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By Em Mills and Devon Murray

Do you ever ask yourself, "Why do I keep attracting the same kind of partner?" or "Why do I find myself in the same types of relationships -- which always seem to end -- over and over again?"

Getting to know your attachment style may answer some of these questions and help you break free from a seemingly endless cycle. Attachment theory explores the relationship, or emotional bond, between a child and their primary caregiver. Such a bond plays an integral part in developing a child's sense of security, which later affects their adult relationships, according to Nour Zaki, visiting assistant professor in AUC's Department of Psychology.

The theory includes four attachment styles that are defined by our perceptions of ourselves and others: secure, anxious, avoidant and disorganized. "Knowing your style can help you understand your needs in relationships, and how to express them in a healthy way," says Zaki, whose research focuses on attachment theory.

'Cradle to Grave'

The theory was initially developed by researchers John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth in the mid-to-late 20th century. Before their work, the general consensus was that human and animal babies stayed close to their mothers because they associated them with nutrition.

"Bowlby started to think, 'There is something emotional here. It's not just about food; it's about seeking proximity,'" says Zaki. "Babies cannot survive on their own. They need to be close to an adult figure who is able to provide that sense of safety."

This adult is known as the "primary caregiver" in attachment theory. "Typically, this is a child's mother but not always," Zaki explains. "It can be the father, an adoptive mom, a grandparent or even an older sibling in some cultures."

At around six to nine months, a baby begins to differentiate between caregivers and strangers. "At this stage, we begin to see stranger anxiety and separation anxiety, displayed by a clear preference for certain caregivers. These are healthy signs of attachment," Zaki says.

Depending on the quality and consistency of care a child receives from their primary caregiver, their attachment will likely develop in line with one of the theory's four styles: "If a caregiver is attuned to their child's needs, the child learns that they are worthy of attention and that they can rely on others," Zaki says. "This usually leads to secure attachment -- the belief that we deserve love and can trust other people."

Bowlby has a famous saying: "Attachment stays with you from the cradle to the grave." Your relationship with your caregiver is a major player in developing your core beliefs, or "internal working models," which dictate how you see yourself and others, how comfortable you are setting boundaries as well as other aspects of relating to people.

The Four Styles of Adult Attachment

So, what are the characteristics of each attachment style? And what factors might lead to their development?

Secure

A secure attachment allows you to express vulnerability with your partner and engage in intimate relationships that feel safe and consistent.

"This person is able to express themself while maintaining a sense of reciprocity. They can support their partner but also ask for what they need. This includes setting healthy boundaries and having a grounded sense of who they are outside of the relationship."

Anxious

Anxious attachment (referred to as a "preoccupied attachment" in the context of adult relationships) often results when a primary caregiver is inconsistent in caring for their child; care is sometimes present and other times not. This unpredictability causes the child to question their own self-worth.

"Individuals with this attachment style need external reassurance and may have a fear of abandonment. They may need to hear 'I love you' very often or feel jealous easily if their partner is giving attention to other people."

Avoidant

Avoidant attachment (or "dismissive attachment" in adults) stems from a caretaker who is consistently absent, unavailable or unresponsive to their child. This dynamic pushes the child to develop a negative image of other people.

"Individuals with dismissive attachment have a sense of 'defensive independence.' They highly prioritize their space -- and actually feel very triggered -- if they feel that someone is too close."

Disorganized

The rarest type of attachment is referred to as disorganized attachment (or "fearful attachment" in adults). This most commonly occurs in cases of abuse, where the child experiences something called the "fear dilemma" -- the caregiver is the person they're supposed to go to when afraid, but is also the person they are afraid of.

Are We Doomed?

You may be wondering, "Will I always push people away then?" or "Am I stuck in this pattern forever?"

"No one's attachment style is fixed," Zaki affirms. While you may have a tendency to fall into a certain pattern, it can be different in each individual relationship depending on your dynamic with your partner.

"Understanding where your patterns come from can give you a sense of empowerment instead of feeling like you're on autopilot, because what we're used to in terms of relationship dynamics eventually becomes like autopilot, right?" says Zaki.

She is also quick to note that each attachment style has strengths and weaknesses. "It's not just about understanding our vulnerabilities, but also our strengths, because each attachment style has its own points of strength." For example, the independence that comes with avoidant behavior can be beneficial in the workplace, where one might be more inclined to push themselves and take the initiative before being asked to do something. It all depends on the ability to express your needs in a clear, healthy way.

"If you feel like you've had a challenging childhood experience or are facing relationship dynamics that aren't ideal or healthy, looking at these dynamics can help put you on the road to self-understanding from a developmental perspective." says Zaki.

Breaking the Cycle

Zaki's interest in attachment theory developed as she worked on her PhD dissertation at Universidad Catolica San Antonio de Murcia in Spain, where she explored the transition to motherhood and how a mother's attachment style relates to how she views herself as a future mom. She is interested in how attachment styles are passed across generations, and how such cycles are broken.

"We often hear people say that despite wanting to raise their children differently than their parents, they end up doing or echoing the very things they heard growing up," she says. "Identifying and understanding one's attachment style empowers us to work on our vulnerabilities and insecurities early on, so we can avoid becoming triggered while transitioning to parenthood. This developmental approach to parenting is very powerful."

Hoping to support the next generation, Zaki conducts workshops and lectures in Egypt and collaborates with a number of international organizations, including the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health. She also teaches and conducts research related to developmental psychology and mother-infant attachment in her Attachment Lab at AUC, which recently received a research support grant from the University for her latest research project on the intergenerational transmission of attachment between mothers and their babies.

Her advice for readers? "It's never too late."

 

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Professor, researcher, podcast queen -- these are a few of the many job titles you'll find in Kim Fox's email signature.

Since joining AUC in 2009, Fox has become a podcasting powerhouse, being named among Podcast Magazine's inaugural 40 Over 40 podcasters in 2022. Today, she is constantly on the move: flying to the United States to lead a meeting for the Broadcast Education Association, developing a new episode of her multi award-winning podcast Ehky ya Masr (Tell Your Story, Egypt) or delving into academic research across a number of current topics, from feminism in podcasting to teaching journalism online.

On the rare day that she isn't donning one of her professional hats, you can find her on the lush island of Zamalek, where she has lived since moving to Cairo.

I often spend weekends socializing and doing things in the city. Last semester, I went to the Art d'Egypte exhibit at the pyramids with a posse of friends, had a Thanksgiving potluck and took a Nile Taxi ride. Zamalek has been unraveling, you know. The cool places change.

I ride my bike around Zamalek on Friday and Saturday mornings. Living in Egypt, I often miss going to green spaces and just hanging out and walking around without the tension that one experiences while moving in Cairo. You have to seize the window when there isn't too much traffic or people out. On a tough morning, I get up before the rest of the city wakes up, get on my bike and am like, "Yeah. This is what I'm here for. More of this, please and thank you." Riding around warms my heart; it's a bit of freedom. There's nothing like it.

Cairo is a crazy place, so you definitely have to find your pocket of people who will help you out. The people I've met at AUC and in Cairo are amazing, and the list keeps growing. If we didn't have that kind of a support system, it would be really difficult to survive the antics of the city, work and life. Everyone's trying to look out in the best way. I try to encourage this in my classroom at AUC, building a community that cares about each other. I've also grown a global community, which is something I'm really proud of. Podcast scholars, creatives -- I've got pockets of people everywhere.

I've found that if you don't champion yourself, no one else will. As a creative scholar, I'm usually working in the realm of podcasts, but I also publish a lot of academic research in quality journals. My biggest achievement is being the first ever winner of two BEA Festival of Media Arts Awards in the same year for my podcast, which has no budget. My students have won more than 80 international awards. The length of my email signature is a testament to the work that I am doing. Let people know what you do.

Kim Fox is a professor of practice in AUC's Department of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Fox often rides her bicycle in Zamalek on weekend mornings. Photo by Rawan Ezzat. 

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By Ian Greer

What does an Umm Kulthum song mean when sung at a protest? Or the music of Sheikh Imam in the middle of a 21st-century digital revolution? These are some of the questions that puzzled a young AUC student during the turbulent 2010s and which he has answered in a new, groundbreaking book that traces the unwritten popular history of modern Egypt.

Andrew Simon (CASA '10) is a senior lecturer in the faculty of Middle Eastern studies at Dartmouth College in the United States and a graduate of the Center for Arabic Study Abroad @AUC (CASA@AUC). He is also the author of Media of the Masses: Cassette Culture in Modern Egypt (Stanford University Press, 2022), a book that delves deep into the modern history of Egyptian popular culture, spread through new technological mediums.

Andrew Simon

The story of Simon's book, the product of 10 years of work, begins during his time as CASA@AUC student in 2010.

"I arrived the summer prior to the revolution," recalls Simon. "The CASA program at the time was based in the downtown campus, right next to the midan (Tahrir Square). So we had mass demonstrations right outside of our classroom. I was living with a few friends in an apartment in Munira just up the street a few blocks away, and we attended demonstrations almost every day. It's something that I remember quite vividly, that would shape not only me personally but my academic interests going forward."

Outside of the classroom, Simon was struck above all by the "acoustic culture" of the protests: instruments, slogans, chants and songs by Egyptian singers old and new, deployed for political action sometimes beyond their original contexts. Simon returned to the United States to write on Egypt's soundscape.

The acoustic culture of Egypt's revolution had its roots in new cultural mediums of the late 20th century, Simon found. "When it came time to write a dissertation, the thing that I realized connects all these topics is cassette tapes. They were present in all of these stories. That's when I set out to write a history of cassette technology that became a history of Egypt."

An Unofficial History

In Media of the Masses, Simon calls cassettes "the internet before the internet." Using cheap cassette tapes, anyone could create culture, even culture opposed to the ruling regime. Among the most prominent adopters of the technology was Sheikh Imam, a singer and social critic popular in late 20th-century Egypt who figures prominently in Simon's book. Imam's 'Nixon Baba,' a witty critique of Anwar Sadat's welcome of the American President Richard Nixon in 1974, is among Simon's favorite Egyptian songs.

Focused on the music, ideas and concerns of everyday Egyptians over the decades, Media of the Masses is an unofficial history of modern Egypt, far from sweeping national narratives. Without sources available in the Egyptian National Archives, Simon relied on oral history, Egyptian films, and decades of local newspapers and magazines to construct his own popular history of the country.

Explore Simon's work

The history of the 1970s and 1980s in Egypt is typically focused on the period's major wars, governance and Islamic revival movements, not pop culture, Simon explains. "In this book, I tried to shift all of those things. So rather than looking at momentous events, I focus on more mundane things like music. Rather than looking at religion, I tried to look at secular, profane things. Rather than looking at the consolidation of power, I look at people who challenged political authority. I tried to offer a very different story and focus on people who were, frankly, written out of history."

The singer Sheikh Imam is a prime example; popular in his own time but practically absent from the mainstream Egyptian historical record. "I think he's someone whose songs really resonated with people and meant something to them, but scholars and historians haven't written about him because they probably don't deem him as a worthy subject matter," observes Simon. "That's something I tried to change in this book."

Decidedly light on academic theories, Media of the Masses is meant to be engaging and accessible, something anyone can understand, just like the popular music it documents. "My primary audience are Egyptians; I wrote this book to be read here in Cairo," says Simon, adding that the independent Egyptian publishing house Dar El Shorouk will release an Arabic translation of the book later this year. "It was a dream of mine for a long time to have an Arabic translation," Simon says. "It will hopefully be available at a future Cairo Book Fair."

Cairo Connections

Now an academic and fluent in Arabic, Simon fondly remembers how the CASA program boosted his Arabic-language skills and drew him irresistibly into Arab popular culture. "CASA was the first time I felt like I wasn't studying Arabic as a language," remarks Simon. "We weren't studying grammar. Instead, we studied subjects in Arabic. We would learn Arabic literature while immersed in Egyptian culture."

Simon's book is a testament to his enduring connection to Egypt and its people, first formed during his time as a CASA student at AUC more than 10 years ago. He spent years living in the country after finishing his undergraduate degree and has been coming back ever since. Despite Egypt's many changes since 2010, Simon says that the most important part of the country's culture -- its people -- are still the same.

"The man who sells aseer asab [sugarcane juice], the people working at the grocery store and laundromat -- all of those individuals are still there. And they recognize me," he says. "When I come back to Cairo, they tell me 'You look a little older. You didn't have as much gray hair when we first met 15 years ago.' So some things have changed, and other things have remained the same."

Main image: Abu Hamza Cassette Shop in Cairo. Photos courtesy of Andrew Simon

 

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By Devon Murray

Post-truth" has gone from buzzword to full-blown force in reshaping politics, media and public trust. Gabriele Cosentino, assistant professor in AUC's Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, explores how this phenomenon has been reshaping our understanding of truth and its influence on society over the past decade.

Through extensive research, Cosentino has found that the post-truth era is related to a broad decline of trust in institutions, including media and political bodies. "As trust in these entities has eroded, it has become harder for them to present information that a majority of people will believe and rely on," he says.

This loss of trust has created a new landscape where emotion and belief often trump fact, allowing misinformation to take hold and influence public opinion. "In the age of the internet, social media has allowed misinformation to spread faster and wider than ever before, disrupting traditional forms of political communication and leading to serious consequences," Cosentino adds.

The bulk of Cosentino's research on post-truth has culminated in two books -- Social Media and the Post-Truth World Order (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020) and The Infodemic. Geopolitics, Disinformation, and the Covid-19 Pandemic (Bloomsbury Academic, 2023). The first draws on case studies from around the world to demonstrate post-truth as a global phenomenon, and the second examines how the pandemic played out in the era of misinformation.

Gabriele Cosentino, photo by Mohamed Badawy

A New Era

Cosentino's interest in post-truth began during U.S. President Donald Trump's political ascension in 2016, which reminded him of Silvio Berlusconi, an Italian media tycoon-turned-politician and the topic of Cosentino's PhD dissertation at New York University. "A lot of people drew parallels between Trump and Berlusconi, so I wrote a book in 2017 that tried to make sense of Trump and link his success to the precedent set by Berlusconi. And then as I was writing this book, the whole topic of post-truth exploded."

With populist movements gaining ground in Western democracies and emerging powers like China challenging the world order, the era of global U.S. hegemony is coming to an end, Cosentino says. "What we are seeing now is a shift in global power dynamics and the unraveling of the U.S.-led liberal democratic model. A new geopolitical era is coming to life, and its contours are still blurry."

Cosentino argues that the shift goes beyond politics and economy, extending into ideology. For example, during the coronavirus pandemic, misinformation fueled distrust in vaccines and mask mandates, which he explores in his book, The Infodemic. He describes COVID-19 as the first public health crisis of the post-truth era, marked by an intense battle of information between experts and the public across media platforms.

Finally, the post-truth condition is characterized by emotions and beliefs taking precedence over facts and rationale. This can especially be seen in politics, where campaigns employ fear-based rhetoric to sway voters on issues like immigration, security and public health, creating divisions based on irrational fears rather than informed debate. "Traditional truths and established narratives are no longer universally accepted," he says. "In fact, they are being actively contested on multiple fronts."

The Emotional Economy

"Post-truth" was chosen by Oxford Dictionaries as its 2016 Word of the Year, a decision prompted by two political events that year that had shocked the world: the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency and the Brexit referendum. "Both events were, in a way, symptoms of the post-truth crisis because they were marked by an overwhelming amount of false information -- both unintentional (what we refer to as 'misinformation') and intentional (what we call 'disinformation')," Cosentino says.

While misinformation and disinformation have always been present in politics and media, Cosentino emphasizes that social media platforms and the large tech companies behind them have greatly exacerbated the post-truth crisis. "People are growing more accustomed to getting their news through social media instead of traditional media companies," he says. "This shift has sparked a power struggle between tech giants and traditional media, both vying for attention and legitimacy."

"It's not that society has moved past truth, but rather that truth has become irrelevant."

Social media platforms thrive on emotional, rather than rational, engagement. "That's where the business model draws much of its power," Cosentino explains. "Watching a self-proclaimed citizen journalist report news while walking down the street feels much more authentic than, say, reading a polished piece from The New York Times, which has likely undergone rigorous research. Unfortunately, a lot of these self-styled journalists are misinformation or propaganda peddlers."

Moreover, social media platforms are designed to boost viral content that keeps users engaged, regardless of its veracity. This can have severe consequences, as illustrated by Cosentino in Social Media and the Post-Truth World Order. He presents the case of Myanmar, where Facebook spread false information and hate speech against the Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group, contributing to the 2017 genocide carried out by Myanmar's security forces.

"The interethnic problems in Myanmar predated the arrival of Facebook, of course, but its aggressive marketing and unsupervised popularization in a fragile democracy produced a quick exacerbation of political issues," he says.

As these companies continue to resist regulation and more sensational content goes unchecked, Cosentino warns that there will continue to be major consequences. "Tech companies have amassed an excessive amount of power, and we are now seeing the impact," he says.

Divide and Conquer

Cosentino reminds us that the impact of social media platforms hasn't always been negative: "Just a few years before 2016, these platforms were hailed as agents of democratization and liberation for societies led by authoritarian governments," he says. "However, after seeing that they could be used to upset the political order, authoritarian regimes studied them to see how they could be used for opposite ends -- to stifle dissent and suppress opposition."

A prime example Cosentino gives of this shift is Russia, which has been found responsible for running countless disinformation campaigns around the world. "The Russians elevated this game to an art form, really," he says. "It caught everyone -- security agencies, politicians and citizens -- by surprise."

Russia has employed disinformation campaigns to influence domestic politics in the United States and Europe, sow fear and hatred toward humanitarian organizations like the White Helmets in Syria and spread anti-Western sentiment in the Central African Republic.

"Using fake accounts, bots, memes, hashtags and viral content, we can see the weaponization of social media by using the same features that activists had used just a few years ago, but now to spread misinformation and propaganda, and ultimately divide society," Cosentino says.

These campaigns are now also an established practice for governments in Turkey, Iran, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Israel and China, among others, where they employ paid citizens, known as state-sponsored trolls, to push content online, Cosentino says. "Of course, they are also used by non-state actors, such as conservative ethno-nationalists or anti-vaxxer groups in the United States and Europe."

The platforms that once promised democratization are now being weaponized to manipulate and divide society, particularly in politics. "For me, at the heart of post-truth lies a political crisis, especially in Western democracies," Cosentino says.

Finding Truth

If the age of unquestioned truths is over, how can we know what to believe? Cosentino writes in the conclusion of Social Media and the Post-Truth World Order that we can no longer reach the truth, nor even get close. "Not because we lack information, but rather because of the sheer amount of conflicting, misleading and constantly changing information that we are exposed to," he writes. "Too much information has cluttered our ability to form a rational opinion and propagandists and demagogues know this all too well."

Despite the efforts of some mainstream media outlets to strengthen their authority by adhering to rigorous journalistic standards, Cosentino argues that recent political events have put us back to square one. "Trump's 2024 victory shows how much impact false information had on the election cycle," he says. "It's not that society has moved past truth, but rather that truth has become irrelevant, as fictional narratives have supplanted evidence-based analysis in forming public opinion."

However, Cosentino believes that the future is not all doom and gloom. "There are no easy solutions, but people can make an effort. In general, internet and social media users are becoming more digitally literate. I can see a growth in awareness in my classroom and online. Of course, tech platforms also need to do their part and be held accountable for their responsibility in allowing the spread of false information," he says.

As the effects of the post-truth era continue to reveal themselves, Cosentino is committed to documenting them through his research. "The political problems resulting from this are very complex and may even take a generation to solve," he says. "As our trust in journalism and scientific inquiry declines, so does our support for democracy, its processes and its institutions. To protect democracy we need a more informed and responsible public opinion, and a better regulated information environment."

 

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Descriptions written by Richard Hoath

For a bustling city that more than 20 million people call home, Cairo hosts a surprising abundance of wildlife. At AUC, the University Garden boasts more than 60 acres of serene space, with trees that bear citrus, mangoes, olives, dates and fragrant flowers, making it a great place to spot some of Egypt's resident and migratory birds.

We asked Richard Hoath, faculty member in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition and author of the Field Guide to the Mammals of Egypt and The Birds of Egypt and the Middle East to help us identify a few of the most common winged beauties with whom we share our campus.

Common Kestrel

Falco tinnunculus

Common Kestrel

This is a small falcon that breeds on campus. The male is smaller than the female, chestnut above, spotted with a black-tipped gray tail, gray head with a distinct moustachial stripe. The larger female is chestnut-brown-spotted and barred black throughout. Senior Thesis biology students have identified at least three nest sites on campus and have shown that they feed on birds, small reptiles and mammals, as well as large insects. Listen out for a penetrating kee kee kee, and watch for a raptor with a long straight tail and narrow pointed wings. The falcon was associated with the god Horus in ancient Egypt.

Spur-winged Lapwing

Vanellus spinosus

Spur-winged Lapwing

A striking wader. Both sexes are pale gray-brown above with a black breast and flanks. It has a black hood and throat and contrastingly white cheeks. The short, straight bill and long legs are black. Very black and white in flight. This species nests on the ground with four eggs in what is little more than a scrape. It can most often be seen in the desert scrub areas near the offices of AUC's Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES). Listen out for a sharp pik pik pik. This is an alarm call that says you are too close to the nest. Leave quietly!

Death's-head Hawkmoth

Death's-head Hawkmoth

Acherontia atropos

 

This spectacular insect is one of Egypt's largest and most impressive moths, its wingspan exceeding the length of some of Egypt's birds such as the Graceful Warbler mentioned below. The forewings are blue-gray complexly marbled with black and white and the hindwings yellow, banded black. It gets its name from the pale, skull-shaped marking on the thorax. Flies mainly at night and lies up by day in the gardens. Spectacular but completely harmless, its sinister reputation was reinforced by a starring role in the movie, The Silence of the Lambs as Hannibal Lecter's sidekick.

 

 

Common Bulbul

Pycnonotus barbatus

Common Bulbul

A small brown bird with a big song and character. Both sexes dull gray brown with a darker brown head and a suggestion of an angular crest. Underparts paler. Bill slender and dark, and with dark legs.

This is one of the most common birds on campus. While it is rather dull in appearance, it makes up for this in voice. It chortles and warbles. Listen out for an agitated tchurr when alarmed. In Sinai, a very similar bird, the white-spectacled bulbul (P. xanthopygos) has a bright yellow bottom (vent).

Blackbird

Turdus merula

Blackbird (female)

Larger than the bulbul and a bird of the gardens. The male is jet black throughout with a bright yellow bill and eye-ring. The female is dark brown above and streaked brown below. The blackbird used to be a winter visitor to Egypt but in recent decades has dramatically increased its range as a breeding species and breeds on campus. Listen out for the wonderfully mellifluous song sometimes given by the male from the top of the library.

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

Great Grey Shrike

Distinctive gray, black and white bird. Both sexes with pale gray upperparts and black wings and tail with white on wings in flight. Look out for a bold black 'bandit' mask through the eyes. This shrike nests on campus in the gardens and defends its nest. Duck! In the States, it is also called the Butcher Bird as it stores its prey, such as beetles, grasshoppers and the like on tree thorns for future use. Elsewhere, it uses barbed wire as an alternative. Clever.

Hoopoe

Upupa epops

Hoopoe

What a striking bird! The eponymous hudhud. Both sexes are cinnamon pink throughout with bold black and white wings and a long, slender downcurved bill. When alert or landing from flight, an elaborate crest is raised similarly tipped in black and white.

Taxonomists don't know what to do with the hoopoe; sometimes it is lumped in with the African woodhoopoes and sometimes put in its own family. An enigma -- and believed to have delivered wisdom to Solomon.

Graceful Prinia

Prinia gracilis

Graceful Prinia

A tiny, mouse-like bird. Dull brown and streaked above and uniformly pale below with a slender bill and a long, slender and skinny tail. Difficult to see but can be heard throughout the gardens with a loud prrlip prrlip prrlip and a tsit. For those in central Cairo, and not afraid of devaluation, the terrace of the Zamalek Marriott is a cert. I prefer our gardens.

Want to learn more? Pick up a copy of Hoath's latest book, The Birds of Egypt and the Middle East, and his Field Guide to the Mammals of Egypt at the AUC Bookstore or buy them online.

All photos excluding shrike and hawkmoth by Ahmad El-Nemr

 

By Abigail Flynn

A young man in Cairo loses sleep worrying about how the city's pollution is worsening his mother's asthma. Meanwhile, a teenage girl on the North Coast is wracked with daily anxiety as rising sea levels threaten to submerge her family home. As the consequences of climate change materialize and intensify, so does the impact they have on mental health.

Kate Ellis, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, studies how climate change is affecting young people in Egypt. "My research is on eco-anxiety. It's a bit of an unusual term, but it refers to the emotional and psychological distress that people experience regarding climate change, like sadness, anger or anxiety," Ellis explains.

These emotions can express themselves in different ways depending on an individual's context. "For some people, climate change is threatening their very livelihoods, so their anxiety stems from their day-to-day struggles," Ellis states. "At the same time, there are others whose lives haven't been directly impacted, but they still have broader concerns about the world, their children and future generations."

Interviewing individuals between the ages of 16 and 25 in Cairo, Alexandria, Marsa Alam and Assiut, Ellis has gained a comprehensive understanding of how the climate crisis is affecting people from different socioeconomic classes. After conducting these focus groups in collaboration with the Christian Blind Mission, an international organization that helps people with disabilities, Ellis attended COP27, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, with an AUC delegation to present her findings.

One major difference that Ellis found was between individuals who live off the land and those who do not. "Anyone who is dependent on the agriculture, fishing or tourism sectors is going to be particularly affected by eco- anxiety. In Alexandria, for instance, many people are anxious because they have lost their homes to rising sea levels or pollution is causing them serious illness," Ellis states.

Not everyone Ellis interviewed mentioned climate change specifically as the cause of their anxieties, but they were still very conscious of the changing environment.

"While many of these people would use a term other than 'climate change,' they were all aware of the environmental impacts that were affecting their lives and communities," Ellis recalls. "We also want to raise awareness of what is causing these environmental impacts, that being climate change."

Meanwhile, people who do not rely on agriculture, like Cairenes, express different concerns. "Focus groups in Cairo were more concerned about the state of the environment and economy," Ellis says. "There was a lot of discussion about nonhuman life, how things like overfishing and river pollution would affect sea life and the economy."

Understanding the types of anxieties young people in Egypt are facing and examining the sources of these stressors help researchers encourage a shift toward more sustainable behavior. For the last six years, Ellis has been working with various community projects that aim to improve sustainability all over Egypt, which is what inspired her to pursue the current eco-anxiety study.

"As people become more anxious due to climate change, they tend to become agitated and withdraw into themselves. You see this particularly in relation to extreme heat," Ellis says about her general findings. "You hear a lot of teenagers saying they don't want to have a family in the future because they're concerned about losing their homes, not having enough money and the world generally falling apart."

One major consequence of climate change and eco-anxiety is people losing a sense of agency. "Average people are angry at both the state and big business and industry. They perceive themselves as not being self-empowered," Ellis explains. "The problem seems too big to address at an individual level."

Ellis hopes to challenge this perception. "We want to show people they can make a difference at the individual and societal levels. There are so many youth groups doing work on climate change throughout Egypt, and we want to work with them to both improve education on climate change and potentially affect some sort of policy transformation," she says.

For those suffering from eco-anxiety, Ellis emphasizes the importance of community dialog. "Letting people express how they're feeling helps reduce anxiety and improve mood. Destigmatizing discussions about mental health is incredibly important," she says.

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By Claire Davenport

May Kassem '05 isn't afraid to make a statement. Her brand, Scarabaeus Sacer, offers a green alternative to mainstream or fast fashion while raising awareness of social issues such as mental health.

The brand name refers to the ancient Egyptian scarab beetle, which is a symbol of rebirth and resurrection. And true to the name, Kassem is on a mission to revitalize Egypt's fashion scene. Kassem started Scarabaeus Sacer in 2018 with her husband Ali El Nawawi, looking to create positive impact while drawing on her background in psychology as well as her corporate experience. The brand was incubated by the AUC Venture Lab.

"I always speak very highly of my time at AUC," she said. "Combining your studies with extracurricular activities really shapes who you are funding, sponsorship and marketing -- even with things as simple as knowing how to present and pitch your ideas," she said.

Sustainability isn't just one factor, Kassem said. It's a combination of strategies to treat labor fairly and equitably, find materials locally, use eco-friendly resources, mitigate carbon emissions, reduce water and energy consumption, and make sure that every part of a product is sustainably sourced.

Scarabaeus Sacer has a transparent supply chain so consumers can see how their clothes are made from farm to closet. "Customers are able to scan a QR code, which will take them to an app where they can see images of every single part of the manufacturing process," Kassem said. "We also reduce waste by using everything that comes out of production, even the scraps."

For Kassem, a big part of the shift into an eco-friendly fashion future needs to be consumer-driven. "Consumers have the power to say no to unsustainable products and should also be on the lookout for certifications such as Fairtrade and Global Organic Textile Standard," campaigning through in-person events and live talks to bring this information to the forefront."

The Scarabaeus Sacer team is working to make its brand even more eco-conscious by experimenting with new inks and dyes sourced from veggies, fruits and other natural resources, as well as finding more sustainable packaging options and continuing to upcycle its lines.

In addition to sustainable fashion, a big part of Scarabaeus Sacer's advocacy work focuses on destigmatizing social issues. Their pilot collection was called "Mind, Body & Soul," focusing on mental health and well-being.

As Kassem noted, "If people walk down the street wearing one of our designs and someone says, 'Oh what's that about?' -- it starts a discussion on anxiety, depression, gender equality and discrimination."

Kassem is excited to watch the conscientious fashion movement grow in Egypt. "Every year, we see more people interested in living sustainably and having eco-friendly options. There is a demand, and now there is a supply. This is just how fashion has to be," she said.

 

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"I see life in sports," says Karim Hosny '05, head of purpose at Right to Dream Academy and co-founder of Nafas, a social enterprise that initiates and manages sports teams for Egypt's underserved youth. "There's teamwork, losses, people supporting each other. It's a positive ecosystem where you can learn a lot."

For Hosny, sports have always been a pillar of life. Growing up, he played basketball at Al Ahly Sporting Club. Later on, while studying business administration at AUC, he was captain of the basketball team and a member of the volleyball and football teams. After completing his MBA at the University of North Florida and landing a job in investment banking, he returned to the University as a part-time football coach. After realizing the profound influence athletics had on his life as well as the lives of his teammates, Hosny felt compelled to share this experience with the larger community.

In Cairo, most football pitches are costly to rent or tied to a private sporting club, leaving many children without access to such activities. "Sports have become a commodity in Egypt," Hosny says. "This is not right; there needs to be a place for children to play, to breathe."

While on a team trip in London, Hosny learned about Street Child United, a charity that hosts athletic games around the world for teams of street children. Later, at the Doha GOALS sports conference, he met the president of the Homeless World Cup. "Things started flowing from there," Hosny recalls. "This inspired us to take the leap from being a group of volunteers into establishing a structure."

Alongside fellow alumni, friends and colleagues, Hosny launched Nafas in 2012. The first team practiced twice per week at AUC's Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Football and Track Stadium before setting off to Brazil to play in the 2014 Street Child World Cup. Nafas has since taken teams of boys and girls to Russia, Qatar, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands and Mexico to compete in similar events.

"The main idea was to give children a breath, or nafas, from their daily lives through sports," Hosny says. "We aimed to complement the work of Cairo's NGOs to give youth opportunities, exposure and pathways -- basically, using sports for good."

The team in Rio de Janeiro, 2014
Photo courtesy of Abdallah Ezzat

Full Circle

Speaking with the now-adults whom Hosny coached a decade ago, the impact of Nafas is apparent. Among the initial Brazil team of nine was Abdallah Ezzat, who had grown up homeless and began living in a Cairo shelter at the age of 8. He was just 13 when the team went to Rio de Janeiro.

"My trip to Brazil was a transformative experience that I cherish," Ezzat reflects. "It inspired me to continue to grow and help others. The coaches, the support and love, the training, the hope -- it has all made a huge difference in my life."

After Brazil, Ezzat became an ambassador for Street Child United and went on to travel with the Nafas team to Russia and Qatar for the third and fourth editions of the Street Child World Cup. Last year, he launched FitLifeU, a social development project seeking to holistically support street children and orphans in Cairo by teaching them computer skills, nutrition and mental health, as well as offering career guidance.

He also gets to know the children outside of the classroom environment, often at dinners or events. "The importance of building connections is something that I learned from Karim and his friends," he says. "I'm trying to follow a similar path."

Ezzat stresses that effective support boils down to people. "The shelters and the system governing them have issues," he admits. "What really helped me the most in the shelter were the volunteers. Some of them were university students like Karim. They were very supportive and loving from the heart."

Hosny and Ezzat at the Street Child World Cup in Moscow, 2018
Photo courtesy of Abdallah Ezzat

The Greater Goal

Hosny is now head of purpose at Right to Dream Egypt, a football academy that provides student-athletes between the ages of 11 and 18 with coaching, education and soft skills development. "Right to Dream is like Nafas but more comprehensive," he says. "We provide everything: housing, food and education. The boys and girls are scouted as children from across Egypt and live at the organization's campus."

Hosny's work at Right to Dream allows him to blend his business savvy and passion for sports. Though he no longer spends his days running teams up and down the field, he hasn't forgotten the importance of staying involved and on the ground -- or in his case, outside on the pitch. "Positive sports environments create massive networks and pathways, both of which help societies grow," he says.

Hosny's network -- which includes hundreds of boys, girls, women and men -- has become a force for change, enabling children to follow their dreams within and beyond the realm of sports. As Hosny asserts, "In nurturing dreams, we create the athletes and leaders of tomorrow, shaping a brighter future for all."

 

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Photos courtesy of the University Archives

When AUC was still a dream, Wendell Cleland, assistant to AUC's founding president, Charles Watson, played a pivotal role in the early vision of the University. Setting out to Cairo to study Arabic and see how viable establishing a university would be, he left the United States in 1917, during World War I. Cleland crossed the Pacific, traveling up the West Coast to Canada, then to Japan, China and India, before passing through the Suez Canal to Port Said.

"But the day we arrived at Port Said, the United States declared war on Germany. ... We had a communication from the Board of Trustees over here and Dr. Watson that they had decided that if a war was going on there that involved Egypt and the threat of the Germans, that there wasn't much opportunity to promote the growth of a new university in Egypt."

After the war, AUC began operations in 1919. Cleland notes that there were many graduates of secondary schools or the Egyptian University who were interested in taking classes at AUC.

"I was appointed to organize, according to the demand of the local community, classes for those who wanted to study certain subjects. And that eventually resulted in the 'Qism Khidma 'Aama,' the extension division of the University, where adults could come along and take courses and eventually get degrees and build up their own esprit de corps and improve their jobs." AUC's School of Continuing Education (SCE) was established in 1924 as the Division of Extension, with Cleland serving as director until 1947.

Wendell Cleland

Local Connections

In the beginning, the school's primary aim was to engage and serve the Egyptian public through lectures, film screenings and outreach programs.

For Cleland, connecting the local community with AUC's foreigners and boosting the school's reputation was of major importance. He describes how the public lectures that began with the Division of Extension were a crucial factor in achieving this goal.

"... We did a good deal of publicity and got speakers speaking in Arabic, including Taha Hussein ... and Al Azhar students would come down in great bulks to take these lectures. ... That built a kind of spirit of goodwill between the foreigners, the Americans, and the local people."

Hanna Rizk, who served as Wendell Cleland's assistant director starting in 1925 and later took over as head of the division before going on to become the first Egyptian vice president of AUC, reflects on the unique freedom afforded to the program's lecturers in one of his reports:

"It is worthy of note that we never place any restrictions on what our lecturers may say and occasionally they may have been surprised when I have told them so. It is also remarkable that the freedom of our platform has never yet been abused by any lecturer."

Hanna Rizk

Rizk's emphasis on the freedom of expression within the division was also reflected in his encouragement of more small-scale and ongoing conversations at AUC about current events. The American University in Cairo: 1919-1987 by Lawrence R. Murphy (AUC Press, 1987) highlights the fact that, "In addition to large lectures, Rizk arranged smaller forums where questions of critical importance to Egypt could be discussed by a more select audience."

The school also screened films at Ewart Memorial Hall and beyond. Ghali Amin, an AUC graduate who worked for the division, noted in his oral history interview that the school began having weekly cinema shows after his first year in order to raise money. This began in 1934 "when families didn't go to public cinema, nor girls alone."

A season ticket cost 25 piasters for one seat in the hall and 30 for the balcony. The films were typically historical, social, scientific or based on literature. King of Kings, a 1927 film that depicts the last weeks of Jesus's life before crucifixion, was shown to a Christian-only audience 20 to 30 times per year around Easter.

"Once Cecil B. Dellille [the film's director] was in Cairo before Easter time. They took him around Ewart Hall to show him the poor Christian families who had come to see the film." Rizk added in a 1947 report: "The King of Kings film is not exhibited in Egypt in any place other than in Ewart Memorial Hall."

It was during this time that Umm Kulthum, the Palestine Orchestra and other major artists performed at Ewart Hall. "AUC was selected because of its good acoustics for recording," Amin said. Despite tumultuous times in Cairo and beyond, attendance remained consistent. Even during World War II, when there were air raids during shows and people would leave the theater into a blackout, "Programs [were] as popular as usual; films came as usual."

Health and Welfare

In the early days of the University, Egypt's rapid population growth prompted the Division of Extension to send its students to visit villages outside of Cairo. Their goal was to assess the challenges faced by the residents and explore ways to help. Cleland recalls the efforts in his oral history interview:

"... It was rather amazing the degree to which the local villagers accepted this kind of aid. We didn't ask them for anything; we offered just to help them."

One of the school's most successful public health campaigns, launched during this period, was the "Save the Eyes" initiative -- whose name was chosen by Rizk and approved linguistically by Taha Hussein. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of eye hygiene and prevent blindness, a pressing concern in Egypt's rural regions. By distributing leaflets, screening educational films and hosting local events, the campaign helped to address a critical health issue while demonstrating the division's ability to engage directly with the public.

Submissions for the "Save the Eyes" poster competition

The school also opened a Child Welfare Clinic in Cairo's Sayeda Zeinab neighborhood in late 1925. During its first six months of operation, the center served 1,294 people, giving 5,056 treatments, mostly to women and children, and operating a small girls-only school, according to minutes from a 1926 Board of Trustees meeting.

The report describes the clinic's location and services:

"The American tourist who occasionally visits this center first gets a ride through narrow, thickly populated streets, where an automobile has to creep and a few drops of rain make mud for two weeks. Just behind the famous tomb-mosque of Lady Zeinab, granddaughter of the Prophet, and near three other mosques, he descends from his car ... Up narrow stone steps he goes to the second story and there he is ushered into a bright, clean reception room from which he can watch events."

A visit to the clinic cost two and a half piasters; however, no one was turned away for inability to pay. Patients could also enjoy demonstrations on childcare, nutritional counseling, advice on cheap materials for creating cradles and bathtubs at home, and religious lessons.

SCE's Child Welfare Clinic in Sayeda Zeinab, Cairo

Evolving with Egypt

Throughout the years, SCE's curriculum has always been set based on the needs of the public. According to Osman Farrag, director of the Division of Public Service from 1966 to 1973 and professor emeritus of psychology, the school offered free courses in psychology, family planning and care for children with disabilities.

Osman Farrag

He describes in an oral history interview how many of the division's courses came to be during his tenure, and specifically how one conversation he would never forget launched one of SCE's most successful programs.

"A student [who] was studying English came to me and said, 'I am a chemical engineer and I am working in a textile factory. ... Suddenly after ten years I have been promoted and became the president of the company. I have 150,000 workers ... I am lost. ... I haven't had any experience in management or administration."

The student told Farrag that there were many like him -- teachers who became headmasters and doctors who were promoted to heads of hospitals. All of them had the same problem: they didn't know how to lead. "We started to offer this [business and public relations] program which flourished and is one of the most important areas of study at AUC now," Farrag said.

Similar stories led to the development of other tailored courses. Farrag describes special programs that upskilled government employees in

Egypt's ministries, such as a massive training program for agricultural workers under President Gamal Abdel Nasser's land reclamation program, and specialized English courses for diplomats, doctors, lawyers, businessmen and legislators. Under Farrag, the school also offered decoration engineering for movie producers and theaters, playwriting and secretarial studies, which was one of the most sought-after courses, he recalls.

"I had at that time a big problem facing the huge number of applicants who [wanted] to attend this course. To the extent that the police sometimes interfered in order to solve our problem because the pressure was tremendous. Why? Because in banks a good secretary can get starting from 3,000 pounds a month to 15,000 pounds a month. The AUC graduates in other departments cannot get this [much], so we used to receive applications from AUC graduates themselves. ... We used to accept about 200 every semester."

A Spirit of Service

To understand the SCE's commitment to community and service, one need only look at its administrators. Mohamed El Rashidi, who worked in the Division of Public Service and its successor, the Center for Adult and Continuing Education, from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, embodied this ethos, as his dedication often extended beyond his official role at AUC. He describes in his oral history interview that he was also in charge of civil defense, where he trained staff members in crisis management and first aid:

"Once, we had a fire at [Ewart Hall]. My people, my people whom I trained, put [out] the fire before the [firemen] came ... In '67, I helped all the Americans [evacuate during the war] ... I took them to Alexandria, put them on a bus to a hotel, and spent the night. And brought them from Alexandria, to Malta or Cyprus or some place. And I was the only Egyptian with them."

Rashidi's example of selfless service reflects the broader legacy of the Division of Extension and its successor programs, which, from their inception, aimed to bridge gaps -- whether through education, cultural exchange or social services. From addressing public health issues to creating new opportunities, SCE's enduring legacy of connection and care continues today.

As Rashidi put it, "CACE is [the] backbone of education in Egypt. ... Anywhere you go, you find our graduates, CACE graduates, holding very good jobs. ... Whether they are police officers, drivers, ministers, under secretaries of state -- they are everywhere, like nerves in a body."

 

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By Dalia Al Nimr

Mariam Mohsen finds solace in music. Playing the piano since she was 8, the integrated marketing communication and political science sophomore who was born with a visual impairment uses music to connect with the world around her, expressing herself beyond words.

This fall, she performed alongside renowned Egyptian musician Omar Khairat at a Student Union concert in AUC New Cairo and delivered a captivating solo performance at the University's celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in AUC Tahrir Square. She was the first to organize an international event in Egypt raising awareness of Braille music, which she studied at Trinity College London.

Mohsen warms up before a performance at Ewart Memorial Hall, photos by Ahmad El-Nemr

"Visually impaired people I've met either think Braille music is very hard or don't know it actually exists," says Mohsen, who heads the Music Committee in AUC's Musicana student organization. "After just relying on my ears to understand the composition of a piece of music, I wanted to know how to actually write music from a theoretical perspective -- so I learned Braille music, which helped me picture the notes in my head while playing them."

Mohsen wanted to spread the word about Braille music, so she organized an online international conference where she invited organizations that transcribe, print or teach Braille music. "My goal was to provide resources to people with visual impairments to pursue music like sighted people do," she recalls. "I want to let every single blind person know that they can do whatever they want if they put their mind to it."

"It's not easy to fight for your goals, but when you see the results, you'll be happy that you actually followed your dreams."

Living by that motto, Mohsen did not just stop at music. She came up with initiatives to increase accessibility and inclusiveness across the country. "Accessibility has always been an integral part of my life," she says. "I was born visually impaired, so I wanted to do something that would make a change or difference in Egypt and the world."

Mohsen was an active participant at the December 2021 annual national celebration for people with disabilities, where she met with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and proposed a recommendation that all official documentation in the country have tactile features or Braille. "I could lose or misidentify my ID or even my passport," says Mohsen, who was named the country's Accessibility Ambassador.

Based on Mohsen's recommendation, the 2023-2024 ballots integrated Braille, and the Central Bank of Egypt embossed a tactile feature into the new plastic EGP 20 banknote, with plans to extend this to more banknotes.

"I worked alongside the Central Bank of Egypt, researching international laws and protocols, and I am proud that Egypt is one of few countries that introduced Braille into their ballots," she says. "It's very fulfilling when you do something that benefits people and impacts them positively."

For Mohsen, this is just the beginning. "I can do even more," she affirms. "It makes me brave and courageous to propose suggestions that will make life better for people like me." Mohsen's younger sister, who also has a visual impairment, is further inspiration for her advocacy. "I want future generations to feel better about themselves," she says. "It's not easy to fight for your goals, but when you see the results, you'll be happy that you actually followed your dreams."

AUC student Mariam Mohsen is working to increase accessibility across the country