this COP is taking place in Africa, we need to deliver on some of the most prominent African priorities as well and be able to reflect on the needs and be cognizant of the circumstances of our continent.”
Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt and executive director of the International Monetary Fund, noted that COP27 “requires a lot of coordination between climate change priorities on one hand and sustainable development on the other.” Watch Mohieldin’s full speech (in Arabic).
Lama El Hatow’05, ’07, climate and environmental expert, highlighted some of the global challenges we face today that make the situation even more difficult: “We need to put into consideration that we’re in a world order that is changing quite rapidly, whether it’s the COVID pandemic, war in Ukraine, energy and food security issues, and, of course, the divided politics that exists in the global setting when it comes to climate change negotiations: developed vs. developing countries, historical responsibilities vs. industrialized countries that caused the problem. These are the dynamics that continue to play until today in terms of how we are able to move forward.”
Echoing the same sentiment, Arne Lietz, former member of the European Parliament and initiator of the Report of the European Parliament on Climate Diplomacy, said, “We have to think toward a whole spectrum, and therefore I really like that this COP27 takes [it] up a new level, which is race to resilience. This is a new topic that really fulfills [not only] how we can embed the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals, but also [integrating] civil society on all levels.”
In light of all this, an inclusive and participatory dialog is essential, Nasr emphasized. “It is our belief that each constituency of the broader spectrum of civil society is an integral part of the solutions to what we see,” he said. “Youth, women, academia, private business, workers, farmers, environmental NGOs, in addition to parliamentarians, media, faith-based organizations and persons with disabilities – All are bringing and will continue to bring fresh energy, real-world perspectives and innovation to be integrated into the deliberations and outcomes.”
Nasr highlighted three important pillars for COP27:
“We need to think of why we are going to Sharm El Sheikh,” reflected Nasr. “We are all facing an existential threat for us and future generations. This is a COP for implementation. It is time to make those pledges … action on the ground.”
AUC honored three faculty members for their outstanding contributions to teaching, service and research at the University during commencement this spring.
This year’s winners are:
“This award is a perfect fit with my lifelong career and interest in public service,” said El Baradei. “It means a lot to me.”
El Baradei has nearly two decades of service at AUC under her belt. Joining the University full time in 2006, she has worn numerous hats, from acting and associate dean of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy to founder and leader of the school’s Public Policy Hub and MPA program director.
“For the past 16 years, I have been intrinsically motivated to academically serve at all levels,” she explained. “I am especially proud of my service to students through managing and fundraising for fellowships, organizing and leading study tours and linking theory to practice through the hub.”
Equally proud of his support for AUC’s students, Meshreki recalls his efforts to not let his grief after losing two family members last year affect his teaching habits.
"The moment I knew that I won this award was a great one; I felt that I was given true encouragement to continue my path.”
Meshreki’s love for teaching is made evident the moment he is asked about it. “Teaching is one of those jobs where you see the results of your efforts immediately,” he explained. “When you deliver true value to students, you can directly see it in their eyes, shining with interest and curiosity.”
For Meshreki, who has been with AUC’s School of Business since 2012, shaping the world’s future decision makers is the best legacy one can leave behind. “Building responsible leaders is the best contribution a person can have,” he said.
Echoing this belief, Motawy has dedicated herself to the tremendous task of researching children’s literature in the Arab world, in hopes of increasing the quality of children’s books and educational policy across the region.
“Children’s literature is a young academic field all over the world, but in the Arab world, until very recently, scholarship was rare — lacking international visibility and having little impact on policymaking in educational and cultural spheres,” she said. “In my work, I have consistently been determined to change that.”
Motawy is the author of Silence Between the Waves: Children’s Picturebooks and Contemporary Egyptian Society, a book on ideology in picture books written in Egypt over the last 20 years. She has taken on a myriad of roles in the field, including critic, translator, editor and writing mentor, leaving lasting impressions across the board.
Lately, Motawy has been exploring the question of friendship in children’s literature and contemporary youth culture. She piloted a course at AUC this spring titled, On Friendship. “During the course, I learned a great deal from discussing the readings and issues that I am researching with my students,” she reported, adding that she will begin sharing initial findings this fall.
Overall, Motawy is hopeful about the award bringing much-needed visibility to what she deems an integral part of education.
“It is very meaningful that the committee chose to recognize the importance of children’s literature as a soft power,” she explained “There is so much work to be done in this field and so much opportunity for growth. I hope that AUC continues to be part of what is to come.”
Launched last week, AUC’s Climate Change Initiative capitalizes on AUC’s contributions to national and international efforts in tackling one of the greatest challenges of our time. The initiative includes research, student activities, teaching and learning, outreach, tracking and reducing our carbon footprint, writing school textbooks on climate change and providing climate change solutions in specific contexts within the country.
“Our aim in this initiative is to reinforce AUC’s role as an active academic hub on climate change and sustainable development in Egypt and the region, as well as an active contributor to global efforts addressing climate change challenges,” said President Ahmad Dallal. “Of course, COP27, hosted in Egypt in November, provides an incentive to catalyze AUC’s climate change initiative.”
Dallal outlined the initiative’s five main areas of focus that are fully aligned with national and regional climate change and sustainability priorities:
These areas of focus also overlap with a number of “cross-cutting issues” ––adaptation to climate change, resilience of communities, mitigation measures, education and a just transition –– that are relevant to Asia and the region. “We encourage a multidisciplinary approach in addressing challenges, including policy, regulatory frameworks, financing, scientific research and social science aspects,” said Dallal.
UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt and Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund Mahmoud Mohieldin, who was the keynote speaker at the event, highlighted five distinctive features of COP27, which AUC will participate in next fall:
“We cannot ignore poverty, hunger, job creation and an inclusive approach to the whole [climate change] agenda, including the impact of climate change on children, youth and women."
“We don’t need new frameworks; we just need to apply what we have. If there is a good idea, let’s projectize it. You [AUC] have good ideas, and you have been teaching about them, so [the focus now is] how to apply them on your scale, with the hope that this could be scaled up or replicated somewhere else.”
“This is a very practical approach based on a country-platform design, with five regional roundtables [across the world] – and I’m inviting you to participate in any capacity you wish. … It’s not just about Egypt and the local community. It’s about the region, Arab countries, the Mediterranean, Africa and beyond.”
“It’s not about the competition; it’s about [showcasing] the talents and skills in the governorates, and it’s a chance to demonstrate what they’re doing. … It is customary for rich countries to host big conferences to be attended by 30,000 plus participants, [including] heads of state, but ordinary people would always wonder, ‘What's in it for us? Why do we have this conference?’ And this is legitimate.”
“Without finance and investments, without the resources available to us –– not just financial resources, but technology and knowledge [as well] – nothing will really progress, and many of these ideas may end up with frustration. There will be some serious discussion about [funding] opportunities."
