Nahdet Misr Publishing Group recently held a launch event celebrating award-winning novelist and AUC Professor of Applied Linguistics Reem Bassiouney’s new book, Sabeel Al Gharek. With the first edition selling out in only five days and the second edition released shortly after, the book has been achieving substantial success.

Bassiouney attributes the book's success to the different layers of meaning it carries. “The book is historical, philosophical, romantic, Sufi and more. On the surface, the structure can either seem like a love story or a historical one, but as you go deeper, you explore different themes. It’s about history and myths, but also about life in general and the roads we take that affect who we are,” she said.

Earlier this year, Bassiouney was awarded the Supreme Council of Culture's 2019-2020 Naguib Mahfouz Award for Best Egyptian Novel for her best-selling book, Sons of the People: The Mamluk Trilogy, exploring the history of the Mamluks in Egypt with a deeper insight into their human experiences.

“Naguib Mahfouz is one of the most inspiring writers. Having the honor of receiving an award with his name is a big recognition that I appreciate very much,” Bassiouney proudly stated.

The award was unexpected for Bassiouney. Nahdet Misr Publishing Group had nominated and presented the novel for the award with her approval, but she got immersed in her day-to-day tasks that she entirely forgot about it.

“Reem Bassiouney is an experienced and professional novelist who mastered linguistics and, accordingly, excelled in writing,” said Dalia Ibrahim ‘93, ’99, CEO of Nahdet Misr Publishing House. “Being a lover of history who’s proud of her Egyptian identity to the utmost extent, she succeeded in presenting wonderful novels in which she merges history and fiction while shedding light on some of the most important historical periods that the country has gone through to enrich the minds of readers and guide them to researching and penetrating history to understand the past, its impact and its close connection with the present and the future.”

Bassiouney explained that Nahdet Misr Publishing House had taken a risk with her at the time of Sons of the People: The Mamluk Trilogy, being a 760-page book. “Our chemistry together is really good. They read very well and always give me a very objective opinion and end up with a reasonable decision,” she said. In light of that, the book has indeed been a best-seller for two years.

“Bassiouney’s books carry a great cultural value that we’re keen to present to our readers so that they can sail with us to new worlds that they didn’t know before to see and understand the present and the future with a more comprehensive perspective,” noted Ibrahim. “Sabeel Al Gharek comes after two years and a half of writing to present us with valuable work once again, and this time, takes us to the depths of the human soul, the dilemma of existence and the human journey in understanding its construction and finding the way. In my opinion, it’s one of the best and deepest novels Bassiouney wrote, diving and sailing us again to different periods of time through a number of overlapping stories that carry within them many existential questions and issues through a wonderful combination of philosophy and mysticism.”

On the choice of history as a genre, Bassiouney expressed that “history is liberating. It gives me much more liberty to merge certain themes than in contemporary writing. It could be just me, but I find it easier when I’m writing about history.” In Sabeel Al Gharek, for example, Bassiouney merges magical realism with mythical history without restraint.

She proceeds to explain that she lets her imagination take the lead while writing a novel, even when history is involved. However, she steers clear of reflecting her own opinions in her writing. “I usually don’t state opinions. I just describe, and the interpretation is up to the reader. I don’t want to prescribe how to live; I’m just describing how life is,” she said.

However, she hopes that history has the same effect on readers as it did on her. “We need to liberate ourselves in the same way I liberated myself while writing. We’re speaking about medieval times, yet we impose their values today,” she expressed. “We need to go back and analyze what they went through to become that way, and accordingly, we can’t live by their values in our modern time.”

Through her historical novels, Bassiouney aims to “connect people with their historical past.”

“Some parts of history are very dark and haven’t been taught at schools, either at all or in the right way. I want people to read more about their history, especially such critical parts,” she clarified. “You can’t understand the present without understanding the past -- it is related to the present in a way.”

Bassiouney has been writing novels since she was 12 years old. She always had a passion for literature, specifically novels. Her experience with teaching language in society through linguistics courses at AUC has tremendously facilitated her writing in many ways.

"Linguistics and literature are very much related in my mind. When you're able to understand the language better and relate it to society, writing becomes easier. Additionally, sociolinguistics taught me not to be judgmental, and that significantly helped me as an author." she reflected. "I also find it refreshing to deal with younger students – I learn a lot from them."

To date, three of Bassouiney's books have also been translated into different languages to extend to a global audience. Her novels are read by almost everyone: Her readers are as young as 15 years old and as old as 90. "If you're writing about the human experience, you can appeal to everyone," she said.  

“Doctors told my mom I was going to die. They told her not to invest too much in me as I am dying anyway,” said Aya Abbas, the first and youngest paralympic swimmer in the Middle East and Africa to win world paraswimming championship medals as well as Egypt's Republican Medal for Athletes.

Abbas and her family never took no for an answer. With her family’s support, Abbas challenged herself to become the first and youngest Paralympic swimmer participating in the Rio 2016 Paralympics and is now preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, which have been postponed to August 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

“It’s all due to my mom’s support, who never left my side during trips and training. My family, friends and coaches have also supported me throughout the way. Without their continuous support, I wouldn’t have been who I am today. I owe them everything,” said the journalism and mass communication sophomore who is double minoring in business administration and theatre at AUC.

Abbas’s journey started in 2006 by joining El Shams Club’s special needs team when it was first established. At the age of 8, she started competing in national championships and won Egypt's best swimmer cup for five consecutive years. At the age of 14, she joined the Egyptian Paralympic national team and became the first Arab and Egyptian female swimmer to win two world championship medals.

When she first joined AUC as a holder of the Athletic Scholarship — provided to a select number of students who participate in University-sponsored sports — she was mesmerized with the facilities offered to people with disabilities, “I am impressed with all facilities offered at AUC to make our lives better especially the Center for Student Well-Being — my go-to place on campus — that always works to support people with disabilities in all aspects. I really appreciate the campus accessibility to wheelchair users, which makes my life much easier," said Abbas, who regularly participates in swimming events held by AUC.

Besides swimming, Abbas is passionate about arts. Her dream is to work in acting, production and filmmaking to support people with disabilities and make their lives easier.

“I want to become the first wheelchair professional actress in Egypt,” she said. “I wish I could get into filmmaking, especially acting, and help people with disabilities stand in front of the camera to prove how good they can be as public speakers or directors. We can do anything.”

Abbas immediately minored in theatre and signed up for AUC's Theatre & Film Club to develop her love for acting and filmmaking. “The extracurricular activities at AUC are everything to me; they help us find our passion in different fields,” she affirmed. “I love the AUC Theater & Film Club and have a thing for theaters at AUC; the Malak Gabr Arts Theater and Bassily Auditorium. I’ve only taken one theatre course and one film course so far, but I always feel something special when I go there.”

Abbas is so grateful for the University’s Athletic Scholarship that helped her study at AUC to find and support her passion for acting and major in marketing with the wide variety of activities offered on campus.

“My dream to study integrated marketing communication, theatre and business administration at AUC came true with the help of the Athletic Scholarship,” she said. “The scholarship gave me a chance to explore different activities on campus and discover my passion for acting by joining the AUC Theater & Film Club. ”

Abbas is now preparing for the Olympics. “I train almost twice every day; I have my swimming training everyday in the morning and at night, and I also have my fitness and yoga classes three times a week. Hopefully, when things get better after the pandemic, I’ll start traveling again to take part in international trials.”

As an admirer of AUC’s rich cultural and academic history, Catherine Yassa, a mathematics graduating senior minoring in creative writing, joined the AUC Student Ambassadors program two years ago to represent the University and its core values. At that time, it was just the second cycle of the program.

Yassa was wholeheartedly keen on communicating AUC’s global impact to its different stakeholders while investing in networking with as many community members as possible. Since then, she has built connections with high-profile individuals in the politics, arts and higher education industries, among others. Representing the student body in accreditation meetings with the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education in Egypt (NAQAAE), in particular, is among her cherished memories of being a Student Ambassador. 

“Being a Student Ambassador taught me confidence, poise and adaptability. It’s extremely humbling how much I’ve grown since I’ve joined the program,” said Yassa. “I’m also lucky I get to work with such a brilliant team.”

Most recently, AUC introduced a virtual online 360-degrees tour of the New Cairo campus, meant to support international students in touring the campus firsthand before physically arriving to Cairo. When it was launched, AUC’s Student Ambassadors were selected to showcase the campus through their eyes, intertwined with their relative experiences.

“The whole experience was interesting, to say the least. Our team worked tirelessly over the summer to create a worthy substitute for in-person tours before orientation,” reflected Yassa. “Preparation alone took several weeks - from an updated tour narrative and working with peer leaders to figuring out how to engage freshmen through Zoom.”

While the process was challenging, the results were overwhelmingly impressive and fulfilling. “There’s no question that the New Cairo campus is stunning. Even though most students had never seen it before, the intricacies of its design and the lush greenery shine through any digital screen,” stressed Yassa. “Of course, it’s not as good as the ‘real-thing,’ but freshmen were undeterred. Once the world returns to normal, I’m really excited for them to experience the campus and what it means to be a full-fledged AUCian!”

Student Ambassadors don’t only provide distinguished guests with tours; share an overview of AUC’s mission, history and achievements; and support the community by being hosts to AUC-organized conferences. They also acquire competitive skills, including leadership, self-reliance top-notch public communication. To ensure they’re equipped for these significant responsibilities, they’re trained by prominent instructors to guarantee the highest standards.

Yassa is the youngest of three sisters and grew up in a family that celebrated individuality. Her parents were always keen on sparking her and her sisters’ curiosity and keeping their imaginations alight. With that, exploration and inquisitiveness were always present in her family, and bringing together distinct fields such as music, science, and arts, were far from unordinary.

Growing up with vivid memories of “ABBA” and “The Carpenters” crooning softly in her home’s background, Yassa embraced her parent’s cross-disciplinary learning environment until she uniquely blended mathematics and writing in her studies today. This is in addition to her passion for sustainability along with astronomy and space. At AUC, she found herself immersed in a variety of resources that enabled her to follow her “kaleidoscope of passions,” as she describes it.

Pursuing her excitement for astronomy and space, Yassa had recently spoken about the newest SpaceX Falcon Rocket Technology to 1,000+ attendees as part of the annual Astronomy Club Conference. Also, uniting with AUC’s sustainable development efforts, she worked on several sustainability projects at the Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES) and developed and presented research on renewable energy solutions to aid Egyptian farmers. 

What’s more, when it comes to writing, Yassa had many of her creative works published, from articles on student health and research on how greed shapes modern humanity, to a short murder-comedy play for The Author’s Challenge at AUC. Notably, it was through this very eight-page literary endeavor that won over the judges that she traveled to Paris last summer to study film and cinema, all sponsored by AUC. 

Despite the current testing times, Yassa holds on to an optimistic view of the future, believing that innovation will come to the rescue. “There’s so much new technology being developed, which intersects with everything I’ve pursued throughout my 23 years of living,” she enthusiastically said. “As such, I can’t wait to be at the forefront of this new wave of creativity and innovation –– a dream AUC has empowered me to pursue.”

AUC’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences was recently awarded a grant agreement worth approximately $1.3M over two years from the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (USAID/ASHA) to fund “The Interdisciplinary Future of Art Education at AUC.”

Through the grant, the school plans to bolster the Department of the Arts with present-day, state-of-the-art technological resources to lay the foundations for the development and scaling up of the department's five programs: theatre, music, film, visual arts and graphic design. 

“This is a very important time in the history of HUSS because it gives us the needed support to be able to go forward to enhance liberal arts education,” said Zeinab Taha '78, '81, professor and interim dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Having the department equipped both in terms of human resources and equipment will result in excellent programs and, consequently, up-to-date graduates ready to contribute to the market both locally and internationally.”

Taking the form of creative platforms, five initiatives are currently in the works: a new Media Lab, Music Technology Studio, Fashion Design Lab, upgraded Sharjah Art Gallery and renovated classrooms/studios. Given the diverse and versatile nature of arts education, the intent is to bridge the exchange of knowledge and practices among the programs through interdisciplinary methods and experimentation. 

“This grant is a step toward interdisciplinary education, which I believe is the future of education,” said Haytham Nawar, associate professor and chair of the Department of the Arts. “The new interdisciplinary environment we are aiming for will help students develop the essential skills and understanding required in the diverse areas of the creative process. This approach will open the doors for future generations to reach a mutually collaborative and constructive understanding and achieve purposeful research.”

The specific goals of the Interdisciplinary Future of Art Education at AUC are twofold: to empower students with the knowledge and ability to explore expressive possibilities brought about by existing and emerging forms of technology, and to cultivate an intellectual framework to investigate, understand and navigate a world infused with media and communication technologies. 

The technologies are posited not as an end in themselves, but as a means to address fundamental questions pertaining to the human condition, complex relationships between ourselves and our mediated environment, and what it means to be an active participant in a world increasingly informed by computation and automation.

“The Office of Sponsored Programs is thrilled to work alongside the Department of the Arts in this transformative initiative," said Dina Adly (MPA '17), associate provost, of sponsored programs. "Being in line with AUC’s Centennial Strategic Plan pillar of ‘innovation,’ the award engages in the active purposing of resources toward creative and versatile academic endeavors."

Adly added, "AUC’s learning platforms are integral to student growth, faculty development and the University's impact on the community at large by integrating novel spaces, equipment and technology and by instilling American best practices and values. OSP is proud that the School of Humanities and Social Sciences won this significant award that will help shape the future of arts education at AUC and contribute to equipping our graduates for the present and future market.” 

Moreover, the department plans on introducing new undergraduate majors, including music technology and fashion design. “Several art disciplines are growing, and the demand is increasing in the MENA region. We hope to upgrade the existing material that we have to improve the current degrees, and we also aspire to introduce new ones to cater to this increasing demand,” added Nawar.

Taha highlights that despite its growing popularity, music technology, in particular, has no equivalent study in Egypt. In fact, only a few institutions offer a degree in that area in the Middle East. “This is an opportunity to graduate students at an unprecedented level in the Middle East and put AUC, especially with its liberal arts focus, as a leading institution on the map of qualified students to come study in Egypt.”

“With USAID/ASHA’s support, AUC will not only continue to nurture interdisciplinary learning strategies across programs under the Department of the Arts but will also [bulid] synergies and fresh collaborations between the Department of the Arts and other departments at AUC,” noted Adly.

As such, the interactive technology advancements and new program additions are set to take the Department of the Arts to new frontiers, meanwhile magnifying AUC’s liberal arts education and emphasizing inclusive, cross-disciplinary approaches to learning to equip students to excel in evolving, competitive markets.

With the aim of combating sexual harassment and safeguarding its community, AUC established the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) on August 1 to handle sexual harassment and discrimination complaints from students, faculty and staff. The office reinforces and underpins AUC’s Anti-Harassment and Non-Discrimination Policy, abiding by Egyptian laws, and strengthening AUC’s reporting channels.

OIE educates and acquaints the AUC community with the Anti-Harassment and Non-Discrimination policy set in place for sexual misconduct on and off campus, receives reports of policy violations, investigates and implements sanctions in accordance with the Policy, and directs individuals to available campus resources, including medical and counseling services, academic support and legal assistance.

On that account and as part of the #AUCSpeakUp initiative to reinforce AUC’s legacy of equity, inclusiveness, and a safe campus, AUC launched a mandatory training for every member of the community, including the president and senior leadership across the board. AUC is the first to introduce such mandatory training for all faculty, staff and students. An online training module is also due to be introduced this fall. 

The Zoom training provided to senior academic and administration leadership discussed Title IX (USA federal law) and Egyptian laws on sexual harassment/misconduct and their prohibitions and how they apply to community members, AUC’s policy, the definition of sexual harassment/misconduct, reporting obligations, and more. To ensure the information was fully digested, participants were given scenarios and assessments to test their knowledge.

“The office stimulates AUC’s culture of mutual respect and sustains a harassment and discrimination free campus for the community at large by reinforcing policies on broader levels,” said Reem El Mograby, Title IX coordinator. “Our previous structure was under the area of student life and handled mostly student complaints. Now it spans to include faculty, staff, alumni and visitors. I see AUC becoming a leader in this domain across other universities in not only Egypt but also the region.” 

AUC led a national conversation on anti-harassment, hosting Maya Morsy ’95, president of Egypt’s National Council for Women (NCW) to discuss the latest measures and efforts to combat sexual harassment as well as the collaboration with NCW to promote awareness on sexual harassment in higher education and discuss policies and measures that guarantee a safer environment for women. AUC is also joining forces with other universities and organizations in Egypt to create real and lasting social and cultural change through a national dialogue. 

OIE is the principal point of contact for any harassment, discrimination or sexual misconduct complaints and ensures the University’s prompt and equitable response in compliance with Egyptian laws and policies to stop and prevent the recurrence of the harassment, in addition to remedying the effects. The office works closely with impacted individuals to provide them the necessary support, backed by AUC’s counseling services.

Anonymous complaints of alleged violations can be reported through different channels, including an online reporting form, one-on-one meetings, or by emailing the OIE at [email protected]. The University assures that information about cases remains confidential and is only shared on a need-to-know basis. 

“We also work on strategies to prevent sexual harassment at AUC. Part of that prevention is to make sure that we respond to all allegations of harassment and discrimination on our campuses. The idea is not only to reinforce the existing policy but to prevent harassment and discrimination from happening altogether,” asserts El Mograby, stressing that prevention and proactiveness are the cornerstone of ingraining and maintaining a safe culture on campus.

In that regard, AUC is a founding member and the only institution outside of the United States to be part of Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education. The collaborative brings together leaders from over 60 academic and research institutions to work toward targeted, collective action on addressing and preventing sexual harassment across all disciplines and people in higher education. Action Collaborative members –– including universities and research and training institutions –– identify, research, develop and implement efforts that go beyond basic legal compliance to evidence-based policies and practices for addressing and preventing all forms of sexual harassment and promoting a campus climate of civility and respect.

AUC has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment in all its forms and remains unwaveringly committed to ensuring that its educational mission continues to be carried out in an environment that is free of harassment and discrimination. 

“If you experience harassment, abuse or bullying of any kind, especially sexual harassment, you have rights and you have options. If you have witnessed it happening to others, you really have an obligation to report it. Please know the policy, and please report,” said President Francis Ricciardone. “We have put in place the human resources to uphold these precepts, but in order for our policies to be effective, we must rely on one another to identify both individual and systemic problems without silence or fear.”

For more information on the #AUCSpeakUp initiative, visit the AUC Speak Up webpage here.

To report an anonymous complaint, fill in this online form, or contact the Office of Institutional Equity at [email protected].

To learn more; check out the AUC's Anti-Harassment and Non-Discrimination Policy.

AUC welcomes the Class of 2024 — with their aspirations and endeavors —while implementing a hybrid model of classes with an emphasis on maintaining a low-density campus, where 93% of classes will be held online and only 7% will meet face to face when required.

"I warmly welcome both new and returning AUCians to this bright new academic year, promising an unusual wealth of challenges and opportunities," said President Francis Ricciardone in his welcome message to the AUC community. "I am pleased to welcome an especially strong incoming freshman class."

Made up of approximately 1,200 undergraduates — 58% females and 42% males — and more than 340 admitted graduate students — 70% females and 30% males — the incoming class hails from 26 diverse countries, including the United States, Canada, Spain and Brazil, as well as different parts of Africa and the Middle East such as Nigeria, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Palestine, Tunisia and, of course, Egypt. Egyptian students are joining AUC from 20 governorates across the country, including Ismailia, Alexandria, Dakahlia and The New Valley.

This year also marks the kickoff of the USAID Scholars program, which received more than 4,000 applications from all of Egypt's 27 governorates.

With a selectivity of 40%, representing a 7% improvement over last fall, and a yield — the percentage of students who enroll from those we accept — of about 77%, entry to AUC remains highly competitive. AUC continues to provide more than $22.3 million in scholarships and financial aid.

This year, more than 100 new international students are studying at AUC, and around 3.4% of undergraduate students are international.

Sara Toutain, an international student studying translation at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, has been in Egypt for a week and a half. "It's been an incredible experience; people are super welcoming. They are helping us with our classes and courses, and they really want to learn Spanish from us, which is really fun — a super amazing experience," she said.

Alba Fernandez, who is also studying translation at UAB Barcelona, came to AUC to learn Arabic. "I am pleasantly surprised. I love the people here; I love the place. The University is amazing. I am very happy to be here," she said.

Rachel Campbell is joining AUC from Canada to pursue a master's in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). "My experience in Egypt has been great," she said. "I've lived here for a year already, but my experience at AUC has been fantastic. The organizing team has been great. They also bought me coffee twice. I love them. They are doing awesome."

Approximately 200 of the enrolled undergraduates have already declared majors in sciences and engineering, while other students will navigate courses before deciding on their majors.

For freshman Omar Mehanna, one of the main reasons he applied to AUC is its liberal arts education. "I expect to meet a huge number of people with diverse backgrounds and with different perspectives on life than I have. I also expect to take part in cocurricular activities to develop my skills professionally and personally," he said.

Likewise, Nour Khalifa is also looking forward to being part of AUC's diverse community and meeting new people, whether through sports teams, students organizations or classes. "I applied to AUC because I want to study psychology, and it's the only University that offers what I need," she said.

Sarah Koura, a freshman intending to major in either political science or business administration, decided to join AUC for the global experience, cocurricular activities and victorious sports teams. "AUC is unique," she said. "It's the only University in Egypt that gives you the 'abroad' experience in your homeland," she said.

For the first time, AUC’s First-Year Program (FYP) for incoming students will be blended this fall.

The integrated orientation will be mostly virtual with two days of face-to-face interaction on campus that includes the Engagement Fair as well as other on-ground activities, where students will be divided into small cohorts who come to campus on different days. New additions to FYP this year include sessions on IT solutions and services as well as combatting sexual harassment, YouVisit virtual tour, AUC-Connect hub and a pre-orientation guide for students to use throughout the year. 

“This makes FYP distinctive this time not only because it is mostly online due to the pandemic, but also because it is a hybrid orientation done for the first time in Egypt,” said Dina Wahdan, electronics and communications engineering student and FYP president. “This year, we are focusing on the transitioning of first-year students in all academic aspects as well as their personal development and engaging them with the AUC community.”

How It’s Done Virtually

For starters, the orientation consists of two online days and two days on campus. The online days will be mostly held on Zoom and will provide incoming students with all information they need, while still including online activities that will help them engage with their Peer Leaders and colleagues. The on-ground days will include some activities along with the Engagement Fair, in which students get the chance to sign up for their preferred clubs.

New additions this year include a session on IT solutions and services, since the semester will be hybrid, and a separate health insurance session for new international students. FYP also launched a pre-orientation guide this year that doesn’t only help incoming students during orientation, but is also available for them all year long. “The guide includes information about what makes AUC distinctive as a liberal arts University, policies, facilities and all what students need to know about AUC,” Wahdan added.

The guide was delivered asynchronously in advance of the dates of the virtual component with readings and assignments in a flipped-class mode. “This better ensures that FYP students are prepared and ready to engage with other students on day one of the virtual component,” said Ahmed Zain, student development manager at the Office of the Dean of Students.

The incoming students are divided into smaller batches this year, where all students will be required to use AUC Connect — a hub that connects sessions and participants to ensure effective, user-friendly and interactive learning, as it will include the orientation schedule, individual student sections and all Zoom links according to group numbers. Each virtual class section will include 16 new students rather than 25, while students will be divided in virtual breakout rooms to work independently and present their work to their peers.

“The Peer Leaders are currently trained to use Zoom and features such as breakout rooms, polls and chat to create lively, interactive sessions,” said Zain. “An important new feature of the orientation this year is the AUC-Connect app, which hosts [everything] in a friendly and interactive platform. This helps students navigate things and engage with their peers more easily.”

After the orientation ends, all incoming students will be required —for the first time — to take a quiz to test what they grasped during the orientation and point out areas that need further development. Students are also required to fill out a survey after completing the orientation, where they assess their overall experience and write their feedback on all aspects of the program, including content, activities and any technical issues they faced. “All of this … shows how we as a team go beyond [what’s required], even in these circumstances, and this is what makes us distinctive,” explained Wahdan.

Train the Trainers

Before starting the virtual orientation, the FYP team conducted focus groups, where 70 students from the incoming class volunteered to attend and test the system that will be used throughout the program, providing their feedback and thoughts on how to facilitate the process and enrich the experience for both students and the FYP team. “The thorough feedback we have requested from first-year students and Peer Leaders enabled us to enhance the experience on both ends,” said Wahdan.

The FYP student orientation team is made up of 140 Peer Leaders who volunteer their time to help set incoming students on the right path and familiarize them with the AUC experience. An important addition to FYP this year is training the Peer Leaders different to deliver the best quality of service, given the COVID-19 situation. AUC’s Center for Learning and Teaching (CLT) trained Peer Leaders on how to provide interactive virtual sessions using new software programs, building on the experience of AUC faculty during the Spring 2020 semester. “The FYP team modified the orientation’s content to best align with the new blended learning format, including reconceiving the in-class games in a virtual format to provide the same high-quality experience that new students expect from AUC,” said Zain.

The FYP Core Leadership used CLT’s Training of Trainers model to train Peer Leaders on navigating different online learning tools such as Zoom, Blackboard and Moodle. One-to-one sessions were also provided for the Peer Leaders.

In addition, sessions on combating sexual harassment have been integrated into the integrated orientation this fall, familiarizing students with how to address the definition of sexual harassment, ways to report a perceived instance of sexual harassment and measures taken by AUC to protect those who report such incidents. Peer Leaders will also inform incoming students of different resources at AUC that could help victims of sexual harassment. Following the session, a quiz will be taken to measure gains in awareness among FYP students. There will also be a follow up with further awareness sessions for anyone performing poorly on the quiz.

It’s Still Fun

“Just because sessions are online doesn’t preclude being fun and exciting,” affirmed Zain. “Online training can be engaging if facilitators are trained to design student-centered activities in small group settings.”

Thus, the Office of Student Life has designed the Engagement Fair take place on the third day of the FYP orientation, split over two days in tandem with the FYP schedule, in three different locations, to decrease the number of students on campus at any point in time. More areas of the campus are being used so that students are spread out to the greatest extent, and all activities take place outdoors. FYP also designed additional on-campus engagement activities that will supplement and enhance the experience of students who are being introduced to the New Cairo campus for the first time.

Virtual Campus Tour

The YouVisit virtual tour is a new feature of the FYP experience this fall, where a Student Ambassador will join the tour virtually to narrate the full experience.

“As FYP president, I constantly make it a point to keep my team motivated and to not only remind them of our purpose as an entity, but also to make them aware that our attempt to make this orientation succeed makes us unique, given the current circumstances,” Wahdan said. “To me, FYP is the most important phase where incoming students truly attempt to engage with University life. Although this pandemic has caused the world to slow down, we have come to see that with dedication, passion and a collective effort, nothing is impossible and impact can be made even with the smallest gestures.”

The recent explosion in Lebanon shook an entire nation — and indeed the region and the world — in every sense of the word. News@AUC spoke to faculty members in different disciplines to understand the repercussions of this calamity.

How and why did it happen?

Jamal Haidar, assistant professor of economics: A combination of endemic economic corruption, criminal negligence and professional incompetence played a part in this huge human and economic disaster.

Sarah El-Richani, assistant professor of journalism and mass communication: It is not yet definite what caused the blast, but it appears to be the result of corruption, negligence and mismanagement, which sadly are hallmarks of the political leadership in Lebanon. The blast was catastrophic, and people are rightfully demanding answers and, more importantly, justice. 

Why is the timing so bad?

Bahgat Korany, political science professor: The blast, which was approximately the equivalent of 1,200 tons of dynamite and was felt as a huge earthquake as far as Cyprus, came at a time when Lebanon was already going through a multiple crises complex. A few years ago, people protested the accumulation of street garbage and the incapacity of the government to deal with such a relatively simple problem. The protestors’ slogan against the governing elite was, “Your bad smell is widespread.” This garbage problem was just a reflection of a politico-economic crisis in Lebanon. Since October 2019, street protests have become more frequent, and the economy has continued to go down. Prices of basic food supplies, for example, went up by 150%, the Lebanese pound lost 80% of its value against the dollar, the country can’t pay its debt and the Lebanese people are deprived of electricity 21 hours per day. The protestors are identifying Lebanon’s political system as the culprit.

What are the immediate consequences?

Ibrahim Awad, professor of practice of global affairs and director of the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies: Lebanon is facing an extremely dire situation. Ports have been destroyed, food imports — which account for more than 80% of the country’s food needs — are affected, money is not coming in except most probably for remittances sent by Lebanese migrants to help sustain their families, and anger is widespread. 

Sean Lee, assistant professor of political science: The short-term and medium-term effects will be devastating. Already, Lebanon was suffering a severe economic crisis accompanied by hyperinflation, the rapid devaluation of the lira and a collapse of the banking sector that has all but wiped out most people’s savings. Many Lebanese were already finding it difficult to afford even the most basic staples, and this will only get worse because due to the artificial currency peg, which has now collapsed, the Lebanese economy relied on imports for almost everything. With the Beirut port all but destroyed along with its grain silos and what reserves were left and the port in Tripoli suffering from long-term neglect, we can expect to see food insecurity become more and more common in the country.

Lee: On the political side of things, over the last 15 years, I’ve never seen so much anger and rage in the country. A significant segment of the population sees the entire country’s political class as their enemy and are calling for the whole system to be destroyed.

What effect do you think the current protests will have on Lebanon? 

Lee: The political elites are not likely to give up their power easily. While the Lebanese state is nowhere to be found when it comes to providing the basic services necessary for its residents to survive, it has shown itself mostly through its coercive apparatus whenever the political elites feel threatened by popular mobilization. We saw it during the You Stink protests back in 2015-2016 and during the protests last fall, and we have already seen it after the explosion. The state was notably absent while Beirutis came out in their masses to help clean up after the explosion, but the security forces were out in force to tear gas and shoot protesters.

El-Richani: So far, and as a result of the palpable anger, Beirut port and customs officials have been detained. Intense protests are vital in ensuring that at least these port officials face justice. The political class who handpicked these officials to serve their interests may well sacrifice them to appease the protesters. Is this adequate? Absolutely not.

El-Richani: The outgoing prime minister who called for early elections has resigned with his cabinet. Again this will not appease the street, as this cabinet was in power for eight months whereas the ammonium nitrates have been at the port since 2013!

El-Richani: Prime Minister Diab’s cabinet will continue as a caretaker government until a new one is formed. This is no easy task, as a national consensus government would anger protesters and a neutral cabinet is also unlikely. However intense international pressure linking much-needed aid to reforms and the formation of a cabinet might do the trick. Talk of early elections is also not a panacea, as it is very unlikely that our parliamentarians would pass a fair electoral law that would harm their interests. Protesters are also ill-prepared to take on the well-oiled machines of these oligarchs, particularly in light of the crippling economic and financial crisis. 

What is the solution for Lebanon to recover?

Awad: Currently, people in Lebanon are divided. The communitarian and sectarian system is deeply entrenched. To me, the country needs a solid, well-organized and trans-sectarian political movement that recruits from all communities in Lebanon. Independent personalities from the different communities should form the nucleus of this movement. However, they should not be in the nucleus in representation of their communities. If each community protests on its own and has its own project for the future, this is not a solution.

Lee: Many Lebanese citizens see the state as irredeemably corrupt and so no longer trust it to handle any sort of influx of money for reconstruction or even humanitarian needs. In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, there will need to be an influx of support and funds that bypass the state and go directly to grassroots organizations and institutions like the Lebanese Red Cross. This will be tricky to accomplish in a way that doesn’t flood the country with new dollars and further devalue the lira.

Korany: In the short term, the most immediate task is to get people out of their despair and start solving daily problems, such as caring for the wounded, especially that some of the hospitals have been destroyed by the blast; finding shelter for the 300,000 people who lost their homes; and rebuilding the port, which ushers 70% of Lebanon's needs. The most immediate way to recover is to deal with the economic problems

How can Lebanon recover economically?

Haidar: Lebanon now needs urgent foreign aid. But to avoid elite capture, knowing how to channel foreign aid is key. It is important to ensure transparent channels are in place to guarantee any foreign aid that goes to Lebanon ends up where it’s supposed to end and does what it’s supposed to do. Recent analysis showed that few firms captured development and reconstruction foreign funding over the last decade, suggesting insufficient transparency in public resource allocation processes. 

Korany: The percentage of the poor before the blast was 52% and is now increasing. It is important to mobilize international aid, but also to establish trust in the government by containing widespread corruption. Otherwise, as French President Emmanuel Macron said during his rush to visit Beirut, international aid is not guaranteed. Lebanon was negotiating with the International Monetary Fund before the explosion for $1 billion when it really needed $5 billion. Preliminary estimates of the country’s current external financing needs amount to $12-15 billion. While political reform is certainly the inescapable objective, achieving palpable economic results will take shorter time and help people regain hope.

What is the effect of this disaster on the region?

Korany: Beirut was traditionally called Paris of the Middle East, and Lebanon has been perceived as a model of political opening or democracy. Its model has failed, and Lebanon could now join the list of failed states such as Iraq, Syria, Libya or Yemen.

Korany: I was saddened by a petition signed by about 60,000 Lebanese people and sent to President Macron asking for a return of the French mandate after 77 years of gaining independence! This is an explicit demand for a return of colonialism in the Arab world — pure and simple. I hope that local governing elites will realize the seriousness of such views and do better to avoid pushing people to think that a return to colonial times could be the way out of their problems.

What’s next for Lebanon?

Haidar: Time is at a prime in Lebanon now. Donors are currently exploring possible ways to support the people of Lebanon. It is essential to overcome the lack of progress in the institutional and structural reform discussions, and focus on human and economic recovery.

Korany: Blast or no blast, the reform of Lebanon's feudalistic political system has to be the main objective. Given the complexity of the issues and the need for consensus among protesters, the elaboration of a workable political substitute to the present system will, unfortunately, take time.

Lee: In the long term, Lebanon’s political and economic systems have proven themselves resilient in the face of attempts at reform, so completely new systems are needed: ones that involve a real social contract and treat people as citizens rather than members of a sect.

Awad: Lebanon needs an integrated political system — not a coalition of leaders of different communities. It is obvious that this political system will have to be pluralistic and secular. Challenges may not be overcome immediately or in the short term. But with the ingenuity of the Lebanese people, they can be gradually addressed in the medium term. Nobody should think of a solution for Lebanon in terms of a zero-sum game. All political and social parties should be incentivized to create the integrated political system that equally and indiscriminately serves the interests of the entire Lebanese population and secludes it from undue regional and international interference. 

El-Richani: I am doubtful much-needed meaningful change is possible. Sadly, the “pessimism of the intellect” dominates, and I fear that the real perpetrators of this calamity — the political and sectarian cartel — will again dodge responsibility and safeguard their interests by twisting facts or even using force. The system is deeply entrenched, and the protests — though heartening and traverse sectarian lines — are yet to emerge as a unified force able to challenge the established zuama, or leaders. I hope I will be proven wrong. 

John Rodenbeck, professor emeritus of English and comparative literature, passed away recently at his home in France.

Rodenbeck joined AUC in 1964. "When I arrived in Egypt in 1964, I found that what I'd seen in films was in some abstract degree more or less true, but that in fact the reality was 10 times as exciting," reflected Rodenbeck in "The Road Taken" (Interview) published in Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics in 2006. "I was enormously gratified. What first brought me to Egypt, though, was what killed the cat: sheer curiosity." 

Rodenbeck continued teaching at AUC for more than three decades. In a 1990 interview with the Caravan student newspaper, he likened teaching to acting, which is one of his passions, saying: [Teaching[ is the idea of giving performance that is appealing." 

Rodenbeck's son, Max, who serves as the South Asia bureau chief at The Economist in New Delhi, reflected on his father as a professor of English and comparative literature: "As a professor, his interests ranged from English Romantics to Greek and Latin classics to European travel literature, particularly in the Middle East. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was also very active in the AUC theatre, often playing a leading role."

In a 2006 oral history interview with the Rare Books and Special Collections Library, Rodenbeck described English and comparative literature students at AUC as "extremely interested" and "highly motivated." 

In addition to teaching, Rodenbeck served as director of AUC Press from 1974 to 1983. Reflecting on that time, he noted in his oral history interview: "... What I had to do was to set up a policy that I thought would be suitable for a press here. And that is, first of all, that we should concentrate on Egypt and the Middle East, particularly Egypt, of course, but the Middle East next — which meant that we did not attempt to produce items in English literature, for example, or having to do with Western society. And the other thing I did was to try to get into something that ... had ... commercial possibilities. The 'Practical Guide to Cairo,' for instance, was was my invention. ... It's done quite well, gone through several editions. And that was the first sort of outreach in the direction of being commercial." 

Rodenbeck also started the tradition of publishing translations at AUC Press. "The program of publishing translations had been started by John Rodenbeck back in the '70s," said Neil Hewison, formerly on the AUC Press editorial staff in an oral history interview with AUC's Rare Books and Special Collections Library. "He had decided it was an important job to do, and I remember looking back in the files one day and finding a letter that John had written, I forget to whom, explaining how important he thought it was to publish translations of Mahfouz especially, because he said, 'One day, this man is going to get the Nobel Prize.' And he said this about 10 years before Mahfouz got the Nobel Prize. So he was very farsighted in that respect."   

Echoing the same sentiment, Max Rodenbeck noted, "t was a transformative period for what had been a tiny University printing press to a publishing operation. [John Rodenbeck] won AUC the English-language rights to all of Naguib Mahfouz's works, foreseeing that the novelist would gain much wider recognition. He also jointly translated one of Mahfouz's novels, Miramar."

Islamic architecture was another of Rodenbeck's interests. He founded the Society for the Preservation of the Architectural Resources of Egypt, which aimed to document and protect Cairo's rich architectural heritage. "He loved Egypt, but also loved the French countryside, and that is where he chose to retire," said his son Max. 

Rodenbeck is survived by his three children Judith, Max and Christina.

Here's what former colleagues and students had to say about John Rodenbeck: 

"John Rodenbeck was a charismatic figure with encyclopedic knowledge, a Renaissance man who captivated students and colleagues with his eloquence and critical insights when he taught for four decades in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at AUC. He impersonated the professor of English literature character in Youssef Chahine’s film, Alexandria…Why? (1979), capturing his very own classroom charm.

As director of AUC Press (1974-1983), he collaborated on translations of 1988 Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz and disseminated his novels in the 1970s and after. Rodenbeck wrote extensively on Egypt as a cultural critic, highlighting its literature, history, art, architecture and monuments. He translated Alexandrian poets — Cavafy and Ungaretti — and published extensively on 19th- and 20th-century English literature.

A man for all seasons, Rodenbeck felt at home in the world at large. He was particularly fond of travel. His wanderlust was depicted in his interview “The Road Taken” in Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics (2006) — a volume published in his honor on the occasion of becoming professor emeritus."

Ferial Ghazoul 
Professor, Department of English and Comparative Literature
Editor, Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics 

"It is with great distress that I received the news of John Rodenbeck’s death. From the beginning, the moment I read his letter of application and saw the photograph attached, I decided he would be a great addition to the department.

So elegantly did he present himself. I never for a moment regretted the immediate decision [of recruiting Rodenbeck]. He proved to be as brilliant as he was attractive. Time after time, students urged me to persuade him to stay on, as we will never find another to replace him. I was particularly pleased when they added, 'His only problem was that he almost never gives an “A.'"

My concern was that he would not wish to stay distant from the academic world. I needn’t have worried. He not only stayed — he stayed as himself, never lowering his standards and requiring the students to stretch theirs to the utmost. With all that, he was one of the most valued members of our department."

Doris Shoukri
Professor Emerita, Department of English and Comparative Literature

"He ... was a very unassuming person ... a walking encyclopedia. He knew everything: literature, Shakespearean period, the Middle Ages. He was a scholar. ... It was a delight and pleasure to see him, telling you parts, for example, of ... Hamlet or something from Romeo and Juliet or all those things, all those great dramas. ... I enjoyed dealing with him because he was a great mind, a great intellect, a scholar. ... I had several advisers when I was working on my thesis, but he's the one who I really ... wanted to deal with ... personally. I enjoyed his intelligence and his readings, and he guided me to what I should do .... and that I owe to him. It's John Rodenbeck. A great mind, a great intellect." 

Laurence Moftah (MA '79, MA '87)
Librarian Emerita, Rare Books and Special Collections Library
Oral history interview, Rare Books and Special Collections Library, 2014

"He used to not just talk to you about, for instance, a certain author. No, he'd give you the feel of the era and act it out and walk out of the room and come in again with a flourish. ... So he was ... really wonderful.He'd give you a history of the art in those days and the music and this and that."

Amina El-Lozy '67, '72
AUC Faculty Member (English language and writing), 1972 - 1992
Oral history interview, Rare Books and Special Collections Library, 2014

Photos courtesy of the University Archives

As I prepared to study abroad at AUC in the spring semester of 2008, my mind overflowed with anticipation and nerves. I was looking forward to living and studying in a Middle Eastern country, but I was worried that I would struggle to adapt to the different cultural and educational environment.

Yet my experiences turned out to be deeply rewarding on an intellectual and cultural level. On an intellectual level, I took AUC courses on Arab political and social thought, the history of the Middle East, and political economy, as well as Arabic language classes. In particular, the course on Arab political and social thought exposed me to rich intellectual traditions in the Arabic-speaking world I was previously unfamiliar with. This course piqued my interest in Islamic political philosophy, which I have maintained to this day; I actually taught al-Farabi and Ibn Rushd, two medieval Islamic philosophers, in one of my courses this past academic year. In addition, the political economy course consisted mostly of Egyptian students, which allowed me to exchange insights into politics and economics with peers from cultural backgrounds different than mine.

Such experiences provided one of the formative lessons I learned as a study-abroad student: All human beings share a common humanity, and they are also part of a great variety of distinctive cultural traditions. This lesson has immediate applications for my book on Burke, who was a British statesman-philosopher most famous for his criticism of the French Revolution (My book doesn’t touch on Egypt or the Middle East.). Burke believed that people around the world represented a rich diversity of inherited cultures and that imperial powers (such as the British Empire in his case) held the moral obligation to respect these cultures. As I was writing my book, I thought more about Burke’s perspective and how it related to my experiences at AUC. I think he was quite right: We should recognize the common humanity of different people, and we should also recognize the importance of cultural variety throughout the globe. I would not have sufficiently appreciated this insight if I had not studied at AUC.

This encounter with Egyptian and Middle Eastern culture, of course, provided many additional opportunities unavailable to me in the United States: haggling with Egyptian vendors; celebrating in the streets of Cairo after Egypt won the Africa Cup; eating koshari; visiting the pyramids, the Black and White Desert, Mount Sinai and Luxor; teaching English to Iraqi, Somali and Sudanese refugees (a particularly rewarding experience); and playing on the AUC basketball team and going to Athens, Greece for a tournament (unfortunately I tore my ACL in a game). Perhaps the most intellectually rich experience I had, however, was participating in an informal discussion club I organized with other AUC students — including Americans, Egyptians, Palestinians and other students — that would meet weekly at the Zamalek dormitories. We would talk about Middle Eastern politics and related issues. There were many differences of opinion, but we exchanged our ideas in a civil and respectful manner. I still participate in this discussion club to this day, including with American students I met during my time at AUC who have become lifelong friends.

Hope that provides a flavor of my AUC experience.

Gregory Martin Collins SAB '08

A postdoctoral associate and lecturer in the Program on Ethics, Politics, and Economics at Yale University. His book on Edmund Burke’s economic thought, titled Commerce and Manners in Edmund Burke's Political Economy, was recently published by Cambridge University Press.