L'Aroma: Peacefulness

You like cats, or at least tolerate them, given how many will be trying to sit on your lap while you sip your drink. You enjoy the simple things in life, like spending time sitting in the garden, and you don't mind stretching your lunch break just a teensie bit to enjoy the weather.

TBS: Balance

You enjoy the sweeter things in life. Never without a pastry or sandwich in hand, you strike a balance between the bitterness of your espresso and the sugar in your freshly baked croissant with the same poise that balances all things in your life. That being said, you have things to do, people to see! You take your coffee to go, balancing your teetering treat atop your steaming coffee lid as you head to your next appointment.

Cilantro: Patience

You are blessed with the gift of patience and understand that the best things in life are worth waiting for, which is why you visit the locale with the longest line. You're certainly a social butterfly; your friends spot you across Bartlett Plaza and pop over to chat while you wait. Like a caterpillar waiting calmly to receive its wings, your time is best spent relaxing while you wait for the aromatic experience of a fresh espresso.

Quick 24: Efficiency

As the name implies, you appreciate efficiency and embody self-efficacy. No need for a barista, you'll make the coffee yourself, thank you very much. With two clicks of a button, a quick peruse of the shelves and a no-nonsense conversation with the cashier, you are in and out with coffee and snacks in two minutes flat. You're a person who gets things done. As you stow your chips in your bag and sip your self-made coffee, you know you're saving precious time.

Need a container for all of this coffee? Visit the AUC Shop!

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By Claire Davenport

In Youth in Egypt: Identity, Participation, and Opportunity (NYU Press, 2023), Nadine Sika '97, '00, associate professor of comparative politics, paints a picture of young people as Egyptian citizens in their own words.

"I wanted to investigate how Egyptian youth see themselves as a force for transformation and how they are passionate about making a positive change," she explained.

The book tells a new story about young people -- looking at them not just as an age group but as actors for change in the public sphere. Sika was inspired to explore this topic while conducting research on youth in the South Mediterranean. "We got a lot of insight into how young people participate and engage differently in the public sphere," she explained. "After the research project ended, I wanted to do more."

The book draws on qualitative and quantitative analysis with almost 100 interviews and focus groups and a survey analysis of 1,200 young people. Sika worked with AUCians, including undergraduate and graduate students as well as alumni, to conduct the qualitative analysis, interviewing youth and civil society actors from various sociopolitical and economic backgrounds over a three-year period. "AUCians are the backbone of this research," she said. "As a team we would sit together, think about what questions we wanted to pose, how to do the research and who to target."

Youth as Active Citizens

Sika's research shows that youth in Egypt perceive themselves as members of society with agency and a desire to contribute to positive change.

"A lot of people think that youth aren't interested in public engagement, but the majority of young people we worked with see themselves as a force for development and impact," she said.

Sika also looked at what marginalizes and disenfranchises youth as well as the lack of economically marginalized youth representation in the public sphere.

"We always hear that education is the opportunity for upward mobility. However, educated young people coming from lower economic backgrounds are less likely to have better life chances," she said. "What we found through our research was that youth from disenfranchised backgrounds really need to have their voices heard."

Sika hopes that this book serves as a reminder that young people want to continue taking part in shaping the future of society in Egypt and the region at large.

"Youth in Egypt are actually vibrant, present and optimistic about their future," she said.

Nadine Sika 

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By Katie Marie

Ahmed Sameh (MA '18, MA '20) is on a journey to help himself and others get in touch with their authentic selves.

In the nearly 10 years since he founded his social enterprise Emmkan, it has grown from a career guidance hub for young people to become Egypt's first organization for developing social and emotional learning (SEL) workshops and tools that help people of all ages to better understand themselves and others.

Sameh at AUC New Cairo, photo by Ahmad El-Nemr

"When you're connected to your true self, you are way more confident, more at peace when it comes to mental health and less fearful of judgment or failure," Sameh explained. "Better social and emotional awareness enables you to live more intentionally. It lets you have healthier, more harmonious relationships."

For much of the company's existence, Emmkan has focused on supporting and teaching Egyptian youth. Starting just two years after Sameh graduated with a bachelor's in computer engineering and an MBA in marketing, the company originally aimed to help students explore their personalities and make better career decisions.

Almost immediately, though, Sameh's focus began to shift.

"Instead of using the safe space we created to discuss career or academic choices, many of the students talked to us about stress and challenges in their lives. Some had experienced severe traumas and didn't have an outlet to deal with them," Sameh recalled.

Today, Emmkan offers workshops and retreats to K-12 and university students at schools across Egypt, including AUC. Through its free Student Ambassador program, Emmkan also trains and mentors high school students, empowering them to lead community development and volunteer projects.

Digging Deeper

In 2015, after several years as a practitioner, Sameh felt compelled to return to school -- this time to AUC, where he obtained two master's degrees in international and comparative education and philosophy.

"I only had a very basic introduction to the humanities in my own undergraduate degree, and felt like I needed to expand my own knowledge in order to be able to dig deeper in our work," Sameh explained.

"Better social and emotional awareness enables you to live more intentionally. It lets you have healthier, more harmonious relationships."

Bringing together educators from different fields, AUC's Department of Educational Studies (formerly the Graduate School of Education) provided Sameh with the opportunity to connect with and learn from other practitioners. "Many of the students are teachers or administrators working on the ground," he said. "This experience has given me one of the most powerful networks I have in my career."

During his master's studies, Sameh also learned the professional language needed to explain his passion. "At the Comparative and International Education Society's 2016 conference in Vancouver, I attended a workshop about social and emotional learning. I had never heard the term before, but I understood that it was exactly what I had been trying to do. I finally knew how to explain Emmkan's mission."

Play to Learn

The card game, Share, photo by Ahmad El-Nemr

More recently, Emmkan has sought to broaden the reach of its programs, sharing SEL knowledge via its Instagram, TikTok and YouTube channels. It has begun to develop learning tools for adults, the first of which is an SEL card game called Share. Several editions of the game have been published, including versions for friends, families and married couples -- the last of which has become a bestseller. Share is tailored to the Egyptian social context, and the decks are bilingual in both English and Arabic.

While anyone can purchase the game, it has become a popular tool among life coaches, psychologists and others working in SEL and mental health.

"Our pivot to focus on all ages is really aimed at amplifying the impact of SEL to the community level. Adults, especially parents, or couples with these skills can create a more supportive environment for children to grow in," Sameh explained. "If SEL is adopted more widely, this will create increasingly authentic and balanced communities. The change would be massive."

 

By Dalia Al Nimr

In his book, Age Is Just a Number, the late Charles Eugster recounted his experiences as a retired dental surgeon. He revived his passion for competitive rowing at age 63, ventured into bodybuilding at 87 and embraced sprinting for the first time at 95. His remarkable achievements include securing 40 gold medals in World Masters Rowing, claiming world championship titles in 200-meter indoor and 400-meter outdoor races, and setting world records for his age group in various sports. Eugster died in 2017 at age 97.

While not everybody can be record- breaking athletes at an older age, it's up to each individual to make the most of their time in this life. "Age is really just a number," said Mohamed Salama, professor at AUC's Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology. "Healthy aging is all in the mindset."

This year, Salama is launching "AL- SEHA [Health]: A Longitudinal Study of Egyptian Healthy Aging," the first nationally representative panel study on aging in Egypt. The first of its kind in the Middle East, the study aims to fill knowledge gaps to help set policies and effective healthcare strategies that improve the lives of the country's elderly population.

AUCToday spoke with Salama on AL-SEHA and what it takes to be happy and healthy.

What is healthy aging?

The word "health" in itself does not connote the absence of disease. Healthy elderly people still have illnesses. The true definition of health is improving one's quality of life. This notion of health is becoming correlated with the term "happy aging," whereby as people age, they are content, independent and engaged in community activities while maintaining a good physical quality of life.

A 2023 paper published in Cell journal argues that aging is a reversible process, based on experiments with mice. Can aging be reversed? Can the body "reset itself?"

Reverse aging is too ambitious. Such experiments have been successful with reverse aging in mice through gene manipulation in a controlled experimental setting. However, humans have different exposures and ways of living. So theoretically yes, the body can reset itself in a controlled environment, but realistically, this can't happen because you can't control all of the variables around you. This is the problem with basic research: oversimplification.

What's a more realistic approach?

Applied research, which is more accurate and aims to improve quality of life while postponing or slowing down the aging process. It's normal to have a decline in cognitive and other functions as you get older. Our role as scientists is to postpone this to 80 or 90 years of age, especially since life expectancy is increasing. So we're looking at a gradual, not sharp, decline that can be accommodated and doesn't hit elderly people hard.

How does that happen?

There are two tracks to study aging: purely biological, which ignores the complexity of human beings, and a social science path, where scientists study human experiences throughout life. The best approach merges both tracks, and this is where longitudinal studies come in.

How does the AL-SEHA study work?

Before getting into the aging phase, which begins at around 45 or 50 years of age, we follow up with individuals who are in good physical and mental health. We do this every couple of years for a decade or two. At age 60, we examine when the decline happens and identify possible contributing factors: Is it specific experiences they went through, such as work, diet, sports or marriage? Is it where they live or how much education they have completed? Embracing the complexity of human beings is a main pillar in longitudinal studies, and such determinants provide us with real-time data to analyze.

"We need to embrace aging and understand its determinants. It's a normal process."

How do you use this data to assess cognitive aging?

We identify modifiable risk factors. So far, there are 12: lower levels of education, physical inactivity, air pollution, excessive alcohol, smoking, head injury, infrequent social contact, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, depression and hearing impairment. If we can control them, we'll probably be able to postpone, decrease, slow down and, in some cases, eliminate the risk by up to 40%. We basically match each of these lifestyle aspects with biological factors.

Can you illustrate this from everyday life?

Take education, for example. The number of years of education is directly proportional to cognitive functions. The more educated you are, the lesser the chance of cognitive decline. Continuing education and graduate studies are even better. Also, people who are skilled in memorization have a high cognitive reserve, meaning their brains are resilient to new demands and damage and are therefore less likely to develop cognitive diseases later on. Family coherence, or the degree of love from primary caregivers, also affects cognitive functions among the elderly. Even coffee can protect against neurological diseases and cognitive decline. Studies have shown that four cups of coffee a day could help prevent Parkinson's and dementia. On the other hand, stress, trauma and pollution can negatively affect cognitive processes.

Why are aging studies important?

There has been a growing global interest in healthy aging studies because they reveal the challenges and opportunities that will face the world in the future, especially in low- and middle-income countries that suffer from a lack of data in this field. Aging studies can help prevent the development of major diseases, such as cancer and dementia, including Alzheimer's.

What is different about the study you're conducting?

AL-SEHA is the first to apply the U.S.- based health and retirement survey, which has been implemented on a global scale, to the Middle East. With longitudinal studies, it's important

to understand the human condition in one's own country versus others. For example, a study conducted in a war-torn country will be different from one where there is no conflict because human experiences and exposures stand in stark contrast.

Why start with Egypt?

Egypt is the most populated country in the Middle East and the third in Africa. Although the country's population is relatively young, the number of elderly people is rising. Egypt is in an ideal position to prepare its population for healthy aging to help reduce access inequities and age-based discrimination while facilitating the evaluation of current health policies.

How big is the project?

It started in 2021 with a pilot study in coordination with AUC's Social Research Center and will expand to include about 20,000 participants aged over 50, representing all of Egypt's governorates. The study will span at least 10 years, with researchers following up with participants every two years to track changes in their health. We will collaborate with government agencies, civil society and nonprofit organizations in Egypt, in addition to the SHARE project, which researches the connection between policy and quality of life for European citizens and beyond.

What's the main message you wish to convey through this research?

Aging is not a disease. If people view aging as a biological problem or illness, their life expectancy falls back four years. There is still a misconception that the elderly should retire and stay at home. On the contrary, working reduces the chances of a sharp decline in health and cognitive functions. We shouldn't make the elderly feel like they have a problem. There will be some decline, of course, but one can remain healthy at 70, 80 and even 90 years of age. We need to embrace aging and understand its determinants. It's a normal process and shouldn't be accompanied by major morbidities or lethal diseases.

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EWART MEMORIAL HALL
 

In 1925, an anonymous donor offered AUC a gift of $100,000 for the construction of a 1,150-seat auditorium. She requested that the auditorium be named after her grandfather William Dana Ewart, who had in the past visited Egypt for health reasons. Since then, Ewart Memorial Hall has housed musical and theatrical events, including Egypt's renowned singer Om Kolthoum and AUC's own Osiris Singers. Egyptian presidents have attended events at the hall, and in the 1970s, when the Cairo Opera house burned down, it became one of the venues for the Egyptian opera and ballet. 
 

HILL HOUSE
 

AUC Tahrir Square campus, downtown, October 2016.

Hill House was named after William Bancroft Hill and his wife Elise Weyerhaeuser Hill. William Bancroft Hill served on AUC's Board of Trustees for almost 25 years, including 20 years as chairman. Hill House started as a student dormitory when it was first opened and later became AUC's main library in 1959, holding 60,000 volumes at the time. It was remodeled in 1984 to house the University bookstore, classrooms, offices and meeting rooms. The Weyerhaeuser family, who donated $150,000 for the original construction of the building that opened in 1953, also financed Hill House's remodeling, which was completed in 1986. 
 

TAREK JUFFALI ENDOWED FELLOWS PROGRAM

Suad Juffali, AUC advisory trustee and chair of the Ahmed Juffali Foundation, established the Tarek Juffali Endowed Fellows Program in counseling psychology and community psychology and named the Tarek Juffali Professorship in Psychology, both in honor of her late son. She also established the Suad Al-Husseini Juffali Scholarship for students from Palestine and named the Serenity Room at the AUC Library and La Palmiera Lodge female student dormitory, among many of her generous contributions. She received the Global Impact Award in 2017 from AUC for her leadership in philanthropy. 
 

BARTLETT FAMILY LEGACY

The Bartlett family has a long tradition of giving to AUC. Thomas Bartlett, who served as AUC president from 1963 to 1969 and as interim president from 2002 to 2003, has made numerous contributions to the University, most notably, establishing -- with his wife, Mrs. Mary Louise Bartlett -- The Bartlett Room student lounge at AUC New Cairo. 
 

Sharing his father's passion for education and for AUC, Richard Bartlett, chairman of the Board of Trustees, has served as a trustee since 2003. Richard Bartlett has contributed significant time and energy to the University, as well as philanthropic support for numerous programs and scholarships. In 2011, he established the Molly Bartlett Endowed Scholarship in his mother's name to support top-performing Egyptian public school students who wish to attend AUC. He also contributed to the Access to Knowledge for Development Center. In 2018, Richard and his wife, Kerri Bartlett, gave $2 million to establish The Bartlett Fund for Critical Challenges, an endowed fund to encourage research and other projects that address defining challenges shaping Egypt and the region. Through this fund, AUC will play a leading role in developing creative responses to challenges, such as issues of sustainability, poverty, demographics, health, education, urbanization, water resources, governance and regional politics.

Richard and his brother Paul, both AUC trustees and Princeton University graduates, established the Bartlett Family Fund for Innovation and International Collaboration between AUC and their alma mater. The 150-meter-long Bartlett Plaza, a hallmark of AUC New Cairo and the principal outdoor location for AUC's largest events, including commencement and alumni homecoming, is made possible through a generous donation by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bartlett. In addition, Thomas, Richard and Paul have all provided support for the Center for Arabic Study Abroad Endowment Fund.

JAMEEL: 'LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON'

In 1982, prominent Saudi businessman Abdul Latif Jameel donated $5 million, the largest gift that AUC had ever received at the time, to build the Abdul Latif Jameel Center for Middle East Management Studies and the Abdul Latif Jameel Chair in Entrepreneurship. Located on AUC's Greek Campus, the building accommodated the steady growth of the student body in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as well as the increasing demand for management, engineering sciences and other professional programs.

In 2009, Yousef Jameel '68 inaugurated the Abdul Latif Jameel Hall on the New Cairo campus in the name of his father. The building houses the School of Business and School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, in addition to the Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism and The Photographic Gallery. A pioneer in his own right, he also established the Yousef Jameel '68 Science and Technology Research Center in 2003. At that time, there were no research facilities in Egypt capable of developing micro/nano devices. Jameel had the vision to create such a center of excellence at AUC in the field of nanotechnology, bringing together top-notch researchers and scientists from around the world.

Increasing access to quality education, Jameel launched the Yousef Jameel MBA Fellows Program in 2004. The program continued for more than a decade, with more than 150 graduates. He also funded the Yousef Jameel '68 GAPP [Global Affairs and Public Policy] Public Leadership Program, supporting 300 fellows in 12 cohorts of 25 Egyptian graduate students per year. When AUC's PhD program began in 2010, he initiated the Yousef Jameel '68 PhD in Applied Sciences and Engineering Fellowships. AUC's first PhD graduate, Yosra El Maghraby '04, '08, '14, was a recipient of this doctoral fellowship, which graduated more than 40 students.

Supporting Scholarships

ABDALLAH JUM'AH STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIPS

Abdallah S. Jum'ah '65 served as president and CEO of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), the world's largest oil-producing company, from 1995 to 2008. He established the Abdallah Jum'ah Study Abroad Scholarships in 2015 to support undergraduate AUC students seeking a study-abroad experience for one semester in order to expand their horizons and broaden their cultural perspectives. He received a Global Impact Award from AUC in 2016 for his innovative approach to business and strong interest in developing leaders.

"Before joining AUC, I hesitated on whether I wanted to join AUC or study abroad. But during my freshman year, I realized that the opportunities that AUC offers are not to be found elsewhere. ... And the study-abroad [scholarship] opportunity only adds to this rich and versatile experience. AUC is preparing future leaders who understand a world beyond their own. We know what it means to compete on local and international scales."
Seif Hamed '17 
Business Administration 
 

MOHAMMAD ABUGHAZALEH '67 ENDOWED PALESTINIAN SCHOLARSHIP 

Former AUC Trustee Mohammad Abughazaleh '67 has been serving as chairman and CEO of Del Monte Fresh Produce Company in Jordan for more than two decades. In 2006, he established the Mohammad Abughazaleh '67 Endowed Palestinian Scholarship at the University to support five deserving and talented Palestinian students. A total of 17 students have benefited from this scholarship. In 2005, Abughazaleh received the Distinguished Alumni Award from AUC.

"Thank you for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. You have helped me work toward accomplishing my goals and building my future."
Ayah Harhara, business administration

JOHN AND GAIL GERHART ENDOWED PUBLIC SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP
 

Named in honor of AUC's late ninth President John D. Gerhart, the John and Gail Gerhart Endowed Public School Scholarship was established in 2002 to support talented students from Egypt's public schools. A recipient of an honorary doctorate from AUC in 2002 and the only president to hold the title of president emeritus, John Gerhart was a firm believer that an essential aim of a liberal arts education is to instill values of service and civic responsibility among students. More than 230 AUC friends have provided generous support to establish this scholarship in his name, including his wife, Gail Gerhart, who has made significant contributions to AUC.

"Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. My time at AUC has completely changed who I am. I hope to take what I have learned and work to improve both my immediate community and entire country." 
Mohamed Ibrahim 
Electronics and Communications Engineering

ABDULHADI H. TAHER ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

The Abdulhadi H. Taher Endowed Scholarship supports Egyptian and Saudi Arabian students with outstanding academic performance. Currently, eight students are studying at AUC as recipients of this scholarship. Following in their father's footsteps, Nashwa and Tarek Taher have created transformative experiences for AUC students, including the Nashwa A. H. Taher Arab Women Scholarship in 2004.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to study at the most prominent institution in my country" 
Nouran Barakat 
Undeclared Freshman

MOHAMMED BIN ABDULKARIM A. ALLEHEDAN SCHOLARSHIP AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FUND 

Established in 2015 by the late Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulkarim A. Allehedan, the fund aims to support talented Arab students and encourage specialized scientific research in uncommon disciplines in the Arab world. As the late Allehedan put it, "I come from a modest family, and I didn't get the chance to be educated. After researching, I found that the best place for me to put this endowment would be at a university in Egypt, and I found that The American University in Cairo is the best University in Egypt. ... I am one of the believers that Arabs would not exist without Egypt, and Egypt would not exist without Arabs. And if Arabs are not well-educated, they will not be strong."

"As both a student and a member of the research community at AUC, I would like to thank [Sheikh Allehedan] for his support of innovative research. That support will allow us to have strong academic careers and give us opportunities to develop our skills." 
Ahmed El Sayed '15 '17 
Pursuing a PhD in Applied Sciences at AUC

AL GHURAIR STEM SCHOLARS

Supported by Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, one of the largest privately funded philanthropic education initiatives in the world, the Al Ghurair STEM Scholars program creates opportunities for underserved, high-achieving Arab students to pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree at leading universities in the region, including AUC. Launched in 2016, the program has supported more than 150 students at the University, helping them pursue their dreams of a high- quality STEM education. With a Master of Science in nanotechnology, Menna Hasan (MSc '18) is the first AUC alum of Al Ghurair STEM Scholars Program.

"This scholarship has been a dream, getting a chance to travel outside of Yemen to receive a proper education. Getting a scholarship, what can I say, it's like a passport in my life. I can never thank the foundation enough. Never."
Mohammed Al-Sabri 
Mechanical Engineering

By the Numbers

Since the 1970s, more than $100,000,000 has been raised to support scholarships and fellowships.
 

Approximately $630,000,000 financial support given to students since 1975.
 

More than 3,000 students per semester have received any form of financial assistance in the past five years.
 

Approximately 6,000 donors since the 1970s.
 

Yousef Jameel '68 is AUC's single biggest supporter of education, funding research as well as master's and PhD fellowships. 
 

AUC'S TOP DONORS IN THE PAST 100 YEARS
 

$5 MILLION+
 

Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education

Sheikh Faisal Kamal Adham
 

Dr. Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor Hon LHD

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulkarim A. Allehedan*

Dr. Sarwat Sabet Bassily*

H.R.H. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Hon LHD

Mr. Mohamed Shafik Gabr '73 
 

Sheikh Abdul Latif Jameel Hon LHD*

Mr. Yousef Abdul Latif Jameel '68, Hon LHD 
 

$1 MILLION+

Abraaj Group

Mr. J. Dinsmore Adams, Jr.

Sheikh Kamal Adham*

Mr. and Mrs. Moataz Al Alfi

Dr. Hamza Bahey El Din Alkholi

H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi Hon LHD

Sir Nadhmi Shakir Auchi

Mr. Theodore S. Bacon, Jr.*

Mr. and Mrs. Paul H. Bartlett

Mr. Richard and Mrs. Kerri Bartlett
 

BP USA

Dr. Barbara Brown and Dr. Steven C. Ward
 

Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Cashin
 

Commercial International Bank (Egypt)
 

Paul I. and Charlotte P. Corddry

Mr. Miner D. Crary, Jr. and Mrs. Mary Crary*

Mrs. Mary Cross*

Mr. Hassan '73 and Mrs. Jill Dana

Mrs. Elizabeth S. Driscoll

Mr. Hesham Helal El Sewedy '88

ExxonMobil Corporation

Mr. Paul B. Hannon Hon LHD

Dr. and Mrs. Elias K. Hebeka

Dr. and Mrs. Ahmed M. Hassanein Heikal

HSBC Bank Egypt S.A.E.

Mrs. Hadia Abdul Latif Jameel

Mrs. Suad Al-Husseini Juffali Hon LHD

Louise Moore Pine Trust

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce L. Ludwig

H.E. Mr. Mohamed Loutfy Mansour

Mr. Hatem Niazi Mostafa* and Mrs. Janet Mostafa

Mr. Youssef Ayyad Nabih*
 

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Hayel Saeed '68

Saudi Arabian oil Company (Saudi Aramco)

Schlumberger Stichting Fund

Sheikh Mohammed Wajih Hassan Abbas Sharbatly '89

Dr. William K. Simpson Hon LHD*
 

Dr. Abdulhadi Hassan Taher*
 

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation 
 

The Ford Foundation

The Selz Foundation 
 

The Tokyo Foundation

*Deceased

Hon LHD Honorary Degree

 

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By Devon Murray

H2O Woes

While water covers around 71% of the Earth's surface, the lion's share of this precious resource lies in the oceans (97%) and is too salty to be used for agriculture, drinking water and industry. Moreover, pollution, waste and the unequal distribution of resources have put a strain on the planet's freshwater supply, with areas on each continent experiencing water scarcity, according to UN-Water.

Egypt is particularly hard hit when it comes to water scarcity due to rising temperatures, a drier climate and a growing population driving up water demand.

"In Egypt, the annual water share per person is 540-560 cubic meters. The water poverty line, however, rests at 1,000 cubic meters per person per year, meaning that Egypt is missing almost 50% of its needed water supply," said Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam, AUC professor and founding director of the University's Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES).

And the problem extends beyond H2O.

"This is a multifaceted issue," Sewilam said. "You cannot work on water scarcity without considering food and energy."

Sewilam: "The sky is the limit. This could be the next food production revolution." Photo by Ahmad El-Nemr

Like most countries in the Middle East, Egypt consumes 80% of its water for food production and agriculture. Adding another layer, agriculture requires energy -- whether it be for irrigation, processing, storage or transportation. Considering the intricate and dynamic relationship between water, energy and food is known as the water-energy-food nexus. It is within this nexus that Sewilam, CARES and student researchers operate, working to find a solution that considers all three sectors.

(Aqueous) Solutions: The Three S's

Desalination -- the removal of salts and minerals from a substance -- has been around for ages in theory and practice. However, it is not seen as a "green option," according to Sewilam, because it uses a lot of energy and creates brine, a highly concentrated salt solution that occasionally contains chemical residue.

"With the existing technology, brine is disposed of in the sea or thrown in the desert," he said.

Harnessing the three S's of Egypt's abundant resources -- sun, sand and salty water [seawater and brackish water] -- Sewilam's Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Model uses solar panels to power reverse-osmosis desalination. This technique sends water through a synthetic lining to purge the water of unwanted molecules and impurities, like salt and dirt.

"After desalination, we work to get more out of each drop of water," Sewilam said. "The freshwater will be used to produce fish. The waste from the fish can be used as fertilizer for crops, while the excess cleaned water from the crops can be given back to the fish."

As for the brine, it can be used to produce small crustaceans for feeding the fish and algae, which have become a major component in producing biodiesel, he explained.

At COP27, Sewilam will receive the 2022 Water-Energy-Food Ecosystem Nexus Award from the European Union's Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, known as PRIMA, for his WEF Nexus Model.

More Crops Per Drop

At AUC, the model is already in use on a limited scale at CARES, with preparations to upscale for commercial use in motion. On the state level, it is slated to be used in some of Egypt's major green development projects, such as the 1.5 Million Feddan Project, New Delta Project and buildout of the Sinai Peninsula.

For now, Sewilam and his team have turned their attention to fine-tuning the model by increasing crop yield to make the model even more economically viable and working toward zero waste to make the model more sustainable.

CARES, which is part of AUC's Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, is sharing its knowledge with the community. Last fall, the center launched its Water-Energy-Food Technologies Diploma, which combines expertise in engineering, hydrology, irrigation and solar technology to prepare students for facing Egypt's climate challenges. CARES also partners with the International Desalination & Water Treatment Group, transferring research findings and know-how directly to the market in Egypt and the region.

Sewilam believes that implementing the WEF Nexus Model will not only be a major first step toward solving the water (and food) crisis in Egypt and the region, but will also create a ripple effect globally, causing a major shift in world food security.

"The sky is the limit," he said. "This could be the next food production revolution."

 

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By Devon Murray

Step back in time to 1973, when, in the midst of the Arab-Israeli conflict, Egypt and Syria launched an attack on Israel on October 6, catching the world off guard. Known as the October War, this conflict and its results signaled a major shift across the region's political landscape and United States foreign policy in the Middle East.

Today, on the war's 50th anniversary, we look back not on the battlefield, but on Cairo -- and AUC -- to understand what life was like for AUCians in wartime. Drawing from a series of oral histories and clippings from The Caravan found in the University Archives, we explore the varied experiences of students, faculty and staff in October 1973.

Whispers of War

What are the signs a country is headed toward war? Tim Sullivan, provost emeritus and former professor of political science, who landed in Cairo just before October 1973, sets the scene.

We arrived on September 16, 1973, which is obviously 20 days before the war. So we didn't have much time to get adjusted to Egypt before that. Most places had windows painted blue. That would mean you could have the light on at night, and it couldn't be seen by a plane that might drop a bomb on you. There were sandbags everywhere. ... The Sheikh Rihan entrance to AUC had a barricade in front of it..

Of course, we didn't plan to arrive in a war zone. You know, obviously, the Arab-Israeli conflict had been going on since the establishment of Israel. And one knew you were going into a place where conflict was, in a sense, endemic. But there was no inkling that war was imminent. It looked like something of a stalemate, actually.

For Jayme Spencer, librarian emerita who served as the director of public services at the AUC Library for more than 43 years, October 6, 1973 began as any other day.

It's a Sunday. And we are invited out. In those days, we did not work on Sunday.

She recalls going to a barbecue at the home of a colleague who lived by the Pyramids.

And at some point toward the evening, we got ... a knock on the door. The sun had already pretty much gone down. And some army people came in, and all started talking. ... Apparently, as it was translated to us, you know, "How can you be doing this? A day that you, your country is at war! And you have foreigners with you!" ... And they said, "Pack everything up and get out of here immediately. Go to your home."

I think they painted the headlights of the cars blue so that they wouldn't show ... because all of a sudden we were of course in curfew and darkness.

According to Spencer, the University remained open the following day, though not everyone showed up.

People were waiting for the University to make an official announcement. And we didn't know how long [this was] going to happen. Were we going to, you know, be defeated immediately, and that would be the end of it? But as it turned out of course, it lasted much longer.

Classes Canceled

Thoron at AUC Tahrir Square

Walid Kazziha, political science professor who has been with AUC since 1972, describes the community's initial reaction to the war.

In 1973, when the war broke out, students were up in arms, faculty were very much fired up with what was happening. And then we get this statement from the Vice President... [Ahmed Abdel Ghaffar] Saleh or something, who says, "Classes will be held as usual."

The faculty called for a meeting, and we met. [President] Thoron came personally to that meeting.

Thoron laid it out and said, "We're fully in support of Egyptian efforts to regain its land in Sinai, and the University cannot be opened as usual, you know. Now we will have to think of a way to support Egypt in its war effort. And the students are proposing [to] do some medical service ... and support here.

Of course we didn't have classes. We were listening to what was on the radio, and no one at that point could go and give a lecture. Let's face it. And then after the war, we came back and that was it.

Helping Hands

Spencer recalls students immediately organizing to support the war.

[The students] quickly mobilized themselves, the ones who could, to support the war. I know I went in two or three days and rolled bandages.

Farkhonda Hassan (MSc '67), professor emerita in the School of Sciences and Engineering, took her students to Kasr El Aini Hospital to help with cleaning and gathering supplies.

We took four big wards in Kasr El Aini. ... The students were running around bringing sheets from the factories -- clean ones, clean sheets, pillowcases.

While at the hospital, Hassan ran into a number of celebrities, including Tahiya Carioca, an Egyptian belly dancer and film actress, whom she asked to bring a food processor to prepare meals for patients who were having difficulty eating.

I used to put the rice and the vegetables and the meat and have [the patients] drink it. ... This made them more healthy. And [the hospital] used to have visitors coming to us and reporters from all over the world to see. This [is] where AUC is. And [these were] the students, girls and boys. And teachers. So I was very happy. We stayed there for about two months.

Rescue team practices as part of custodians' civil defense training1970s shot of Hill House, which at the time was AUC's main library

War Stories

Sullivan describes how Cairenes got their news about the battlefront during the war.

[At AUC], we had meetings during the war, no classes, and [I would] come in on the train. And people are excited, they're talking. I didn't know what the heck they're saying, but they've all got newspapers and they're pointing to stories and there are pictures. I can't read Arabic at the time, but they've got pictures of stuff that's going on in the war.

During the war, something happened [that] I was immediately made aware was unusual. ... Egyptians were getting news from Egyptian news sources. Now, let me explain what I mean by that. Up to that time, if, you know, the Egyptian, I will have to call it upper middle class or even elite -- they would have access to what was going on in the world and in Egypt by listening to the BBC [British Broadcasting Corporation] or the VOA [Voice of America] or Radio Monte Carlo. Radio Monte Carlo was a big hit, and the reason was simple: It was news that was actually news. It wasn't censored. It wasn't interpreted through some political screen. So if they want to know how their troops were doing, how the war was going, they would listen to Monte Carlo, they would listen to the BBC. They would also listen to or watch television news, what little there was. And if they found the BBC and Egyptian news were saying the same thing, they were thrilled. Because it [means] the government is telling us the truth.

Life Goes On

Despite the war, many living in Cairo in October 1973 were able to enjoy hobbies and make connections with others. Spencer reflects on social life during this time.

We didn't have a curfew during the day, so if I didn't go roll bandages or do whatever else it was I was doing with the students and other faculty members, I had a group of people that I went out horseback riding [with].

And then as it started to get toward dark, we'd always make [our way] back home. However, within every quarter, I would say, Zamalek, Garden City, Maadi, people violated the curfew as they wished. Some of my closest friends happened to live just a block and a half away from me on Tolombat [Street]. We spent many a night till about 9:00 or 10:00, playing cards and just sitting around talking.

While out and about, Spencer and a friend discovered a group of stranded American tourists who were meeting at the Hilton in Zamalek every night. Most of them had been vacationing in Cairo when the war broke out and were now waiting to be evacuated safely from Egypt.

Because of course the embassy was trying to get them out. And I think they ended up going out through ... a boat from Libya. And they had to pay for it.

Spencer and her friend were invited for breakfast with a Catholic family one morning.

They noticed that we were taking the sugar out of the container at the table and they said "Why is that?" And I said, "Well, sugar is being rationed right now, and we don't have any." And so they started saving their sugar. I think it was about three, four days before they actually got away. So we had a huge stash of sugar from them, from the Hilton.

And for about the next two years, this family used to send like a little care package back to

Cairo. It would take months, several months to get here, and be full of sugar and just, candy, and well wishes, and maybe a book or two. I lost track of 'em many, many years ago, but it was just one of those kinds of things -- you bond with people in a certain way, you know, in a catastrophe, where you're swept up by the circumstances. But what was important for me was the fact that they were so positive about Egypt. And they had enjoyed their time here. They really didn't have an agenda ... They were curious to see how it was going to turn out.

For Sullivan, adjusting to life in Cairo during this tense period was a great way to get to know Egyptians.

It was actually a good introduction to the country and the people. A better introduction than AUC could have possibly organized because ... you could see people under stress. My father always said there are a couple of ways to really understand what people are like. ... So one test is what happens when you get in the wilderness? It's a Hobbesian test. What do you do when there is no law, when there is no order, when there is no government? How do people behave? And another one is when you're under great stress. Well, the whole country was under great stress. And they behaved well.

AUCians play football on campus, early 1970s 

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Tracing the past between dust- covered buildings from the Fatimid dynasty, inspecting 50 million-year-old whale bones in the middle of the desert, putting smiles on the faces of underserved children in one of Cairo's poorest neighborhoods -- these are just a few of the activities that nearly 100 international students took part in during AUC's faculty-led programs last winter.

Oberlin students at Abdeen Palace. Photo by Omar Mohsen

The short-term, customized programs are designed to introduce students to AUC and Egyptian culture under the guidance of a faculty leader. With more than 20 years at the University, faculty- led programs have relied on Egypt's rich history to help students sharpen their understanding of a variety of topics.

This year, AUC hosted students from Oberlin, George Washington, Utica and Westmont. Each course covered a different topic, from history and political science to healthcare ecosystems and intensive Arabic.

Cultural Connections

Alongside AUC students, a group from Oberlin took the Museums, Historical Memory and Politics in Egypt course, during which they made daily visits to Cairo's numerous museums and discovered other historical hotspots around the city.

For Nikki Keating, an Oberlin student majoring in Africana studies, the post-museum excursions were just as valuable as the museum visits.

"After the museum, we'd go get food somewhere in the middle of Cairo," she said. "On top of learning so much about Cairo's history, I learned so much about the culture and people. Working with AUC students gave me more of a perspective about how Cairo and Egypt as a whole really are."

Zeinab Abul-Magd, professor of Middle Eastern history at Oberlin, described the constant cultural exchange that took place between AUC and Oberlin students throughout the course. "This program is unique because, for the first time, it brought Oberlin and AUC students together to take the same course, go on the same field visits, do the same activities and sit together in the same classroom," she said.

Watch: AUC, Oberlin students explore Cairo Museums

Inside Institutions

Diving headfirst into Egypt's state institutions, a class from The George Washington University led by AUC Trustee Nathan Brown (CASA '84) convened with Amr Adly, assistant professor in AUC's Department of Political Science, and AUC students for a course examining the country's legal and religious establishments and how they interact with Egyptian society.

The monthlong course included lectures on Egyptian law, economy and history as well as visits to key official institutions in Cairo, including the Egyptian Parliament, Al-Azhar, Coptic Patriarchate, Supreme Constitutional Court and Economic Courts."Through these visits, the students got to interact firsthand with senior officials, politicians and judges," Adly explained. "Additionally, class discussions between GW and AUC students about historical and current matters in Egypt added some invaluable insights to both groups, allowing them to compare views and bring new ideas into circulation."

A History of Healing

Utica students traveled back in time with a course covering the vast history of medicine and healthcare in Egypt, from Pharaonic herbalism to recent mental health awareness campaigns.

"Incorporating Egypt's historical sites into the course brings home how culture and tradition play a very important role in Middle East healthcare," said Hassan El-Fawal, professor of biomedical sciences and founding director of AUC's Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology.

The group also engaged with the local community, spending a day with underserved children at Resala Charity Organization. "My favorite part was going to Resala," said Utica student Madealyn Frankovic. "Not only did I see what kind of therapeutic interventions I could be doing as a future occupational therapist, but I was also able to laugh and smile with the children. That can be just as healing."

Watch: AUC, Utica students explore history of medicine throughout Egypt 

By Kara Fitzgerald Elgarhy

The video game industry is booming across the Middle East and North Africa. Playing on a console, PC or smartphone, there were more than 65.3 million gamers in the region in 2021, with revenues reaching $1.76 billion in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt alone, according to a 2022 report by Niko Partners. As the industry continues to ascend the leader boards, more opportunities arise every day for local talent to find their place in the game.

There's just one glitch in the code, observes Ahmad Saqfalhait, associate professor of practice and associate chair of AUC's Department of the Arts. "Most game design professionals in the industry are self-taught," he explains. "Because their training is primarily either technical or visual, they compensate for the design aspect of game development by wearing multiple hats."

To support the development process, AUC introduced a new game design minor in Fall 2022, bringing together students from different disciplines to learn the role of a designer in game development. A collaboration between AUC's graphic design program and Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the minor will equip students to join a flourishing industry that has surpassed three of the biggest entertainment-related industries combined: music, film and sports, according to Saqfalhait.

The perks don't stop there. "In addition to their economic value, game applications have expanded and evolved to cover various purposes, from educational and social to medical and psychological -- all playing on our need to have fun and engage," Saqfalhait said.

Communicating Culture

Much like the industry, the program is fast on the rise. Saqfalhait and students are working to further spread awareness and interest by holding gaming activities on campus, such as hosting group Nintendo Switch sessions. "Not only do students enjoy playing, they also reflect on Nintendo's success in the gaming industry," Saqfalhait explained. "Nintendo is a school of design. It maintains a DNA and philosophy in its offerings. I want to channel this in the minor."

Moreover, Saqfalhait believes that Nintendo's work offers important lessons for AUC students about cultural expression and identity.

"If Nintendo, a Japanese company, borrows ideas from the outside, it reinterprets them and makes them its own, with mutual respect for both cultures," he said. "This concept of thinking locally and regionally is emphasized throughout the semesters of the game design minor so that students are not just making copies of existing games."

For instance, Nintendo's famous Animal Crossing video game introduced many international players to Japanese culture. Originally developed for a limited audience in 2001, the playful village- building game now features an array of international flavors, from bamboo baskets and cherry blossoms to Arabian thobes and Moroccan dresses.

"Nintendo is a school of design. It maintains a DNA and philosophy in its offerings. I want to channel this in the minor."

Sophomore Tarek Kassab, a longtime gamer and fan, was drawn to the minor for this very reason. "I started to notice that such a powerful entertainment tool can be used to push forward political and cultural messages," he reflected. "For example, games made in Japan tend to portray Japanese society -- traditions, food, celebrations and culture. And because video games are highly interactive, these small additions naturally resonate with players. I wanted to learn game design to create games that are entertaining while also spreading my Egyptian and Arab culture."

The locally grounded character of game design at AUC was always intentional, according to Saqfalhait. However, one unexpected outcome has been the resulting buy-in and support from the Egyptian community. Outside of their coursework, game design students have had the opportunity to work directly with community and creative partners on the design and development of games for local impact.

Last semester, students worked with UNICEF and Karim Aboul-Enein of Largelabs game development studio on an arcade game prototype that makes children indirectly associate healthy snacks with fun activities through play. A separate student group has been working since July 2022 in collaboration with Megawra - BEC to create a game for children that will strengthen their sense of neighborhood ownership and connection to their communities by presenting them with their rich culture and history.

These extracurricular projects reflect a guiding principle of AUC's approach to game design: integration within the industry. "It's difficult to gain hands-on experience in game design in Egypt because the industry is not yet thriving here. AUC's practical approach is a substitute source for direct experience in the field," said Kassab.

Still, AUC's game design project is far from final. The pioneering minor program, itself an organic result of feedback and learning from a smaller seed, is poised to blossom into a fully fledged major -- addressing more skills, reaching more students, and building more industry and community connections.

"A few years from now, AUC will graduate students who are equipped and ready to join and reinforce game design in Egypt," Saqfalhait affirmed.

Explore AUC's Game Design minor.

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By Abigail Flynn

Transforming abandoned tires and old washing machine drums into living room furniture, Ibrahim Abougendy '14 turns trash into treasure with the startup he co-founded, Mobikya. Abougendy upcycles waste materials into colorful and comfortable handmade furniture, such as chairs, mirrors and couches.

Abougendy also co-founded two other startups that utilize eco-friendly and biodegradable designs. His water bottle line, Qarura, uses a special clay mix "pottery" that boosts the alkaline content in water and requires less energy in production, while his pottery-based coffee brewing tools from his company Gahawena require less energy than traditional copper.

Outside of the home, Abougendy's work supports local animals. He helped design shelters out of tires, or "Sheltires," which optimize the heat-trapping capacity of rubber tires to offer a warm retreat for stray cats.

"Waste is actually raw material," Abougendy said. "What keeps me persistent against all odds is my passion to be an accelerator for a paradigm shift to happen."