If you struggle navigating traffic in the morning, soon your car may be able to take the wheel. In fact, in 10 years' time, autonomous vehicles are expected to become a main form of transportation —  but what still stands in the way of their development?

In this short Q&A, Yasser Gadallah, professor of electronics and communications engineering at AUC, breaks down how autonomous vehicles are developing, some of the challenges of the field and why it's important to explore.

For a team of architecture alumni at AUC, preserving Egypt’s heritage is vital to building a sustainable future. With collaboration from Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Salford, Laila Hany ’23, Heba El Kammah ’23, Mostafa Zahran ’23, Saja Sameh ’23 and Amgad Abdulgawad ’23 set out to study how traditional crafts and buildings can be used to develop sustainable employment and housing across Egypt. 

Put into practice, their work can help shape an eco-friendly future that conserves Egypt’s history. The key? Adapting and reusing what’s already in place. 

The team began by analyzing sites in historic and downtown Cairo as well as Alexandria, with each student choosing one area to focus on. For example, Hany, who worked in Cairo’s Al Khalifa neighborhood, explored how reviving the tradition of stained glass could also help create sustainable forms of employment for residents. 

Beyond sustainable development, the team pointed out that reviving Cairo’s historic buildings and crafts may be crucial to the survival of some of Egypt's history and traditions, which are in danger due to economic hardships.

Of course, considering the numerous factors at play is a delicate task. 

“The main challenges were finding solutions that balanced heritage conservation, zero-carbon sustainability, revival of traditional crafts and tourism in an eco-friendly manner,” explains Zahran, who studied the landmark Haret Bergwan on Cairo’s famed Moez Street. 

“With extensive research, the group was able to find connections between these different factors to create viable solutions to these issues simultaneously," added Zahran.

The team’s research took them to COP27 and the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, “Time Space Existence,” hosted by the European Cultural Center. Hany and El Kammah presented the team’s work with the support of their thesis adviser Sherif Goubran ’14, assistant professor of sustainable architecture.

“Presenting at COP27 and then displaying our work in Venice is something we are all proud of and excited about,” said Goubran.“The responses we got in all external exposure opportunities showed how important and timely our work is.”  

The team’s projects found that both past and present have a role in the conversation about sustainable development. “We have a lot to learn from the past that can be applied to the future. We already have the technology to help societies and the planet thrive and flourish,” says Zahran. 

In the pursuit of sustainability, Egypt’s heritage is the foundation. For Zahran, this enables future development to maintain a deep connection to its origins: “We can revive the Fatimid Cairo artisans’ hope through innovation that suits modern needs while maintaining their crafts’ essence.” 

A warm welcome to all our new faculty! With research interests from international policy to visual storytelling, we are thrilled to have incoming faculty this fall who are experts in a range of disciplines. Read more about the wide array of knowledge they bring to AUC, and enjoy hearing a few fun facts – they may surprise you!

“For every additional year of schooling a girl receives on average, her country’s resilience to climate disasters can be expected to improve by 3.2 points on the ND-GAIN Country Index, which calculates a country’s vulnerability to climate change in relation to its resilience.” 

This was one of the findings by Omar Basyouny, a mechanical engineering student and Tomorrow’s Leaders Gender Scholars (TLS) alum, whose research examined the intricate relationship between gender equality and climate change. His paper, “Climate Change and Gender Inequality,” which was published in Intersect: The Stanford University Journal of Science, Technology and Society, suggests that gender inequality can have a profound impact on climate change. 

“As climate change drives conflict across the world, women become the ones who face increased vulnerabilities to all forms of gender-based violence,” Basyouny said. “Gender inequality is exacerbated by factors of poverty, lack of education, harmful social norms and practices, and insecurities.”

Basyouny’s research focus was to illustrate how advancing gender equality would bring substantial advantages to the world at large. “I wanted to highlight how empowering women – socially, educationally, economically, politically and psychologically – can enable them to contribute their efforts in navigating global challenges,” he affirmed.

 In his paper, Basyouny argues that the detrimental effects of stigmatized traditional roles for women make them more prone to early marriage. “Child marriage is greatly interconnected with high fertility rates, contributing to a significant increase in population, which thus have adverse implications on our climate conditions,” he explained.

The solution? Basyouny opts for nuanced root changes. “I believe that climate change can be most effectively controlled and reduced from a new perspective, innovative and out-of-the-ordinary,” he said. 

Accordingly, Basyouny stresses the importance of empowering women to take part in climate policy and decision making by removing gender disparities in education and the work field. “Equitable access to education can equip women with the information, skills and resources to lead climate action at multiple levels,” Basyouny said. Providing job opportunities for women, namely in the green sector, could lead to more environmentally sustainable action, he added.

Basyouny credits his yearlong journey in the TLS program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, for further developing his interest in gender studies. The scholarship gave him access to numerous workshops, gender-related activities, training sessions, and mentorship under well-established professors, equipping him with the tools he needed to navigate his research and the intersectional angle between gender and environmental problems. 

“TLS has been an indispensable companion throughout my research and publication journey. It helped me in becoming more gender-sensitive,” he explained. 

Moving forward, Basyouny is adamant about making a positive impact as an influential mechanical engineer and social scientist. He hopes that by striking a balance between the two, he could successfully work toward addressing global challenges. His current research is focused on aerospace, green mechanical technologies, space exploration and climate change. 

Basyouny attributes his diverse interests to AUC’s liberal arts program and the TLS program, which both gave him well-rounded knowledge in diverse fields and disciplines. “It’s important to work on topics outside my major, tackling more societal and economic issues such as gender equality and women’s economic empowerment,” he said. “I wish to find varied solutions to environmental problems” and climate change and gender inequality are just the start. 

Photo by  Alaric Duan  on  Unsplash

AUC is kicking off the semester with new academic programs: the University’s first minor in translation studies, biology specializations in biotechnology as well as ecology and conservation, in addition to computer science and engineering specializations in embedded systems and artificial intelligence.

Offered by the Department of Applied Linguistics, the new translation studies minor is geared toward students from any major, according to Reem Bassiouney, professor and department chair. “Training in translation will broaden career opportunities for students in any field, from business and social sciences to medicine and engineering,” she said. “In today's world, there isn’t any business or sector that does not require some form of translation services. However, you can’t do it well without understanding the relationship between language and society, as well as the tools of translation science.”

The minor is open to all undergraduate students at AUC and consists of five courses: two in linguistics and three specifically focused on translation. “To be a good translator, you need to develop some background in linguistics, which is the study of language, its structure and syntax,” explained Bassiouney. “Linguistics helps us understand the importance of language, how it shapes our social world and the way we relate to one another.” 

Students will be able to choose from several new offerings covering the theory of translation as well as skill-based courses on subjects including document translation, specialized courses for specific types of documents and simultaneous translation.  

Other departments within AUC have also adjusted their offerings ahead of the new school year with the aim of better preparing students for career success. 

The Department of Biology is now offering two new specializations for its Bachelor of Science in biology: one in biotechnology and another in ecology and conservation. These specializations will replace previous concentrations in marine biology as well; as molecular and cell biology. 

“This program restructuring was driven by our dedication to offering a curriculum that includes the latest and most applicable biological disciplines,” said Ahmed Moustafa, professor and chair of the Department of Biology. “The new specializations seamlessly complement the foundational knowledge in our biology program. They empower students to grasp the real-world applications of these subject areas within the biological sciences. This not only enriches their academic perspective but also broadens their career horizons, positioning them as top contenders for roles in research, industry and conservation.”

Additionally, the Computer Science and Engineering Department will now offer specializations in embedded systems and artificial intelligence for its Bachelor of Science programs to cater to the rapidly evolving and expanding field, creating a need for new skills and expertise in the workforce.

“These specializations are increasingly sought out by employers both in Egypt and abroad,” said Sherif Aly ‘91, professor and department chair. “We have been offering courses in both areas for some time, but the specializations formalize these two tracks within our programs. They will now be listed on student degrees upon graduation, providing them with an additional credential as they enter the workforce.”