Ahead of Egypt hosting COP27, the AUC Innovation Hub and New Silk Roads convened a Futures Lab in September exploring the question: “What if real estate accelerates a green transition?” Attended by a multidisciplinary group of senior business leaders, investors, architects, policymakers, urban planners and researchers, the Lab used futures thinking and scenarios to design avenues for the Egyptian real estate sector to adapt to the realities of climate change.

"With Egypt's population doubling every 30 years, the real estate sector is becoming critical in its impact on climate change,” stated Ayman Ismail, director of AUC Innovation Hub. “In the Futures Lab, we get into a deep conversation with industry leaders to think of innovative, pragmatic, industry-driven solutions, building AUC’s depth of knowledge." 

Egypt currently faces a myriad of climate-related challenges, such as water scarcity, extreme changes in weather patterns, land degradation and large-scale migration, among others. Rather than trying to predict exactly what will happen in the future, the lab examined what could happen and expanded discussions about climate change from narrow “problem-solution” questions to more holistic and long-term approaches. This allowed members to envision multiple plausible futures for climate-friendly Egyptian real estate, with a focus on possibilities rather than certainties. 

“The Futures Lab could not be more timely. The pace of change in the climate change space is unprecedented, and immediate actions are needed,” said Dalia Abd-Allah, senior director of the AUC Innovation Hub. “Bringing voices from all relevant stakeholders to greening real estate in Egypt into one place through the Futures Lab is a much-needed approach in addressing climate change pressures beyond traditional solutions.”

The lab produced several recommendations for climate-resilient real estate in Egypt. These items advise that green technology should be incentivized for real estate and business developers and financial institutions may be able to provide support for this transition. Additionally, the lab recommended that companies and economic planners design their long-term visions with carbon emission mitigation and resource efficiency in mind. 

On a wider scale, the lab suggested that policy makers and regulatory agencies should work with local governments to design clear rules and regulations for the green transition, while companies should promote green products that emphasize affordability. Finally, the lab recommended that there should be enhanced collaboration between different sectors and supply chains so that green technologies can be produced more efficiently. 

“To work towards the future that we want, we have to imagine it first. Imagining the future is especially important during crises, such as confronting the impacts of climate change, which call for urgent action in the present,” noted Helga Delaere, Director of New Silk Roads. 

The AUC Innovation Hub, located at AUC New Cairo, connects corporations, start-ups, researchers and innovators to collaborate on developing strategies for Egypt’s most challenging problems. 

Founded in 2009, New Silk Roads is an agency that connects mission-driven organizations with the right opportunities, tools and guidance to thrive. New Silk Roads offers futures thinking programs focused on collectively imagining the future and developing bold future visions. 

The Futures Lab has been implemented with support from the Hivos GreenWorks Alliance and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Coming from abroad or returning to their alma mater, AUC welcomed a new cohort of around 40 faculty members this fall.

While some members are experiencing Egypt for the first time, having moved from their homes in Germany, South Korea and more, other members are turning to their alma mater. News@AUC interviewed five members of this diverse cohort on their research, their decision to join AUC, and what they are looking forward to this year.

Shaimaa El Sherif

Instilling moral values such as acceptance and respect into her students is a key part of Shaimaa El Sherif’s, instructor in the Department of Rhetoric and Compositions, goals at AUC and her research in global citizenship education. She is currently working on two research projects, one on transformative learning and teaching and another on enhancing students’ 21st century skills. 

“I found out that there is no better educational institution in Egypt other than AUC to practice teaching and researching,” El Sherif states. “Honestly, I also owe AUC much of what I've learned academically and professionally throughout the past 10 years… I felt like it’s time to give back through teaching.”

El Sherif is excited to spend the year connecting with her students and helping them to become more well rounded through different teaching strategies in addition to working on her two research projects. 

Rodrigo Gratacós Brum

Guided by his academic background in philosophy and film, Rodrigo Gratacós Brum, associate professor of practice in the Department of the Arts, is a talented filmmaker and teacher who joined AUC because of its growing film program. 

“I saw it as an opportunity to have an impact in the area, helping to develop a program that is already very strong,” Brum explains. 

Brum is looking forward to getting to know his students better and learning how he can help them develop projects based on their own experiences and interests. 

Sanghyeok Lee

After studying in Australia and teaching in South Korea, Sanghyeok Lee, assistant professor in the Department of Economics, is ready for new academic adventures in Cairo. Lee studies micro-econometric theory, which includes event history and duration analysis, machine learning and treatment effect analysis.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to develop my knowledge and skills in a new place, and hopefully to be able to contribute to the local community as well,” Lee states. 

For the next year, Lee is most excited about the learning opportunities. After teaching in Korea and studying in Australia, New Cairo presents a novel experience for him to explore as an instructor and an academic.

Mariam Abdelazim

As an architecture alumna from AUC, Mariam Abdelazim, assistant professor in the Department of Architecture, is looking forward to the opportunity to give back to her alma mater. In her research she utilizes behavioral science to explore how people interact with public spaces. As a professor, she is excited to bring innovative teaching methods to her classroom. 

 “The attention span of students is different than before, so I always rely on interactive methods of teaching,” she explains. “I ask them to make TikTok videos on a building, or Instagram posts, or we play Jeopardy and do competitions, to get them interested through the type of media they are familiar with.”

Through the next year, Abdelazim looks forward to cultivating a learning community where students can learn from each other and she can learn from them.

Noah Farhadi

With over 27 years of experience in business administration, Noah Farhadi, professor of practice in finance in the Management Department and CIB Endowed Chair, is excited to continue his academic research on strategic finance, mergers and acquisitions and business ecosystems while teaching at the AUC. 

“I think to be a good professor, you need good students,” Farhadi explained. “The students at AUC are motivated, focused and engaged. So I made my choice to move here because it's a great platform for growth.”

In the next year, Farhadi is excited to experience Egyptian culture, connect with his students and contribute to the community. 

From Palmdale, California to Dazhou, China and all continents in between, unprecedented temperatures this summer have impacted the health of our loved ones and wreaked havoc on water, food and energy supplies around the world.

News@AUC spoke with Seham Elmrayed, a pediatric epidemiologist and instructor at AUC's Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, about the impact of heat waves and how communities can support vulnerable populations during a spike in temperature. 

Here’s what she had to say:

Whether you spent this summer in Africa, North America or elsewhere, you have likely experienced record-breaking heat waves. Unfortunately, excessive heat warnings have become a lived reality in most places worldwide. In fact, his summer may be among the coolest we have left to experience. 

Heat waves, which refer to periods of high temperatures and high humidity, are a direct consequence of climate change. According to the World Health Organization, heat waves constitute one of the most dangerous natural hazards for human beings. Future projections indicate that extended and extreme heat waves will occur more frequently in the upcoming years.

Heat waves can have various societal impacts by heavily burdening health care systems as well as energy and water sources. Globally, the number of people exposed to heat waves has been exponentially increasing over the last few decades, thus increasing heat-related health complications and deaths. 

While immediate efforts should focus on how we can best prepare for heat waves and mitigate their adverse effects on our health and well-being by improving individual and societal resilience, it is crucial that serious measures are taken to address the root causes of this global challenge. 

To best support vulnerable populations during heat waves, the health care sector should ensure the adequate provision of primary care services as well as assembling mobile clinics in affected areas. Additionally, raising public awareness of heat-related illnesses and promoting protective practices — such as increased fluid consumption and staying out of the sun during critical periods (usually defined as between 11 am to 3 pm) — are key in mitigating the health risks imposed by heat waves. 

Other effective public health strategies include heat wave early warning systems (HEWS), which can enable health and social workers to provide timely care for those in need and improve individual capacity in preparing for the avoidable devastating consequences of heat waves. 

Between 1901-2013, the rate of temperature increase per decade in Egypt was at 0.1°C. Over the past three decades, this has substantially increased to an annual rate of 0.5°C. The warming trend is projected to continue across the country. Recent reports estimate that annual mean temperatures will rise by around 1°C by 2030 and to over 1.6°C by 2050. 

As the host of this year’s United Nations Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27), Egypt and other participating countries have an opportunity to formulate and engage in effective climate mitigation strategies. 

Hani Sewilam, professor at AUC’s Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology and director of the Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES), has been appointed Egypt’s minister of water resources and irrigation.

The appointment comes amid a major cabinet reshuffle that took place on Saturday during an emergency session initiated by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Sewilam brings with him three decades of experience in sustainable development, water resource management, water-energy-food nexus, desalination and capacity building — all of which will serve him in boosting Egypt’s resilience to water stress.

“I’m looking forward to making use of our innovative research results to face water scarcity on the ground and contribute to securing the Egyptian water resources needed for achieving Egypt’s Vision 2030 for sustainable development,” he said.

In addition to his roles at AUC, Sewilam also currently works at RWTH Aachen University in Germany as the academic director of the Department of Engineering Hydrology and executive director of the UNESCO Chair on Hydrological Changes and Water Resources Management. He is the lead scientist at the Center of Excellence for Water, and holds a PhD in water resource management from RWTH Aachen and a Master of Science in irrigation management from Southampton University.

He was also recently awarded the 2022 Water Energy Food Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus prize by the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, known as PRIMA.

#MakingAUCProud

“Architecturally, we have a campus that has been recognized internationally for its sustainability features and practices. We should continue to use these features as educational tools for our students,” said Sherif Goubran ’14 is assistant professor in the Department of Architecture.

Unlike green or ecological design, sustainable design is a broader paradigm that encompasses the social, environmental, economic and cultural dimensions. A good definition of sustainable design combines the meanings of both design and sustainability. Harold Nelson and Erik Stolterman define design as a process for identifying and creating the “what can be” and “what should be” of a situation, where the designer would explore how to better a situation. John Ehrenfeld defines sustainability as the condition where the environment, people and other beings can flourish. So, in a sense, sustainable design is about attempting to create the ideal conditions for this flourishing to occur.

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