TAREK SELIM '92, '95
PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AND STRATEGY
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
 

Preparing for the road ahead with autonomous vehicles

The Inspiration

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has already begun. Technology and digitization are changing our daily lives -- overturning assumptions, creating new platforms and products, establishing a new normal. One of the biggest changes we'll see is in transportation. We're doing research with the World Economic Forum -- I'm a member of their Global Agenda Council on the Fourth Industrial Revolution -- specifically on the future of autonomous vehicles, more commonly known as self-driving cars. With the Fourth Industrial Revolution, autonomous vehicles and self-driving cars will be the norm -- not necessarily on a full scale, but on a much larger scale than most people perceive. On a related track, we're also looking at the development of smart cities.

The Process

This is a multidisciplinary project, so I have research assistance from students in computer science, economics and business. My specialty is economics, but I also have a background in business and engineering -- I was a visiting professor at the MIT Industrial Performance Center. While at MIT, I was co-researching industrial innovation for emerging markets, so when the World Economic Forum offered me the possibility of researching the future of the global autonomous vehicle industry, I was immediately interested. Together, we're mapping a number of variables: wireless and laser technology, 3D sensor measurements of nearby cars and pedestrians, semi-auto-braking with the concrete possibility of complete driverless auto-parking, GPS city infrastructure requirements, risk factors of autonomous driving collision, customer valuation of new technology, market behavior and social resistance to change, new requirements for the car insurance industry, and government regulatory provisions for safety and accountability.

The IMPACT

The idea is to explore the commercial and regulatory frameworks needed to support self-driving cars. High-tech features are mapped with socioeconomic requirements, industry standards and smart city planning. How can the auto industry incorporate new technologies? How can cities adapt to a new driving paradigm? What social norms need to change? We're working at the edge of what's possible. Our research should help engineers, city planners and regular citizens get a clear view of what's ahead. For example, what will be the new normal in three to five years? Will all new cars be able to completely auto-park by then? That's the minimum threshold expected.

The Next Steps

Looking at the big picture: In the next decade, fully driverless cars may not be commercially available, but a close hit is highly possible. Then there's the question of whether they can be socially accepted on a global scale. As for my research team, we'll produce an article for publication, a report for the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and possibly a related case study.

For Egypt, traffic and commuting are major issues here. So there's a real sense of urgency -- and hope -- around this project and its wide impact.

The Future

Three ideas are pushing this research forward: technology, innovation and smart cities. Those ideas are also pushing Egypt forward. If you want to see the future, AUC is a good place to be.

 

Developing new pharmaceuticals from the Red Sea and beyond

RANIA SIAM
PROFESSOR OF MICROBIOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

 

 

Siam on an excursion to gold mines in the Eastern Desert near the Red Sea to collect samples

The Inspiration

I'm fascinated by biological life in extreme environments: the mere existence of life under presumably unlivable conditions. The Red Sea is home to brine pools that are incredibly harsh in a number of ways. They are deep (2,200 meters below the surface of the sea), hot (some reach up to 69?C), have very high saline content and lack oxygen -- or all of these at once. My question was: How can organisms thrive under these conditions? I answer this by investigating the evolution of microbial genomes in such habitats.

 

The Process

The project started with AUC's move to the New Cairo campus and the research expansion of the School of Sciences and Engineering. External research collaborations and funding opportunities were promoted, such as the collaboration with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Over the course of five years, collaborative research teams -- including scientists and graduate students from AUC, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Greece and the United States -- went on expeditions to the Red Sea. We worked 12-hour shifts, sampling water and sediments from different sites. Then we isolated the DNA, performed high throughput sequencing and developed a huge genomic dataset. Since then, we've been mining that data for biocatalysts and enzymes that might have unique biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications. Now the AUC Red Sea Marine Microbiology Group has graduated more than 50 Master of Science and PhD students, and some are still continuing their work on the Red Sea biocatalysts.

The IMPACT

First, we're understanding the evolution of microbes under harsh conditions. That knowledge can lead in many directions. We have discovered several unique Red Sea enzymes, including an esterase, nitrilase, mercuric reductase and an antibiotic-resistant enzyme. These enzymes have superior biochemical properties that would be attractive in several industries, including biotechnology, detergents and pulp. Recently, we've discovered new antimicrobial and chemotherapeutics agents. Humans have developed a resistance to many antibiotics as well as anti-cancer drugs. That's impeding infectious disease and cancer treatments. Therefore, the discovery of new drugs is mandatory for the treatment of resistant cases.

The Next Steps

We're going on expeditions to arid and semi-arid areas in the Caribbean, collecting samples from hydrothermal vents. We are also interested in sampling active volcanoes in the Caribbean -- and we'll continue to gather samples from the Red Sea. Additionally, we have a project for the transition of the Red Sea enzymes from the lab to the industry. It's thrilling to explore the unexplored. It's also thrilling to take what we've discovered and apply it in ways that could change people's lives.

Siam during an AUC-King Abdullah University of Science and Technology expedition to the Red Sea

The Future

AUC has put us on the cutting edge of the field. We've used state-of-the-art equipment in AUC's molecular biology and genomic labs. Students from AUC's biotechnology graduate program have played key roles in the project. AUC's faculty research grants helped us complete different parts of the project and ensured the publication of our research in peer-reviewed scientific journals. AUC has supported our collaboration with leading institutions around the world -- from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to the Technical University of Berlin and ETH Zurich. I believe that AUC is building the next generation of thinkers, researchers and discoverers: the people who will solve tomorrow's problems.

 

COVID-19 is changing the name of the game in the world of business.
 

By Nahla El Gendy

 

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread globally, pushing governments to make significant interventions, businesses are continuing to adapt to the new normal while satisfying the altering needs of their customers.

"The current circumstances that the world is facing are more of a game changer. Any business, regardless of its position in the market, has to consider this and adjust accordingly in order to survive," said Alain El-Hajj '15, computer science graduate and chief operating officer of Paymob, a digital payment enabler empowering the underserved, consumers and merchants with access to financial services. "Feeling forced to change your day-to-day operations isn't an easy thing, but, fortunately, we are quite used to it."

COVID-19, and any other crisis, shouldn't change business models if they are well-structured but could definitely lead to what El-Hajj described as a typical evolution, where companies could reinvent themselves, refresh their thinking or invest in something new. "The current circumstances made us shift our focus to certain products more than others," he said.

Paymob recently partnered with another electronic payment service provider, Klickit, to offer digital payment solutions to GEMS [Global Education Management Systems] schools in Egypt, enabling tuition fees to be paid online. "This initiative will help cater to consumer needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to be implemented in countries other than Egypt," said El-Hajj.

More Home, More Internet

For technology-based companies such as Paymob, working from home did not introduce a drastic change. "Luckily for us, as a fast-scaling company, our need for technologies that help us perform our day-to-day operations more efficiently are pretty much the same for working remotely, and due to our great team, we've adapted quickly to these new measures," said El-Hajj.

Some companies, such as [34]ML, already applied a remote work policy before COVID-19. Founded by two AUC alumni, Ahmed Saafan '11 and Ashraf Mourad (MA '19), [34]ML is a software company specialized in the design and development of mobile applications. It recently launched the Around Egypt application to promote tourism and show the beauty and hidden gems of Egypt in 360 degrees -- a service that comes in handy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Offering an immersive virtual reality experience, the Around Egypt app reached more than 1 million users on Facebook and over 30,000 downloads since its launch in April 2020.

 

"The app features more than 30 different virtual reality tours of sites all around Egypt -- from Cairo to Aswan, from temples to national parks, from religious sites to entertainment venues, from 80 million years ago to the 21st century," said Saafan, construction engineering graduate, business lead at [34]ML and a member of AUC's rugby team. "There couldn't be a better timing to launch this app. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing everyone to stay at home, people are geared more toward the internet, online applications and technology in general. With tourism, this is particularly useful because mosques, churches, temples, museums and other tourist attractions in Egypt have been closed."

 

Around Egypt app

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company is also working on adding to its existing portfolio Software as a Service (SaaS) products, a form of cloud computing whereby a service provider hosts applications for customers and makes these apps available over the internet for a monthly fee. "The pandemic has triggered us to pivot into a more product-led company and transform our business offerings," said Saafan.
 

Adapting and Adopting

Breakfast team working under strict health and safety measures

It's not only the internet whose consumption has increased but also food -- and, of course, companies had to adjust. According to Deloitte, one of the world's largest management consulting firms, out-of-home consumption that typically generated the highest profits has fallen, coming to "nearly a standstill," whereas at-home consumption has risen. This has caused disruptions in supply chains and may lead to long-term changes in customer behavior and demand, as Deloitte described it.

Breadfast, an online supermarket that delivers freshly baked goods and groceries to people's doorsteps, is adjusting its operations in this unprecedented situation by implementing firm health and safety measures.

"We have placed strict precautions to mitigate the risk of the coronavirus, from sanitizing all workspaces and wearing face masks to reducing shifts and having an alarm that goes off every hour for employees to pause operations and wash their hands," said Yehia El Darawy '12, '17, petroleum engineering major and country manager of Breadfast.

COVID-19 pushed Breadfast to accelerate its online grocery shopping: evolving from a bakery delivery service to an online supermarket, and increasing its portfolio to include more categories such as cooking ingredients, health and household items, baby needs and even meat -- with plans to add a broad range of products such as chicken, toothpaste and garbage bags, among others. The bakery also went from next-day delivery services to delivery within an hour in several areas across Cairo. "We are humbled by the opportunity to provide a safer way of grocery shopping with a wider range of products to keep our teams and customers healthy," noted El Darawy.

What About the Nonprofits?

The business impact of COVID-19 is not merely restricted to business entities but social enterprises as well, such as Helm, which provides advisory and coaching services for institutions, professionals and governments to work toward the effective and sustainable inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace. Like many entities, Helm pivoted from a physical academy to an online one and shifted the focus of its training -- whether individual or corporate -- to new, customized needs brought about by COVID-19. This has allowed people with disabilities under Helm's umbrella to not only work from home but also learn new skills online through different development courses. Consequently, Helm Academy's online platform became the first inclusive online learning platform in the Middle East and North Africa that is specialized for people with disabilities, according to Amena Elsaie '11 and Ramez Maher '12, co-founders of Helm.

"Since the start of the quarantine, our team has conducted a total of 180 client meetings per month instead of 20," said Elsaie. "We met virtually with e-learning experts across five continents to study the best technological solutions and learning management systems out there in order to provide the most suitable and accessible model tailored in Arabic
to fit our client needs."

One of Helm's employees while working from home

Within Helm, "we have temporarily shifted the organizational roles so that those whose jobs were affected are performing other duties and supporting other teams. We have also used this time to invest in the team's growth through bringing in consultants and organizations for capacity building and training to help lift the spirits of people during these turbulent times," Elsaie added.

Not only is COVID-19 affecting business operations at Helm, but it has also changed perceptions, ideologies and personalities. "We regularly give our people the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in order to identify their personalities and make sure they are doing what's best for them," noted Elsaie. "It's surprising how these tests have shown a drastic shift in people's personalities both pre-pandemic and post-pandemic, as extraverts turned to introverts, including myself!"

Will Things Be the Same?

Regardless of how tough this period has been for almost all businesses, it has offered eye-opening lessons that are here to stay.

"Productivity skyrocketed in certain areas, including technology and product functions, and that is something we all want to capitalize on. When these tough days are over, we will surely go back to our meetings and gatherings, but work-from-home arrangements and other measures will be adopted more extensively," said El-Hajj.

[34]ML has already started to focus more on its marketing activities. "Since everyone is online more now, we are investing more time into creating content for our marketing outlets," said Saafan. "We are also considering sticking to virtual meetings even after the end of COVID-19. From a business perspective, the pandemic has actually accelerated digital transformation across several functions and industries. For example, people are now more comfortable with online meetings and digital signatures."

Saafan also stressed how much he and his team have learned about unforeseeable circumstances suddenly changing set plans. "We now recognize the importance of a clause in our agreements for force majeure, which we never really understood before," he said.

These unforeseen circumstances have taught Helm's team to step out of their comfort zones and never take no for an answer. "When you think there is only one way of doing business, COVID-19 comes to show you that there are always other options. We just have to expand our horizons and think outside the box," reflected Elsaie.

And be flexible. "The most important lesson we learned is that you have to be very agile in order to make the best use of opportunities that come your way. There are a lot of competitors out there, so you have to change rapidly, adapt and try to read the trend as best as you can," said El Darawy.

For Paymob, COVID-19 proved "how betting on the right people and finding the right team are key for surviving all hardships," affirmed El-Hajj. "We will always continue to work hard to find the right talent and maintain the right culture through our growth, as COVID-19 is not the first challenge and will definitely not be the last."

 

AUC's biotechnology alum is researching COVID-19 drug leads

By Yakin Ouederni

Reem Al Olaby (MSc '11, PhD '14) has one secret to her success: "It's never too late to try something new."

And that's why she hasn't taken a rest since the day she earned her PhD in biotechnology from AUC.

Kickstarting her career in medical sciences at AUC and venturing to different institutes in the United States and Qatar, Al Olaby is now an assistant professor at California Northstate University, where she teaches pharmacology, neuroscience, biochemistry, biology, and advanced cell and molecular biology. Over the years, most of her research has focused on developing drugs, most notably identifying drug leads against hepatitis C, malaria and Fragile X neurodegenerative disorder. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she once again delved into new territory.

"I felt that I should start learning more about the pandemic and help raise awareness of it," she said. "I thought, 'Why not use the expertise I have on drug discovery and do something?'"

Al Olaby has used her social media platforms to post videos where she busts myths about the coronavirus and explains the use of certain drugs to treat it. She also writes blog posts in English and Arabic to inform her followers of different developments and safety tips.

"I plan to do more videos about new discoveries, new drugs, the importance of face masks and more," she said.

Working on a team with other researchers and some of her students, Al Olaby is using computational biology to find drug leads for COVID-19. While this research is still in its early stages, Al Olaby is keen on producing an impactful outcome soon.

"This time, I'm really determined to make sure that once I get something beneficial, I will do all that it takes to make it reach the bedside by finding the possible funds and sponsors," she said. "It's not just about patenting and revenue. It's about reaching the people that need to benefit from such drugs."

Her work on COVID-19 isn't limited to the sciences. A long-time advocate of diversity in the workplace, delivering lectures about racism in health care and health disparities, Al Olaby has been giving talks about the disproportionate effects of the virus and how it should be used as a wake-up call to eliminate biases in health care and the workplace.

"Viruses do not discriminate, but minorities and marginalized populations don't have the same quality of health care as privileged communities," she explained.

And while the pandemic has shifted her in new directions for her research, Al Olaby's life as a university professor didn't change too much. She was already using a blended approach in her classes, a mix of face-to-face and prerecorded lectures.

"The transition wasn't that hard for me," she said. "I continued doing the same thing I already do in class, so the students weren't impacted too much."

When it comes to things Al Olaby does outside of the classroom, the list goes on. Whether it's giving talks about diversity, encouraging people to be global citizens, helping college students with postgraduate decisions, building homes with Habitat for Humanity or taking up taekwondo with her family, Al Olaby always finds a way.

"It is never too late to learn something new, and nothing is impossible. Go after your aspirations, and visualize your success," advised Al Olaby.

Al Olaby credits her time at AUC for helping her realize her fervor for achievement and commitment to service. "AUC was a life-changer for me," she said. "My professors inspired me to be the professor I am today. Being a faculty member is a true blessing because we have the chance to inspire generations and leave a positive imprint in people's lives."

Her love for public health flourished at AUC as she took part in different competitions and campaigns, including one where she raised awareness of hepatitis C.

"This all gave me the experience that I'm using right now: the ability to share my ideas with others, public speaking, being a well-rounded researcher and looking at problems differently," she said.

After AUC, in 2017, Al Olaby earned her master's in public health from The George Washington University.

 

For Al Olaby, every class she teaches, every research project she conducts, every drug lead she finds and every personal decision she makes is grounded by her pride in who she is and her acceptance of diversity in all its forms. "I always introduce myself as Syrian-Egyptian," she said. "Be proud of who you are. It will impact your charisma, your confidence and how others treat you. Going around so much has made me resilient, more accepting of constructive feedback and different ideas. It made me appreciate the richness of diversity."

So whether it's finding that drug for the coronavirus, searching for new ways to give back to her community or taking up another new activity, Al Olaby knows one thing for sure: She's not anywhere close to stopping just yet.

 

Tamima Hafez '20 details her new routine and how she learned to make the most of staying at home

Quarantining has taught me how to become disciplined. Every morning, my natural alarm clock wakes me up at about 8 or 9 am without needing to snooze my phone alarm for hours. Having that much free time and space in my day allowed me to create a system for myself, which I try to make the most of.

I wake up with a fresh amount of energy, make my morning coffee and enjoy the sun with some music for about an hour. Afterward, I either stretch, do a mini- workout or read. This allows me to gently wake up my brain and get ready for the tasks of the day. Depending on the amount of work or Zoom sessions I have, I plan my day accordingly to finish my work at around 4 pm. Sometimes, I don't have any work, and I can use this time to practice some of my hobbies, such as painting, singing and playing the guitar or piano. I was only taking three classes during my last semester, so I had lots of time to learn new skills and talents.

My experience with online classes was great. I loved working from home. Creating my own comfort zone and managing my time added so much discipline to my day.
 

When the sun sets, I use the nighttime to switch off and catch up on movies or series that I've always wanted to watch but never had the time. At first, this quarantining system was tricky because I realized that I lacked discipline -- not time -- but then I found a way to work around that and use my time preciously.

The best part about this for me is that I can use my time freely in the morning, which is different from having to be on campus to attend classes. I really appreciate my mornings, and now I actually have the time to enjoy them. So overall, this experience has absolutely affected me positively because it has allowed me to split my day according to my needs and preferences. The main drawback of the quarantine is not being able to spend my last semester as a graduating senior with my friends, but we'll make up for that after this is all over.

By Nahla El Gendy, as told by Tamima Hafez '20, a double major in theatre and English and comparative literature

 

I consider myself exceptionally lucky when it comes to doing my job during the quarantine.

While not ideal for the types of classes I teach, the transition to online instruction was a smooth one because I was reasonably well-prepared for the shift. This had been up in the air for two months before the decision was made, and all faculty members were obliged to take a course with the Center for Learning and Teaching on how to use Zoom, record lectures, and navigate synchronous and asynchronous teaching.

I was relieved that my students were still able to ask questions and answer mine throughout the Zoom calls. There had been room for us to talk to each other and for the students to ask questions as usual. Although it still wasn't ideal, it wasn't the disaster I had been fearing. I actually plan to integrate some aspects of being online into my teaching once things go back to normal.

The greatest challenge with moving online, however, was that the field trips to historic monuments in Cairo, which constitute a large part of my classes, had been canceled. We used to visit museums, areas in Islamic Cairo, and the Egyptian National Library and Archives, which had just reopened only to be closed again. That is where my years as a photographer came in handy. I used my repertoire of photographs in my slides. It wasn't the same, of course, but it was the best substitute. It made things more interactive.

During the day, when I'm teaching, preparing lessons or doing research, I go up to a room on the top floor of my apartment building -- my own library. Although I had been using this room for years, it became especially important while staying home full time.

With my two young children staying home full time too, my wife and I had to try to balance work during the day while keeping our kids occupied. This is not something unique; it's a challenge parents around the world have been faced with. I must admit that I am enjoying the amount of time we're able to spend together. When I am in my room upstairs, the kids are with their nanny or playing with other children. Then in the late afternoon, we run around playing tag or hide-and-seek. It's a way to entertain my kids and for me to stay active. The closure of all the sports centers was a sore loss, as I like keeping fit. When the tennis courts I used to play in reopened, I quickly went back to them, abandoning the wall in my garden that had been my tennis partner for the past few months.

I miss traveling, going out, playing sports, visiting places in Cairo with my students and taking part in regular activities outside of the house, but I'm thankful to be living in a community surrounded by colleagues, friends and family. We have potlucks in the garden every Thursday, which is a great way for the adults to socialize while the kids play with each other. I understand that things might get worse, and we may no longer be able to see each other, but for the moment, it's been nice to have this space, these people, and not be confined to one apartment. It's great to have a sense of community.

By Yakin Ouederni, as told by Bernard O'Kane, professor of Islamic art and architecture

 

 

I am a homebody, so I'm enjoying my stay at home. Remote work saved the time of driving daily to and from campus. It is great that once I finish work, I'm home. I think removing the commute time from my schedule is awesome. Now I can sleep more before working hours and spend quality time with my family after finishing work.
 

For some reason, the workload has increased significantly during the quarantine. I am not sure why, probably because the current conditions required so many arrangements on the IT side to cater for remote work. One thing I noticed is that the working hours used to be those spent on campus, but with remote work, they are not that fixed anymore. I am currently involved in different projects, including regularly updating our webpage with all the IT services and solutions we're offering; preparing feedback forms; and conducting research, whether focus groups or surveys, to better understand student needs during this period -- in addition to other software and mobile application projects. What's so different for me is that all our activities and announcements now only take place through online channels, such as Microsoft Teams and Google Forms. The number of meetings is also higher than usual. I actually used to find difficulty focusing during online meetings, but I'm much better now. It is an important skill I've gained during this period.

Another skill I'm acquiring is cooking. Not being able to order food as frequently as I used to encouraged me to experiment with online recipes. Although it wasn't of great success at first, it was a fun experience, and I'm hoping I will get better with time. I've delved into only one cuisine: Italian. I made green bean salad and spaghetti Bolognese, which I prepared with my daughter. She handled the spaghetti, and I made the sauce.

The main problem I'm facing during the quarantine is not being able to visit my mother. Given the fact that elderly people are at a higher risk, taking this decision was my only option. Aside from this, some other challenges I'm facing include closure of sports clubs and the lack of sports facilities -- and, of course, the hassle of sterilizing myself and whatever I bring back home before being able to use it.

I'm hoping this will all end soon. It's definitely a learning period for me in many ways, but I miss life as we know it, or rather as we knew it, and I miss the fresh morning breeze at the AUC gardens on my way to the office.

By Nahla El Gendy, as told by Mohammad Radwan (MA '14), customer experience manager in the Office of Information Technology

 

A U.S.-based alumna reflects on what it's like to be a health care professional during the pandemic.
 

By Yakin Ouederni

For Hanaa Ibrahim '90, heroes nowadays look very different from the ones we see in movies. Instead of capes, they're draped in white coats and scrubs, and instead of fighting off villains, they're treating and containing COVID-19. However, while they do not look the same, they share a common goal: to save lives. As many of them as possible.

Ibrahim is the director of pharmacy in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. When the coronavirus hit the United States, New York became the epicenter of the pandemic, with more than 350,000 confirmed cases and over 40,000 in her county. Ibrahim -- whose responsibilities as pharmacy director include overseeing the Suffolk County central pharmacy, medical programs in two jails and vaccination programs for uninsured residents -- saw her duties expand with the rapid spread of the virus.

"I oversee the distribution of testing kits to the nursing homes, fire departments and other centers so they can test the public," she said. "We also created PODs, Points of Distribution, where we create sort of a mobile hospital to draw blood and test. We're also taking care of tracing patients and all those they had been in contact with in the past 14 days and possibly have been exposed to the virus."

Ibrahim is playing a large role in the county's coronavirus public health response. Her days are filled with meetings, site visits, emergency preparedness, tracking cases and ensuring people are properly tested and traced. When a vaccination for coronavirus becomes available, she will be in charge of the vaccination program in the county.

"The efforts played out beautifully," she said about the county's public health initiative. "We flattened the curve. Had we not flattened it, we would have been worse than Italy."

But that doesn't mean it's over. As the United States began reopening the economy, states have started to see a rise in the number of cases. And more recently, the country is witnessing a wave of public gatherings as people take to the streets to protest police brutality.

"How is this going to translate pandemically? I don't know," Ibrahim said. "It's like a perfect storm."

For now, Ibrahim and her colleagues have put together policies and procedures for all possible scenarios. "We have a plan A, plan B and plan C," she said. "It's emergency preparedness -- all 'what if' situations."

Thinking ahead is nothing new for Ibrahim. In 2008, she was the first in New York to introduce the practice of Emergency Room Pharmacists, now a common -- and deemed critical -- practice across the country. She was met with skepticism when proposing this idea but went on to become a health care pioneer in the state.

"I believed in what I was doing," she reflected. "In your job, don't look under your feet; look 10 years from now. The world 50 years ago is nothing like the world today. If you think your job is going to stay the same your whole life, you'll probably lose it."

And it's with that same mentality that she puts on her cape each morning, saying goodbye to her family as she and thousands of other health care workers go to the frontline. She says that she's tired and exhausted, and the slightest things have started to make her cry, but that doesn't stop her from heading to her office. If anything, it has made her stronger.

"Every day is a challenge, but every day is also a success story and milestone," she said. "I appreciate my family more, my friends more, my lifestyle and my religion even more now."

Ibrahim and her family

While Ibrahim is dedicated to doing her job, she wants everyone else to do theirs too. For now, she advises people to keep their social distance, wear masks, be conscious and not take the matter as a joke. For the future, she wants governments worldwide to be transparent and work together when fighting the same battle.

"What hit China hit the rest of the world in one month and a half," she said. "We're going to have more pandemics in time. When that happens, countries shouldn't point fingers. They should learn from each other's mistakes and think globally."

Even as Ibrahim's career progressed since graduating from AUC with a bachelor's in chemistry in 1990, followed by a bachelor's in pharmacy from St. John's University and a doctorate in clinical pharmacy from Shenandoah University, she says that AUC has been with her every step of the way. It's at AUC, she affirmed, where she was taught to think critically and solve problems creatively.

Ibrahim was a ballerina during her time at AUC

"Thank you, AUC, for everything you've done for me," she said. "Where I am now is all a product of AUC. It's not an institution; it's a culture and a family that taught me how to think."

And it's as an AUCian, "heart and soul," she asserted, that she will continue to fight for people's lives.

 

 

By Yakin Ouederni

You probably never used to count the number of times you shake hands or give hugs during the week. Once a natural moment, saying hello or reaching out for a quick pat or nudge were instinctive gestures that have now transformed into an awkward elbow tap, a slight wave or, more commonly, nothing at all.

With the world told to social distance since the pandemic, many have abided by strict isolating rules: wearing masks, keeping a distance of at least 2 meters away from others and engaging in no physical contact. But with a number of vaccines already being administered around the world, the pertinent question of 'to touch or not to touch' remains afloat. Will we be able to go back to physical contact as normal? Was this just a phase we will quickly outgrow? Experts say they hope so.

"We are hardwired to connect with others," said Hani Henry, associate professor of psychology and associate dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. "So I honestly think that for our mental health, we need to get out of this distancing as much as we can without compromising current protective guidelines."

Apart from the apparent physical tolls of COVID-19 on one's health, the virus has also unleashed a wave of mental and psychological issues that arise from isolation and distance from other humans. "It's been proven that loneliness and isolation can precipitate or exacerbate depression or anxiety," Henry said. "More and more people feel isolated and are feeling depressed or anxious as a result. Because we're social animals, we thrive through connectedness and the sharing of experiences. When this gets cut off, it can affect our mood, our sense of the world, our perception of danger and our skills."

Elbow tapping has become a common form of greeting during the pandemic

Irene Strasser, assistant professor of psychology, used the term 'disembodiment' to describe the consequences of our limited contact with others. It's not even about having the contact itself but what we gain from being together -- body language, gaze and unspoken expressions.

"Our interactions are more or less disembodied," Strasser said. "We need to put more effort into communicating informally. I think of my students and the fact that after class, I click on 'end meeting,' and everyone is alone in front of the computers. There is no walking out of the classroom together, no going for a quick coffee."

The issue isn't even the physical space or the act of getting coffee but the "room" for informal conversations where we connect personally -- "the kind of communication where we bond, happen to find similarities, experience empathy and sympathy, share experiences and evaluate our own feelings in relation to the other," she said.

As with all discussions about COVID-19, the question of touch boils down to one thing: science. Touch, Henry explained, is our first tool of communication as humans. "If you give a baby a toy, the first thing they do is to touch and feel it," he said.

Touch is both how we receive and express emotions. "Research has shown that we can experience a wide variety of feelings such as love, happiness and sympathy, or anger, fear and disgust through touch," Henry added. More so, touch may lower stress hormones and release oxytocin, which enhances your sense of trust and attachment. In moments of grief, we squeeze and hold tight; in happiness, we hug; and in love, we kiss.

The importance of touch in our lives has long been a question of study. American psychologist Harry Harlow's wire monkey experiment showed that touch plays just as important a role as basic survival needs like food and water. Harlow built two 'mother' monkeys, one made with wire and the other covered in soft fluffy cloth. In one of the experimental conditions, the wire mother provided baby monkeys with food, while the fluffy one did nothing. In the end, Harlow found that the babies spent more time with the fluffy mother, despite her not providing them with any sort of nutrition -- just comfort.

"That was interesting to see, and Harlow would say the need to touch, the need for tactile comfort is innate, not only human," Strasser said, quantifying the wired monkey example with a reminder that humans are much more complicated beings and are able to find comfort in diverse interactions.

"Physical touch is not the only way of feeling close, attached and connected," she said. "We feel touched by someone who is just leaning in, looking at you or talking in a calming way, or for example, being touched by a particular gaze, how someone looks at you, displaying care, understanding, solidarity, warmth or when falling in love."

Despite the known benefits of coming out of isolation and reverting to old practices of physical touch, the process of renormalizing human interaction is no easy task, and it's likely that not everyone will hastily return to pre-COVID ways.

And there are places like Egypt, where kissing and hugging are an integral part of the culture, where social gatherings and face-to-face interactions are not just things that come along with life but are woven into the social fabric of the country. It's common to see those who are "indifferent" to the pandemic in Egypt -- going about their daily lives, pandemic or not -- and once COVID-19 is over, the country will likely see a quick change of behavior among those who are taking precautions now.

Henry, who has conducted multiple studies focusing on the collectivist nature of Egyptian society, noted that the avoidance of distancing measures is not about ignorance as much as it is about maintaining harmony -- an essential element of collectivism.

"I've seen people take off the surgical masks to kiss each other, and then they put the mask on again," Henry said. "Why do people do that? The self is not very independent or individualistic. And so the idea of harmony with people takes precedence over human individuality."

Strasser agreed that physical contact in cultures like Egypt will likely not go away any time soon.

"I don't think that kissing and hugging will disappear from any cultural context. Maybe we will continue adopting different ways of informal greetings, gatherings, and showing appreciation and connectedness for a while or within particular contexts. But most people still have their bubbles where they kiss, hug and physically touch each other," Strasser said.

With about five major COVID vaccines being administered at the moment, including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and the Sinopharm Chinese vaccine, the process of returning to normal can be quicker than we expected. But what exactly does getting vaccinated mean? Does it answer the question of "to touch or not to touch" with a simple "touch?"

"Vaccination is our hope to end the pandemic and go back to normal life," said Ahmad Moustafa, professor of biology at AUC.

Moustafa explained that the extent of protection of vaccines is measured by efficacy. The Pfizer vaccine is measured at 95% efficacy, meaning that once you take it, you reduce your risk of contracting COVID by 95%. The long-term effects of the COVID vaccines can be predicted by looking at other viruses in history, Moustafa said. Polio has been virtually eradicated globally, with a 94% efficacy vaccine. However, the protection that vaccines offer cannot be seen unless we reach "herd immunity."

"Herd immunity happens when a particular proportion of the population gains immunity against the virus through vaccination or previous exposure to the virus. Then the immune subpopulation will protect the smaller proportion without the immunity," Moustafa said.

Regarding COVID-19, the vaccination needs to reach about 80-90% of the population to achieve herd immunity. How long it will take depends on how fast the vaccine is delivered.

The best way to move forward is to learn how to deal with uncertainty, Strasser emphasized. It's no question that social distancing is the solution to slow down the spread of the virus and actually save lives until the vaccine is widely available. "It's a good idea in the midst of a pandemic to help flatten the curve, and if even more people could engage in more social distancing, wearing masks and other precautionary measures, it would probably be even better," Strasser said.

But it's equally as important to not allow for this sudden change to drift us too far from what it means to be human. "With the current pandemic, we live in constant awareness of staying in distance to others," she added. " I think it's important that we do not become alienated from each other, that we still feel solidarity and empathy and connected to 'the other' as human beings, even outside our bubbles of families and friends."

So it seems our question involves an open-ended answer, one that depends on the individual, the course of events and, of course, science. For Henry, this crisis has not only made people aware of what we took for granted and the importance of connections, but has proven that human resilience is indeed remarkable. And it's that resilience that paves the way for our return to brighter days, he said.

"Think about the feeling you have when you go to the cinema and you are with other people who are laughing and that laughter is contagious. Or think about the happiness and excitement you feel when you watch a soccer game along with people. Think about the spirit of rekindling love, of mending the rapture that happened between people."

 

By Nahla El Gendy, as told by AUC faculty

Jillian Campana, theatre professor and associate dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences

For over 20 years, I sought to avoid online teaching and even hybrid course design. Learning and teaching are more than the transfer of knowledge. They are about falling deeply in love with a subject matter, research question, theory or practice. They involve a reciprocal relationship between educator and students in which together they question ideas, discover approaches and solve problems. This is really difficult to accomplish via an online platform or email correspondence. People of all ages, socioeconomic backgrounds and cultures are currently citing high levels of isolation, and most of us are less connected to people outside of our bubble. Without the ability to establish new relationships, we are not challenged to understand perspectives other than our own.

For this reason, I believe that when we are able to return to face-to-face educational experiences, there will be a surge in pedagogical trends that seek to connect students and honor dialog and experiential educational practices.

Students have missed the classroom. Teachers have missed the classroom. We will all be grateful to resume study in a space together, and out of this gratitude will come innovation.

At the same time, problems generally lead to creative solutions and groundbreaking discoveries. In our current situation, students and teachers are at the forefront of such problem solving because we have a finite time, typically four years, to work and learn together, and so we need to make the most out of remote and hybrid study. Many professors are learning to use and incorporate technology into their courses better, and these tools will remain a steady part of our classes even after we return to campus, connecting older faculty to the younger generation who rely on technology. Students are reaching out to their instructors more for informal conversations. I have had many individual Zoom meetings and phone calls with students -- an example of how individualized instruction will forge lasting connections.

As a professor of theatre, remote work has been a unique challenge but also an opportunity to transform and invent new forms and make new connections.

We have had masterclasses through Zoom with distinguished artists living abroad like Yussef El Guindi, and we held a playwriting event last spring in which almost 100 students, faculty and alumni submitted original plays. These events would not have happened if we had not been craving creative outlets.

Of course, theatre relies on the relationship between artist and spectator, in much the same way that a classroom relies on the connection between student and teacher. It is the very energy in the space and the way the emotions and ideas spread from performer to audience that make the medium of theatre powerful. We simply cannot bring an audience into an enclosed space these days, so rather than change the discipline, we are making use of different types of performance venues and audience engagement techniques.

AUC's Spring 2021 play, Msh Zanbek, formerly titled You, W-Ana Too, is an outdoor site-specific performance in which five original short plays will be performed in five different outdoor locations. Small audience groups of approximately 10-15 people will watch each play (masked) and then follow a student guide to the next outdoor location to watch the next play. In this way, audiences will rotate through all five plays, watching the stories unfold. Since the topic of the play is sexual harassment, I am particularly interested in how conversations between audience members will unfold as they walk together to the next performance. The experience will be more interactive than a traditional play and will hopefully spur change and dialogue. Without the current restrictions on public gatherings, this performance would have been held in the Malak Gabr Arts Theater or The Gerhart Theater. As comforting and easy as that would have been, it is incredibly exciting to come up with an unusual and new approach to making and viewing a play.

I believe that out of this very difficult time will come a stronger, more connected and more innovative educational community.

Ahmed Tolba '97, '01, associate professor of marketing

Can the COVID-19 pandemic produce positive consequences? Can we look at the glass half-full?

I believe we can, particularly in the education field.

Since March 2020, faculty members have passed through three phases. First, there was the "panic" phase, whereby all what we hoped for was to save the semester. Then we experienced the "adaptability" phase, where we gained confidence in delivering online courses, albeit with a few reservations and still with a hope to return back to campus. Finally, we are passing through the "new normal" phase, where we hope to maximize the use of the effective online tools to complement face-to-face instruction.

In my opinion, the new normal in education should include more hybrid models. Students should be able to attend synchronous classes on-campus and online. This should attract international students to join programs and courses without travel. The new normal will involve more use of technology and more reliance on experiential learning in class to complement online learning tools. This will avail more time for interaction and practical applications, which, in turn, should raise the quality of education.

It is up to us to look at the glass half-full. Let's capitalize on a crisis to build a better future!

  

Hamed Shamma '99, '02, associate professor of marketing and BP Endowed Chair at AUC's School of Business

COVID-19 has been a significant disruptor to our lives -- probably the most considerable one we have faced so far. It has forced us to change how we do everything. In education, it has forced us to go online. We never thought or believed that being online would be as good as face-to-face instruction. But I have to say that online learning opened up new avenues that we never realized until we actually experienced it.

Going online made me question: Are we really making the best use of our face-to-face classes? If most of what we do in class can be done over Zoom -- this is the case in my marketing classes; it may differ for sciences or other disciplines -- then what should we offer in face-to-face classes? It made me challenge myself and think that I need to bring learning to a new level once we are back on campus.

Going online provided an easier connection with practitioners, consumers and businesses from Egypt and worldwide. If we need to connect with any stakeholder, it is much easier than we thought. With a click on a Zoom link, we are all together in class. This is obviously convenient for everyone. It also allowed us to better communicate with students, who realized that it is easy to talk and have a video call with professors, colleagues and other entities outside of class time. This was formerly limited to office hours on campus, but now, this can virtually happen at any point in time.

We have realized the benefits of online learning, but we have also realized that 100% online is just not the best experience.

Once the pandemic starts to diminish to safe levels for us to go back to campus, I am sure we will do things differently. Here is what I will do:

1. Less explanation of concepts and more engagement with students in class

2. More open-book exams

3. Regularly connecting with other students, marketing practitioners and consumers in different parts of the world to augment the practical learning experience and international exposure

We have always been talking about blended learning. We can no longer depend on 100% face to face nor 100% online. A mix of both tools will be the way forward.

Education is changing for good. This disruption will force educators to change their learning methodologies and use a mix of tools to provide students with the best learning experience. The future of education will definitely be more exciting than it currently is.