The series is an ongoing University initiative that highlights the expertise of faculty members whose innovative research drives global impact.

Seham Elmrayed, assistant professor at the Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, discussed her research as part of the team who developed the latest Fenton Third-Generation Growth Charts. The research is part of a large-scale global initiative that drew on data from 4.8 million births across 15 countries to establish a new global benchmark for child growth. The session highlighted efforts to translate new international growth standards for preterm infants into tangible public health action that can benefit families across Egypt. Elmrayed emphasized that data alone cannot improve health outcomes; meaningful change requires active, strategic engagement with local stakeholders.

 “Through my work at AUC, I am very intentional about ensuring that research does not stop at publication. I actively engage with Egyptian public and private institutions to translate global and national evidence into policies and programs that genuinely serve Egyptian families,” Elmrayed said.

Elmrayed's research is one of AUC's many initiatives committed to public service. The University has supported Elmrayed's research on the economic burden of child anemia, through the facilitation of partnerships between researchers, Ains Shams University Hospitals, Cairo University and government policymakers. 

 “Across all of these partnerships, the goal is the same: to adapt global and national research evidence to Egypt’s social, economic, and health-system realities, and to ensure that research ultimately improves the everyday health and wellbeing of Egyptian children and their families.”

"This work is done in collaboration with experts from the ministry of Health and Population and Egyptian university hospitals with the explicit aim of producing findings that are not just scientifically robust but also policy-relevant and actionable," Elmrayed said. 

 “Across all of these partnerships, the goal is the same: to adapt global and national research evidence to Egypt’s social, economic, and health-system realities, and to ensure that research ultimately improves the everyday health and wellbeing of Egyptian children and their families.”

AUC recently hosted the Advances in Preterm Care: Growth, Nutrition and Development conference. Organized by Elmrayed, the meeting convened neonatologists and experts from Egypt’s public and private sectors to meet and inquire directly how  global evidence applies to preterm populations in Egypt. Dr. Fenton, Creator of the Fenton Growth Charts, attended the meeting. 

"The aim is to build a large, high-quality national database that reflects Egyptian preterm growth trajectories and outcomes, so that future guidelines, clinical decisions, and policies are informed by Egyptian data."

This conference of high-level experts generated a shared vision for Egypt’s first national preterm database, which is now currently in its pilot phase. The initiative aims to aggregate data from hospitals across the country to establish a localized evidence base.

 “The aim is to build a large, high-quality national database that reflects Egyptian preterm growth trajectories and outcomes, so that future guidelines, clinical decisions, and policies are informed by Egyptian data,” Elmrayed explained. “For me, this is what translating large numbers into real impact looks like, moving from millions of global data points to better-informed care for every preterm baby in Egypt.”

The session concluded with a clear message, which is that growth is not just a medical outcome.

“Genes may set the boundaries, but nutrition, household conditions, maternal health, education, and the environments in which children grow up determine where they fall within those boundaries. If we want to improve child growth in Egypt, we cannot rely on clinical care alone.”  Elmrayed noted that policies must invest in early life (before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and in the first years of life). “Policies must also address nutrition, food affordability, caregiver knowledge, and supportive environments together,” she concluded.

AUC has been selected to lead the “Invest with Confidence-De-risking Tech Startups Alliance, part of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s Alliance and Development initiative. Spearheaded by AUC’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Onsi Sawiris School of Business and the Center for Nanoelectronics and Devices at the School of Sciences and Engineering, the initiative aims to accelerate innovation and enhance Egypt’s competitiveness in the electronic design and manufacturing sector.

Over the past decade, Egypt’s startup ecosystem has experienced remarkable growth, fueled by national strategies like Egypt Vision 2030, a young and dynamic population, and increasing venture capital investments. Despite this progress, deep-tech startups face significant challenges, including high capital requirements, limited access to specialized equipment, and shortages of skilled talent and expert support. The DTS Alliance addresses these gaps by bringing together key stakeholders to create an integrated ecosystem, positioning Egypt as a regional leader in electronics innovation.

Yehea Ismail, director of AUC’s Center for Nanoelectronics and Devices, noted that the project does not just focus on software development but addresses Egypt’s potential in designing and manufacturing hardware technology — filling a critical need in the local technology landscape. “We have been working with regional stakeholders on this scope, and now it is time to go full scale in our beloved country Egypt and support our private sector to compete globally and attract foreign direct investment,” Ismail said.

“[This initiative] is the perfect opportunity to bring in different stakeholders from our network toward such a promising and strategic national objective."

The DTS Alliance brings together nine local partners across academia, the private sector, public entities, investors and enabling organizations. These include AUC; Zagazig University; Elaraby Group; EMASS startup; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA), Flat6Labs, Den Venture Capital, Startup Factory and Meska AI. 

Hala Barakat '98, director of AUC’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, highlighted the significance of this collaborative network. “[This initiative] is the perfect opportunity to bring in different stakeholders from our network toward such a promising and strategic national objective,” she said. “We formulated internal and external partnerships to ignite innovation in Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and untap academia’s potential in research commercialization.” 

“We have been working with regional stakeholders on this scope, and now it is time to go full scale in our beloved country Egypt and support our private sector to compete globally and attract foreign direct investment."

The alliance focuses on strengthening the electronics sector by localizing design and manufacturing to promote import substitution, supporting export growth and building capacity to meet industry demands. It encourages innovation through hackathons, develops industry-aligned curricula, advances artificial intelligence applications in electronics, and facilitates intellectual property creation and protection. Additionally, it integrates startups into new markets, promotes research spinoffs and attracts foreign direct investment, driving sustainable growth and competitiveness across the industry.

Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ayman Ashour stated that the Alliance and Development presidential initiative reflects the nation’s commitment to innovation through collaboration between higher education and industry. He added that the initiative seeks to harness research and entrepreneurial potential to build competitive economic sectors, demonstrating the power of cross-sector partnerships in promoting sustainable development.

Coptic Lives, a Core Curriculum course, offers students a gateway into what it would be like to live in historical Coptic society. Investigating history through archeological methods, students discover key elements of Coptic society: from what they ate to what they wore to what they believed. 

Mennat-Allah El Dorry ‘05, assistant professor and chair of Coptic studies at AUC who has trained as both an Egyptologist and archeologist, works to paint a lush tapestry of Coptic lives for her students by guiding them to investigate more than just key historical moments, but also the intricacies of everyday life. 

“The course helped me reconnect with my roots in a deeply personal way and see Coptic lives as lived, enduring experiences rather than distant narratives."

“A very large part of Coptic studies is about the history of the church, persecution, Coptic art and monasticism,” said El Dorry. “But I am intrigued by the daily lives of average people away from this traditional history of Coptic Egypt. We, as Egyptians, have a rich, long history of Coptic culture that is a part of this long and continuous fabric. While politics and religion change, I am interested in looking at the lives of people like myself — and like the students as well.”

In El Dorry’s class, students experiment with the tools historically used by Copts and visit important locations, such as the Coptic Museum and Coptic churches. With a mix of lectures, research and experiential learning opportunities, students paint a full picture of Coptic life, including food, language as well as arts and crafts. The course has no prerequisites and aims to get students at the start of their academic journey excited about archeology and history through the lens of the unique Coptic culture.

 “AUC's Egyptology program features something that few other international programs have: direct access to archaeology and culture.” 

“Coptic Lives didn’t feel like studying history; it felt like being invited into a story of resilience, faith and unwavering resolve,” said student Islam Nadim. “The course helped me reconnect with my roots in a deeply personal way and see Coptic lives as lived, enduring experiences rather than distant narratives. Dr. El Dorry’s passion and personal connection to the subject made that experience truly impactful.”

For El Dorry, the hands-on nature of the class is what makes it so special — the ability to bring Coptic culture to life. “AUC's Egyptology program features something that few other international programs have: direct access to archaeology and culture,” she affirmed. “I want us to focus more on these strengths and for AUC to become an important hub of Coptic archaeology — somewhere students and researchers who want to work specifically on Coptic archaeology can come to as their first choice.”

The Coptic studies program at AUC works to blend the fields of Egyptology, art history, science and religion through the lens of Coptic history. El Dorry herself first became interested in Coptic studies during her time at AUC. “When I was an Egyptology undergrad, a Coptic art class was being offered,” she explained. “The professor who taught it, Gawdat Gabra, was the first chair of Coptic studies at AUC, and he opened my eyes to such a fascinating world. It is an incredible honor to come full circle and now hold the position that first inspired me and to follow in the footsteps of such a scholar.”