By Ioanna Moriatis | This story appeared in the Spring 2018 edition of AUCToday.

Click here for quotes from public school teachers about AUC's training program.

AUC's role in shaping lives starts the moment a student is first admitted, aspiring to be part of the values the University constantly emanates.

But what about all those years before a student steps onto campus -- those years of schooling when a student first learns to absorb knowledge?

Working to be present at all stages of a student's life, the University is partnering with organizations and community members to help enhance Egypt's education system -- a hefty task given a system with more than 23 million students.

AUC's Graduate School of Education (GSE) partnered with the Egyptian Refining Company (ERC), a subsidiary of Qalaa Holdings, to provide a capacity-building professional training program for 30 public school teachers of early-year learners from three different educational directorates: East Shubra Al Kheima, Al Matareya and Al Khosous. "At Qalaa Holdings, we have a very firm belief that education is extremely important for the advancement of Egypt," said Ahmed Heikal, chairman of ERC.

"I'm very proud of this program. Those are neighborhoods that are extremely in need of upgrading their public school systems. So we're very proud to be involved in this initiative."

AUC's Center for Sustainable Development has also launched a project, School of 2030: Education for Sustainable Development, in Boulaq Al Dakrour - EduCamp III. The project's main objective is to transform education in Egypt by building schools in informal settlement areas, working toward achieving the country's larger sustainable development strategy, known as Egypt Vision 2030.

"The world has turned to education for sustainable development after witnessing the impact of human exploitation on each other and the environment," said Hani Sewilam, mechanical engineering professor and founding director of the Center for Sustainable Development who is managing the EduCamp project.

Training Teachers

The first cohort of AUC's GSE-ERC program recently celebrated the completion of its professional training program, ushering in another cohort of public school teachers.

Through such collaborative initiatives, AUC encourages external entities to build programs and projects that promote positive local change. In this way, AUC acts as the nucleus of educational transformation in Egypt, both producing knowledge and effecting change through its own programs while also establishing partnerships to pioneer impactful projects using the University's venues and resources. "It's a very good initiative because different companies and businessmen fund the training of public school teachers at AUC as part of their professional development," said Heba El Deghaidy, associate professor and chair of AUC's Department of International and Comparative Education.

This professional training program falls under phase two of the ERC's Mostakbaly [My Future] initiative, which was launched to tackle inequalities in Egypt's education system and improve the quality of instruction in public schools. "I'm particularly excited about this program," said Adham Ramadan '91, dean of graduate studies who served as acting dean of the Graduate School of Education in Spring 2018. "We are all working with local government districts in ERC's region. This is a great example of how businesses can actually support communities around them."

ERC awarded the scholarships specifically to kindergarten and primary school teachers, enabling them to participate in AUC's Professional Educator Training Program, a customized GSE capacity-building professional training for educators of young learners.

The one-year program covers a range of topics, including child development, teaching strategies, assessment, active learning and technology in the classroom. To cater to the new cohort's needs, the program is now delving into even more subjects, such as communication, presentation, time management, interpersonal skills and differentiation in the classroom. "The teachers have actually started to apply these skills inside the classrooms," noted El Deghaidy.

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Click here to see what public school teachers have to say about AUC's training program!

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Setting a Model

EduCamp III marks the third phase of the Education for Sustainable Development Beyond the Campus initiative (EduCamp), which was initiated in 2010. Granted support from the European Union's Tempus program, AUC and the RWTH Aachen University in Germany launched the initiative to introduce education for sustainable development in Egypt. The main component of the current phase involves establishing models for Egyptian schools to exemplify how to enhance education in tune with Egypt Vision 2030.

The project is focused on transforming two schools in Boulaq Al Dakrour: Mohamed Farouk Wahdan Preparatory School and Gamal Abdel Nasser Primary School.
"We wanted to create a model that is representative of Egyptian schools, and in order to do that, we had to target national schools in areas that need intervention," said Sewilam. "Sustainable development is needed the most. We chose two schools in Boulaq Al Dakrour that represent the real problems most Egyptians face. We want to develop solutions tailored specifically for Egypt's unique socioeconomic challenges."

During the first phase of the initiative, EduCamp I, the team created education for sustainable development kits and delivered them to various schools in Egypt, opening seven centers of excellence at seven Egyptian universities. For the second phase of the project, EduCamp II in 2014, AUC's Center for Sustainable Development began working to introduce education for sustainable development in informal areas around Egypt.

EduCamp III now aims to introduce sustainable development teaching in Egyptian schools over one year, implementing the initiative on a larger scale with support from the European Union and German government. Plans include creating and conducting a capacity development program for school stakeholders, renovating school facilities to include the necessary resources and developing education for sustainable development kits.

"If you produce sustainability-literate youth, then you will have created a new generation aware of the problems facing them and can develop suitable interventions for Egypt's unique challenges," affirmed Sewilam.

The schools in Boulaq Al Dakrour will help stakeholders in Egypt's education system uncover solutions to recurring issues in public schools, such as infrastructure problems, overcrowded classes, teaching quality and violence. The project is particularly taking into account children with special needs, females and mothers in designing the model schools based on the specific needs of the community.

Since September 2017, the project team has assessed the needs of the two schools and developed plans for renovation and implementation of the training programs. "We are currently training the school teachers and managers and working on renovation," said Sewilam.

A Change in Teacher Mindset

AUC seeks to set an example for public schools, engaging individual teachers and prompting instructors to rethink their teaching styles and roles in the classroom, rather than tackling the larger education system itself. "We are helping teachers become agents of change in education," said Ramadan.

Now in the middle of the second round of training with a new cohort of teachers, Dahlia Fouad, one of the instructors in AUC's Professional Educator Training Program, has the chance to observe the various challenges public school teachers face in building their skills and bettering their schools.

"Having worked in the education field for a while, I can see a big gap between private and public schools," noted Fouad. "This is not because the public school teachers are not as good as those in private schools, but the ones in private schools get exposed to international training, peer acquaintances and professional development in certain areas."

Fouad indicated that these differences lead public school teachers to the conclusion that the system itself is the main obstacle to advancing school instruction in Egypt. "In their minds, they are more stuck on the system itself," she reflected. "They feel they are victims of the system. What we have been trying to do to these teachers is break the chains and train them to become autonomous teachers. Yes, we have problems in Egypt's education system. No one can deny this. But, it's all about the teacher. If you remove the classroom, curriculum and system, it's still the teacher and student."

Although she initially spotted some resistance amongst teachers, Fouad noted significant changes in their mindsets by the end of the first cohort's program. "They're more self-assured," she said. "They have self-esteem and are confident about their capabilities. They want to make a change. This is not just on an academic or pedagogical level, but also on a personal level."

Saeed Ghoneim, a teacher from Al Khosous Language School, benefited from the program's emphasis on knowledge-sharing and exchange, and learned about himself as a teacher in the process. "This course developed many things in my personality," he reflected. "At AUC, I learned how to share and exchange my experience with my colleagues. The most useful course was how to deal with technology and present material in an updated way. The way we were trained at AUC was excellent, very different. I have changed as a teacher and learned to not stop learning."

Emphasizing the crucial role teachers play, Sewilam noted, "You would be surprised at what well-qualified teachers can do inside classrooms with no or minimal resources. This is why the teacher is the most important stakeholder in the education system. Another equally important goal is the restructuring of the technical and vocational education system. If we focus on this, it has the potential to solve many other problems, such as the lack of skilled labor, and to help the Egyptian economy as a whole."

AUC's impact might begin with a cohort of 30 teachers or two schools in Boulaq Al Dakrour, but that effect -- even if gradual -- has the potential to spread, transforming mindsets and making an impact across the country. "It's about leading the way forward for change," said Ramadan. "Sometimes people say it's outreach, but I think it's beyond that because you're developing skills that will hopefully have a domino effect."

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By Elizabeth Lepro, photos by Ahmad El-Nemr and Elizabeth Lepro| This story appeared in the Spring 2018 edition of AUCToday.

The beginning of a 1995 written history of AUC Press puts it plainly: "The growth of the Press over the last 35 years has been neither smooth nor steady."

Bearing down initially through the trials of working with outdated machinery and paper and ink shortages, and consistently through tough economics and political upheaval, AUC Press has endured a storied history in its persistent pursuit of sharing stories.
Current Director Nigel Fletcher-Jones came to Cairo post-revolution in 2012.

Nigel Fletcher-Jones in his office at the AUC Press headquarters in Downtown Cairo. Photo by Elizabeth Lepro.

"I had a number of things to deal with, not the least that essentially the market for books had simply disappeared in Egypt, almost overnight," the British-born director said, echoing many AUC Press directors who have arrived with a mission to reinvigorate the publishing house after turmoil.

Yet, AUC Press has grown.

A little more than 20 years ago, AUC Press boasted 140 printed works in total, catered to a majority Egyptian readership and had only one location outside of Tahrir. Today, it prints up to 60 books per year, with plans to grow to 80 annually. Fletcher-Jones takes advantage of technological advancement to reach a widening audience, and -- in the last several years -- AUC Press has expanded well beyond University gates.

The most recent successes of AUC Press include creating the Hoopoe fiction imprint in 2016, opening a permanent bookstand at the Egyptian Museum and appearing in Amazon's brick and mortar pop-up shop in Manhattan. Two of its books were internationally recognized as distinguished works of 2016, and three received PROSE Awards in 2017.

These accolades represent the resilience of the publishing house as an institution dedicated, despite the odds, to bringing Egypt and the Middle East to the world.

Humble Beginnings

At the time of its creation by AUC's Board of Trustees in 1960, AUC Press was made up of two staff members. In one room, an Al Ahram editorial executive and his assistant, a journalism professor at AUC, labored over the production of K.A.C. Creswell's A Bibliography of the Architecture, Arts, and Crafts of Islam. The next few directors of AUC Press were also journalism professors, and the institution's main function was to disseminate University research.

As AUC Press worked extensively with the University's New York Office, it became an integral part of the tenuous bridge connecting AUC with North America. Tenuous because in 1967, Egypt broke diplomatic relations with the United States over its support of Israel in the Arab-Israeli War. The upheaval reduced tourism and affected national economics -- two factors that typically sent the success of AUC Press nose-diving.

There was one positive outcome to the political situation: The U.S. Embassy and Cairo American College donated a new paper cutter, a Davidson printer, a camera, a Varityper headliner and other small fundamentals. AUC Press rattled on.

Two years later, Mason Rossiter Smith, a publisher and journalist from the United States, took over as director. Released from the obligation to also teach journalism courses, he took AUC Press beyond its usual borders, sending exhibits to global book fairs and conferences in Europe and the Americas. A book list from this time describes a number of available titles in philosophy and religion, art and architecture, history and English-language learning.

By 1974, several years of conflict in the region meant tourism had once again taken a hit. Imports were low, unemployment was high and exports were only beginning to increase. Director John Rodenbeck said his main objective was "keeping the [AUC] Press alive at all."

The Naguib Mahfouz Legacy

Neil Hewison, who spent 30 years as an editor at AUC Press before retiring last year, remembers getting a mysterious call from Sweden in 1988:

"Hi, can you please tell us how to get in touch with Naguib Mahfouz?'"

The beloved Egyptian novelist had won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature, a turn that neither AUC Press, which owned the rights to translations of his work, nor the author himself anticipated. "It was a surprise to him, and we certainly weren't expecting it," said Hewison.

By the late 1980s, what was once a tiny, struggling Egyptian publishing house was blossoming. The late German-born Mark Linz, two-time director of AUC Press, oversaw an expansion that included hiring new staff members, moving to roomier headquarters and doubling production. Other well-known writers coming out of AUC Press publications at the time included Yusuf Idris, Taha Hussein, Nayra Atiya and Tawfiq al-Hakim.

"There was a great sense of excitement and certainly optimism when Naguib Mahfouz won," Hewison said. "Perhaps we all, or many of us, thought over-optimistically that this would throw open the doors of Arabic literature to the world. What it did, of course, was throw open the doors of Naguib Mahfouz to the world."

Mahfouz became an international literary phenomenon. His books now appear in 40 languages, amassing somewhere near 600 editions -- all either published or licensed by AUC Press.

The late author's earnest and fond descriptions of everyday Egyptians offered an impactful lens into the country's reality. This is a mission that AUC Press has always shared, according to Fletcher-Jones: "to try as best as we can, but in a very small way, to represent what the realities are about life and history in the Middle East."

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Best-selling AUC Press books 1960-2018:

                   

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Technology and Future Expansion

By the 1990s, there was a sense of excitement at the publishing house, buoyed by a healthy flow of tourism to and interest in Egypt. AUC Press doubled the number of books it published per year.

But success was always tempered, warned Hewison, tied to the ever-changing heart-rate monitor of Egypt. When militants killed 62 people in Luxor at Deir el-Bahari in 1997, "I remember particularly an almost immediate effect on not just the book market for us, but on the whole economy of the country," Hewison said.

At the same time, a 1996 AUC Press newsletter featured the new electronic publishing editor discussing the promise of the internet, while AUC Press expanded its genres, adding more nationalities of authors and making international partnerships with other universities.

Customers browse the AUC Press section of the Egyptian Museum.

In 2007, the AUC Press online shop launched, allowing sales to continue even if tourism dipped, though roughly 80 percent of its sales were still within Egypt.

Nowadays, with the proliferation of technology and social media, Fletcher-Jones sees an everlasting audience in what he calls "armchair Egyptologists," people without Egyptology degrees who have a passion for learning about Egypt's history. On a public Facebook page under his name, Fletcher-Jones interacts with nearly 4,000 armchair Egyptologists all over the world.

"On social media, we can continue to generate communities," he said. "With the rise of technology and Amazon, it no longer matters where in the world you are publishing from."

A more singular focus on fiction has also defined change in the last decade, said Jody Baboukis, interim managing editor at AUC Press. The Hoopoe fiction imprint features authors from across the Middle East. Some of Hoopoe's popular novels include The Televangelist (Egypt), Whitefly (Morocco) and the winner of this year's Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature Mukhmal, or Velvet (Palestine).

Despite finding success in fiction and social media, AUC Press knows it owns a niche no other publishing house can usurp: Egyptology. It recently made a substantial donation of books on Egyptology and Egyptian archaeology to the Shafik Gabr Foundation for distribution to schools around Cairo, Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities, Theban Mapping Project in Luxor and Amarna Project library in Tell el-Amarna.

In 2020, AUC Press will celebrate its diamond jubilee, with 60 years of success, and AUC Press Bookstores will celebrate their 35th anniversary. Throughout the past decades, AUC Press has remained true to its brand.

"We aren't a huge, comprehensive academic publisher like Oxford University Press or Routledge. We specialize in what's closest to us and what we know best," said Baboukis. "We're the largest English-language book publisher in the Middle East, and both our fiction and nonfiction books regularly win international publishing and translation awards. Clearly, we're doing something right."

Visit the AUC Press website here and follow it on Twitter here.

 

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By the News@AUC team | These stories appeared online at aucegypt.edu/news and in this format in the Spring 2018 edition of AUCToday.

Longtime AUCian Richard Bartlett

Richard Bartlett Chairs Board of Trustees

AUC's Board of Trustees elected Richard Bartlett, managing director of Resource Holdings Ltd, as its chairman, succeeding Atef Eltoukhy '74, chairman of Aurum Capital Management.

Bartlett has known AUC since his childhood, when he lived in Egypt during his father Thomas Bartlett's tenure as AUC president from 1963 to 1969. Sharing his father's passion for education and for AUC, Richard Bartlett has been a trustee since 2003 and previously served as chairman of the board. 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.

More recently, Richard Bartlett and his brother Paul Bartlett, both AUC trustees and Princeton University graduates, established the Bartlett Family Fund for Innovation and International Collaboration between AUC and their alma mater.

"Richard Bartlett has extensive experience as board chairman and is a dedicated and committed trustee," said AUC President Francis Ricciardone. "We are proud to have him lead the board during this momentous time for the University with the centennial campaign and celebrations in 2019 -- ushering the next 100 years of excellence, innovation and service."

Bartlett received his JD from Yale Law School and his BA from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Before joining Resource Holdings Ltd, a private equity firm in New York City, he served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun, and prior to that, as a law clerk on the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the boards of several private companies.

"I am honored to serve the Board of Trustees again in this capacity and will build on Atef Eltoukhy's able leadership," said Bartlett. "AUC is a very unique institution with a strong and vibrant community. I look forward to working with President Ricciardone, the Board of Trustees and the AUC community as a whole as the University enters another milestone in its history."

Read the full story here.

Accreditation Aced: AUC's Accreditation Reaffirmed

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has reaffirmed its accreditation of AUC through the 2026-2027 academic year. The University received the top level of MSCHE's reaffirmation of accreditation, without any requirements. Out of 523 institutions worldwide that are accredited by MSCHE, only 17 -- including AUC -- are outside of the United States, with four in the Middle East. AUC is the only University in Egypt that holds this accreditation.

"Congratulations and thank you to all whose daily work to make AUC an amazing institution has won us this vitally important, highest official recognition of our performance at, or exceeding, the highest American standards," said President Francis Ricciardone.

After a rigorous self-assessment process and the production of a 100-page self-study report, AUC welcomed a team from MSCHE in March 2018 to observe the University's congruence with its self-study, determine AUC's compliance with MSCHE standards, provide recommendations for areas that can be further enhanced and meet with all AUC constituencies. AUC's Accreditation Steering Committee had been compiling data, considering University needs and seeking input from community members, to finalize the self-evaluation presented to the MSCHE team.

With AUC's recent reaffirmation of accreditation, MSCHE gave recommendations and noted a number of AUC accomplishments, including the establishment of Employability and Career Development Centers at several Egyptian public universities; improvement of the enrollment process; implementation of a cocurricular transcript; integration of planning, resource allocation and assessment in all areas of the University; as well as documentation and data usage for planning and assessment.

"In higher education, institutional accreditation by a reputable agency such as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an unparalleled hallmark of quality," attested Iman Megahed '90, '93, AUC's chief strategy and institutional effectiveness officer.

"At a time when accreditation is becoming considerably more rigorous, with accreditation probation and warnings issued to some institutions worldwide, AUC's accreditation was reaffirmed and praised on multiple fronts by the visiting team. Every member of the AUC community can feel a genuine sense of pride that they belong and contribute to the well-being and advancement of this University."

Read the full story here.

Nora Abousteit, left, and Kristin Lord, right

Jumping on Board: Nora Abousteit and Kristin Lord

Nora Abousteit '00, founder and CEO of social-crafting business CraftJam Inc., and Kristin Lord, president and CEO of the global development and education nonprofit IREX, are AUC's newest trustees.

Abousteit speaks German, Arabic and English. She graduated from AUC with a bachelor's in Middle East studies and a minor in philosophy. She is the founder of online crafting communities, including the world's largest sewing network, and Kollabora, an online community for DIY [Do It Yourself] projects and makers. Her current company, CraftJam, organizes hundreds of monthly social crafting occasions in New York City.

"My time at AUC was one of the most formative in my life," said Abousteit. "It nurtured a great love of the institution and the people there, as well as a strong belief in the mission of AUC and my responsibility to help carry it forward."

Lord, who received her MA and PhD in government from Georgetown University, previously served as acting president and executive vice president of the United States Institute of Peace and held two associate dean positions at The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs.

She is also a member of the board of directors for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. "I am truly honored to join the Board of Trustees of AUC -- an institution devoted to preparing young people to contribute to an even brighter, more prosperous future for the people of Egypt, the region and the world," Lord said.

Read the full story here.

Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr '85, '90 speaks at the midyear commencement

Commencement Speakers: A Tip from the Top

At AUC's 2018 Midyear Commencement, Naguib Sawiris, executive chairman of Orascom Telecom Media and Technology Holding and chairman of Orascom TMT Investments, shared "the secret to success" as the keynote speaker for bachelor's degree candidates. "Don't accept 'no' for an answer," he advised. "Whenever someone tells you it's not possible, don't just trust what [they say]. Try [it] yourself. ... Intelligence without hard work won't get you to the end of the road."

Egypt's Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr '85, '90 came back to her alma mater at the midyear commencement as the keynote speaker for the graduate Class of 2018. "You will, at some point in time, get disappointed and experience tough times. But never let this put you down -- ever," she affirmed. "When it seems like it's getting too hard, push back even harder. This is the only way you will be an achiever."

At the 95th Commencement held in June 2018, Mahmoud Mohieldin, senior vice president for the 2030 Development Agenda, United Nations Relations and Partnerships at the World Bank Group, received an honorary degree from AUC. "I am profoundly honored," he said, "by the decision of The American University in Cairo and its Board of Trustees to confer upon me the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters." Advising graduates to "broaden the scope of [their] opportunities...beyond borders, beyond disciplines," he said, "Your journey starts now. It is yours to define."

Minister of Tourism Rania Al-Mashat '95 addressed master's and PhD candidates at the June 2018 Commencement. "I just remember my own graduation [from AUC], which happened to be June 22, 1995," she reflected. "I will never forget the vice provost at the time looking at all of us and saying: 'The certificate you have in hand is more important than your marriage certificate. It will not be revoked, and it cannot be nullified.' So to that, congratulations to all of you!"

Read the full story about 2018 graduate and undergraduate commencements here. Click here for videos of the commencement speeches on AUC's YouTube!

Celebrating 50 Years of CASA

At its seventh annual Benefit Dinner in New York, AUC raised more than $600,000 to go toward the Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA) Endowment Fund. The fund will support CASA, the world's premier, full-immersion Arabic-language program that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Prominent and long-standing members of the AUC community, along with Egypt's Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr '85, '90, were present to thank donors and encourage support for the University.

President Francis Ricciardone and Lois "Elle" Johnson

U.S.-based TV writer and producer Lois "Elle" Johnson opened the event by describing her time at AUC in 1986, when she came as a presidential intern to work at the Office of Development. "Although I was not a CASA participant, AUC's Presidential Internship Program opened my eyes to this part of the world," said Johnson, now a writer and producer for shows including CSI: Miami and Law & Order. "It was also my first time living outside of the U.S., in a place where I didn't speak the language and couldn't read any of the signs."

Johnson continued, "I was a black girl who had attended predominantly white schools. At AUC, my right to be there was never questioned. To be thought of as 'other' in your own country then go halfway around the world to finally, casually, be accepted as 'American' was an incredibly empowering experience for me. Being at AUC, being in Egypt made me believe I could do anything."

Dr. Marie Ricciardone, President Francis Ricciardone, Former AUC President Lisa Anderson, Former AUC President David Arnold and Sherry Arnold

Over the last 50 years, CASA graduates have shared Johnson's feeling of empowerment through immersion. A number of the program's alumni came to the dinner -- one of whom took the microphone to share her success story.

Susan Peters (CASA '98), senior advisor at ABANA, described how much the program influenced her language skills and preceding career, which has been spent in nonprofit management, with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa region.

"There's a moment when you stop having to pay attention to language and get to engage in a meaningful exchange of ideas in that language. It's when you actually get the punchline," Peters said. "CASA's real gift is that moment when the penny drops. It provides a self-confidence and familiarity that allow you to be a participant in another culture, not just a student or observer."

To support CASA and contribute to the CASA Endowment Fund click here.

To read the full story about the benefit dinner, click here.

Better off Blended: AUC Offers First Blended Degree in Region, Pairs with MIT

Pioneering new pathways in education, AUC is now the first University in the region to offer a blended degree, pairing with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to grant MITx MicroMasters online learners credits that would count toward the completion of a full master's degree at AUC.

AUC is the first University in the world to collaborate with MIT in recognizing credits for this particular online program on Data, Economics, and Development Policy (DEDP), offering a possible pathway to earning a full master's degree from AUC in economics in international development. The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, one of the largest privately funded philanthropic education initiatives in the world, will fund eligible Arab students for the DEDP.

This move was instigated following the launch of a program, led by the foundation in collaboration with MIT, to build the capacities of AUC and the American University of Beirut faculty members and instructional designers/staff in blended learning. The broader goal of the program is to develop and promote quality online learning in the Arab world.

"I am thrilled that AUC is the first University in the region to take on the exciting challenge of formally adopting blended learning," said Maysa Jalbout, CEO of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education. "This is a visionary move and one that will encourage other universities in the region to follow suit and to open up a new world of higher education opportunities for Arab youth."

MIT offers several online MicroMasters credentials through its online course database, MITx. Participants who complete the online program are given the opportunity to use their earned credentials to complete a master's degree in person at MIT. With AUC now in the fold, participants will be able to apply these credits toward completion of a master's degree at the University. "We are excited that AUC will offer credit towards [its] own master's programs to students who complete the DEDP MicroMasters credential and pass the AUC admissions process," said Krishna Rajagopal, dean for digital learning at MIT. "We believe that [this] collaboration will advance the education and careers of many learners who would not otherwise have been able to complete master's degrees."

Online learners who complete the MITx MicroMasters in DEDP will be able to earn nine graduate credit hours toward completion of the AUC master's degree in economics in international development at the School of Business, if accepted into the program. This opportunity will be available to potential applicants to the AUC program in economics in international development starting September 2018.

To read the full story, click here.

 

 

These quotes appeared in the Spring 2018 edition of AUCToday.

Click here for the full story about AUC's GSE-ERC educator training program.

The first cohort of AUC's GSE-ERC program recently celebrated the completion of its professional training program, ushering in another cohort of public school teachers.
Through such collaborative initiatives, AUC encourages external entities to build programs and projects that promote positive local change. In this way, AUC acts as the nucleus of educational transformation in Egypt, both producing knowledge and effecting change through its own programs while also establishing partnerships to pioneer impactful projects using the University's venues and resources.

"It's a very good initiative because different companies and businessmen fund the training of public school teachers at AUC as part of their professional development," said Heba El Deghaidy, associate professor and chair of AUC's Department of International and Comparative Education.

Here's what public school teachers involved in the program had to say about its impact.

"I benefited a lot from this program. We learned new strategies and teaching methods for children. We learned that students don't have problems; it's teachers who need to enhance their skills. If we are able to understand children's mentality and psychology, we would be able to benefit students: developing innovative minds, opening their horizons, helping them understand how to think. We don't all have to be doctors or engineers. We just need to know what we want and how to serve well in the fields that we are passionate about."

- Amira Mohamed Ahmed
KG Teacher, Al Sayida Khadija
Umm Al-Mu'mineen school,
East Shubra Al Kheima

"This program developed many things in my personality. I learned how to share knowledge with my colleagues and how to exchange teaching experiences. The most useful course for me was focused on how to deal with technology and relay your material to students in an effective and up-to-date way. The way we were trained at AUC is really excellent, very different. As a teacher, I changed completely."

- Saeed Ghoneim
English Teacher, Al Khosous
Language School, Al Khosous

"We are in an advanced, high-tech age, so we learned in this program how to help students search for information on the internet and expand their knowledge through technology. We also learned as teachers how to create collaborative initiatives between classmates and peers, as well as how to effectively divide students into groups when carrying out activities. We also understood more about learning difficulties: how to discover them and, more importantly, how to deal with them in the proper way. We learned new teaching strategies, particularly how to make use of class discussions and diversify our teaching methods so students would benefit to become effective, modernized citizens."

- Kholoud Mohamed El Shahat
KG Teacher, Ahmed Shawki School,
Al Matareya

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By Aliah Salih, photos by Mohamed Fahmy | This story appeared in the Spring 2018 edition of AUCToday.

Photo by Mohamed Fahmy.

AUC's more than 38,000 alumni worldwide have always been a pillar of its global character and intellectual identity. To further strengthen this ever-expanding network, the University and a group of dedicated alumni have come together to establish AUC's first Alumni Council.

A 15-member volunteer service body representing alumni worldwide, the Alumni Council will help foster communication between the University and its graduates, increase AUC's global visibility and promote its strategic goals, as well as play a key role in the University's yearlong centennial celebrations beginning in 2019. Mirroring the effectiveness of Ivy League alumni bodies, the Alumni Council will also build connections between well-established alumni, young graduates and students.

AUC's alumni engagement team has selected nine founding members, serving two-year terms, based on their active record of volunteer participation in alumni activities and philanthropic support of the University. Founding members will begin their official term in Fall 2018. The remaining six council members will be elected next year, with their official term beginning in Fall 2019, also serving for two years.

Mohammed Ismail '87, the Alumni Council's first president, shares his goals and aspirations to connect AUC graduates in different parts of the world.

Ismail '87 is general manager and CEO of the Egyptian German Automotive Company and managing director and CEO of the Egyptian Kuwaiti Foundry. At AUC, he studied mechanical engineering and was president of the Student Judicial Board. After graduation, he headed the 1987 Class Chapter and founded the Facebook group "We of AUC Forever" since 2008. Using his vast network of friends, Ismail hosts events throughout the year -- not only for his classmates, but for all AUC graduates. He received the Distinguished Alumni Volunteer Award in 2012 for his longstanding dedication and commitment to AUC. Ismail also served as a member of the AUC Parents Association board.

What is the Alumni Council? How did the idea start?

Mohammed Ismail: The Alumni Council is a small volunteer service body that represents AUC alumni worldwide. Its main objective is strengthening ties between AUC alumni, increasing awareness and participation, as well as preserving and promoting AUC's rich heritage. The idea was initiated by some alumni and AUC's alumni engagement team in order to give AUC graduates the chance to own their programs and increase networking to mutually benefit the University and its alumni.

Why is the council an important step for alumni worldwide?

Alumni are stakeholders of the University. The council will play a crucial role in impacting AUC's future development. The Alumni Council will foster the educational, professional and social interests of our alumni by forming unbreakable ties that will be passed down to all future generations of AUC graduates. Our plan is to bring together and represent alumni's wide-ranging and diverse views and contribute to building an engaged, interactive and supportive community suited to a world-class University like AUC.

What kind of model will this council set for other higher education institutions in the region?

The council will definitely give a strong message to higher education institutions in the region regarding the value and importance of their graduates because alumni involvement is a vote of confidence in any university's mission. Alumni returning to support their alma mater bring with them credibility and justification -- two crucial pillars for the success of universities in all parts of the world.

As president, what are your goals and aspirations for the first year?

I want to bring thousands of alumni volunteers together to work on various committees and engage as many of them as possible in the life of the University. I want to serve fellow alumni across the country and around the world in mutually beneficial ways.
I want to support all alumni initiatives, not just the council's.

Ultimately, our aim is to further promote the goals of AUC -- the University we all cherish.

What priorities will you focus on?

There seems to be a misconception, especially among younger alumni, that life at AUC ends after graduation. So one of our main focuses is to change this perception. We want to establish a two-way communication channel with alumni in order to guarantee a high level of engagement and support. We already held several meetings as a council, where we discussed a number of projects in the pipeline. All our projects will center on increasing alumni engagement and involvement with AUC, particularly among younger graduates.

What are you hoping to accomplish during your two-year term?

We as a council, specifically the founding members, hope to be able to leave a long-lasting mark through the projects we are currently working on. These ongoing projects will continue to serve the AUC community and all its future generations for years to come.

How can alumni connect with you and other members of the council?

There will be a direct channel through which alumni can communicate, connect and reach out. We are currently working with AUC's alumni engagement team on several social media communication channels that will be announced shortly.

What will be the council's role in AUC's centennial celebrations?

We will be working closely with the alumni engagement team and the Alumni Engagement and Fundraising Task Force in organizing the festivities and events taking place to celebrate this joyous and memorable occasion. We're calling on you -- AUC alumni -- to participate and volunteer. We need your ideas and efforts. We need you to preserve and promote the rich heritage and values of our alma mater.

What message do you want to convey to all alumni through the council?

We should all work together to benefit from the power of the AUC alumni network and, in turn, benefit the University. We want to build lifelong relationships that not only bring the alumni community together, but foster meaningful connections with AUC to share and learn from each other. Let's all put our hands together -- for AUC.

 

Photos compiled by Aliah Salih | These photos appeared in the Fall 2017 edition of AUCToday and are courtesy of the University Archives and Ahmad El-Nemr.

International Day has been a tradition at AUC for more than 30 years, celebrating the diversity of students on campus. The annual event usually includes booths showcasing the cultures of various countries; traditional dances, food and handicrafts; national costumes; and a parade. AUC held its first International Day in 1984.

Following are snapshots of International Day throughout the years.

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Explore the services offered by the Office of International Student Life here.

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Nagah Allem

 

Associate Professor of Physics
Young Scientist Award, The World Academy of Sciences, 2015
Egypt's State Award in Advanced Technological Sciences, 2013

Using nanotechnology, Nageh Allam, former research scientist at MIT, is creating smart energy to produce renewable fuels and electricity from sunlight on a sustainable basis. Allam and his team are working on solar production of hydrogen as a clean and efficient fuel that can power everything -- from houses and electrical devices to cars and airplanes -- as well as the conversion of carbon dioxide into useful fuels.

"The international community is aware of the crisis arising from the use of fossil fuels and is increasingly focusing on the development of zero-carbon emission technologies using renewable energy sources. If harnessed efficiently, solar energy is capable of meeting global energy needs for the foreseeable future."

 

 

Salima Ikram

 

 

Distinguished University Professor of Egyptology
Visiting Professor, Yale University, 2017-2018
International Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts & Sciences

World-renowned Egyptologist and author Salima Ikram has participated in numerous archaeological excavations, working with international and local missions on ancient Egyptian human and animal mummies. In addition to playing a key role in the discovery of new tombs and sites across the country, Ikram founded the Animal Mummy Project at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo -- the first-of-its-kind at the museum and in Egypt -- and is currently excavating in the Valley of the Kings.

"Egyptology has given me the chance to travel around the world as a field archaeologist, museum researcher and lecturer. Travel broadens the mind and allows us to take the best from each place and integrate it into our lives. But I always come back to the land of the Pharaohs. The more I travel, the more I love Egypt."

 

Sahar Nasr

 

Sahar Nasr '85, '90
Adjunct Faculty of Economics
Egypt's Minister of Investment and International Cooperation

Minister Sahar Nasr has made several strides to enhance Egypt's business environment and investment climate, with the ultimate objective of promoting private sector participation. One of her most notable achievements is the passing of the long-awaited Investment Law, which brings new features to the investment landscape and introduces incentives to make Egypt one of the top investment destinations in the region. Nasr has focused on strengthening the country's ties with its current international partners, as well as exploring new opportunities for cooperation. This includes consolidating Egyptian-Gulf relationships, expanding and deepening ties with African states, and exploring new relationships with Asian partners.

 

"Always work on the ultimate goal of serving others -- the most rewarding goal of life. Always strive to make your home, your workplace, your country a better place."

 

Bernard O'Kane

 

Professor of Arab and Islamic Civilizations
Iran's Farabi International Award, 2018
Board Member, Writing Center,
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2014-2016

Bernard O'Kane spearheaded a project to preserve and document unpublished, fragile inscriptions on Islamic monuments in Cairo up until the 1800s. O'Kane and his team of students spent seven years photographing, transcribing and translating the inscriptions. The data was then migrated to a software that generated a fully compatible and searchable database in both the original Arabic epigraphy as well as an English translation. The online database contains 3,271 inscriptions from 509 monuments and more than 13,500 photographs and drawings.

 

"Many of the Islamic monuments in Cairo were deteriorating and threatened to disappear, and there was no documentation of the inscriptions. I felt I needed to do something to help with their preservation. The online database is a useful tool for scholars, historians, art historians and linguists to study this rich and extraordinary legacy."

 

Hassan Azzazy

 

Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry
First Place, Arab Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award, 2015
Global Innovator Award, Texas Christian University, 2014

Through D-Kimia, Egypt's first University spinoff that utilizes research and technologies developed at AUC, Hassan Azzazy and his team of scientists have created novel and affordable solutions for hepatitis C diagnosis, including a fully automated, robotic machine. Performing six primary lab functions to isolate specific RNA or DNA as markers of viral or bacterial infections from a patient's blood, the machine is controlled by a computer to avoid human intervention in handling the highly infectious material. The machine self-sterilizes at the end of the process.

"We are focusing on the hepatitis C virus because Egypt has the highest infection rate in the world. Diagnosis of the disease is the cornerstone in managing and preventing the spread of the virus. If people know whether they test positive or negative, they will act accordingly so as not to put others at risk."

 

Rania Siam

 

Professor of Biology
Visiting Scientist, Berlin Center for Genomics
in Biodiversity Research, 2014
Visiting Research Scholar, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 2012

Rania Siam explores environmental genomics and microbial life in Red Sea brine pools, located 2,300 meters beneath the water's surface, with temperatures reaching up to 70 degrees Celcius. Through her work, Siam identifies novel microbes and bacterial communities and their associated genes, in addition to mapping new genes that have diverse biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications.

"A limited number of studies have addressed life in one of the youngest and most exotic oceanic systems -- the Red Sea. This line of research allows the utilization of our regional natural resources for the expansion of science and technology."

 

 

 

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In this issue, we look at AUC-ians serving Egypt.

When we think of AUC, we obviously think of education -- a good education. But those who know AUC, and AUCians, well understand that service is just as important as education in the life of the University: service to our local communities and a dedication to broader causes at the national and international levels -- a form of "effective citizenship."

Charles Watson, AUC's founding president, envisioned AUC -- among other things -- to be of service to Egypt, preparing its youth for later positions in life. AUC graduates, he emphasized time and again, do not just earn academic degrees, but are driven by initiative, leadership and integrity of character -- whether on campus or in their communities. "No one may secure the diploma of this University without doing more than merely pass examinations on [a] subject matter," Watson said. "He must give evidence of a total development of life and character that makes him worthy of being called a college graduate. ... It is our aim to develop scholars who will have in their lives the mainspring of initiative which will say, 'I know, I can and I will.'"

AUC's local contributions in Egypt are numerous, from student club activities and faculty research to alumni initiatives and University outreach. While we can't cover everything in one issue, we try to shed light on some striking examples that are really making a difference and #MakingAUCProud.

Public school reform, blended learning, employment opportunities, transportation solutions and cleaner energy -- students, alumni and faculty are making their presence felt in all walks of life. Our faculty are also leading the way with their research: preserving Egypt's legacy through archaeology and historic inscriptions, fighting diseases such as hepatitis C, exploring Red Sea genomics, using nanotechnology for solar energy and working as ministers to bring about positive change.

The University as a whole -- with its libraries, schools, centers, programs and courses -- is working toward a better Egypt, just by doing what it does every day.

One of the stories in this issue that is close to my heart is that of scholarship and fellowship students coming to AUC from different Egyptian governorates. Reading about their determination and future plans for the advancement of Egypt makes me feel happy and proud that such talented youth are part of our beloved country and our diverse campus community.

Serving Egypt is only one way that shows how AUCians are pioneers in their own right, upholding Watson's motto of "I know, I can and I will."
We hope you enjoy the issue.

P.S. Watch out for AUC's yearlong centennial celebrations coming up soon, starting February 2019! Read more about it in "How to Turn 100."

 

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By Ioanna Moriatis, feature photo by Ahmad El-Nemr | This is the cover story of the Spring 2018 edition of AUCToday.

Mostafa Kandil '15 is just 25, and yet is already at the core of a revolutionary trend in Egypt with his new company Swvl, a mobile app that organizes convenient and customized transportation routes around Egypt at reasonable prices. In fact, Swvl -- which was accelerated at the AUC Venture Lab -- recently raised $8 million in its first round of venture capital financing. This is the largest round of funding for a tech startup in Egypt and one of the largest in the Middle East.

"What we're doing is building public transportation for emerging markets," said Kandil, who was named -- along with co-founders Mahmoud Nouh and Ahmed Sabbah -- among Forbes Middle East's Class of 2018 Arab 30 under 30. "Often, people outside of emerging markets don't understand the magnitude of this global issue. In these markets, the middle class doesn't have affordable ways to commute. We're going to these markets and building the infrastructure for them."

At just 25 years old, Kandil is already changing the rideshare industry in Egypt. Photo by Ahmad El-Nemr.

In the short amount of time since its founding in 2017, the young startup has seen impressive growth, crossing Egypt's borders as it begins to establish roots abroad. After just six months, the transportation company was moving thousands of people a day. "Swvl is on its way to becoming a household name in Egypt and one of the biggest job providers in the country," said Kandil. "We are very excited about what the future holds for us as we build Egypt's first tech unicorn -- a company that investors value at more than $1 billion."

Companies around the world have tried to tap into this market with little success beyond a limited region. Kandil and his partners have impressed international investors with the rapid and widespread development of Swvl and the start of its expansion outside of Egypt to other emerging markets across the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.

"The impact we've seen is incredible," said Kandil. "Nobody has been able to crack this issue before, and we're growing out of Egypt very quickly."

How It All Began

With an innovative mind already cultivated at the age of 16, Kandil started his AUC studies as a petroleum engineering student.

After gaining experience in the field through an internship, he began to think of going down a different path. "Petroleum engineering is a very specialized field," he explained. "You focus on one tool for years. I get bored easily and need change. I wouldn't be able to work on only one thing and not feel like I'm creating something new."

And so, he shifted focus and began to create.

At 19, Kandil was selected as one of 30 participants in a program hosted by Google and was invited to its headquarters in Dublin to network and learn about entrepreneurship. "It was a life-changing experience," he reflected. "We were 30 people from 25 different countries. Everyone came from a different background and field."

Equipped with a curious, entrepreneurial mind, Kandil returned to Egypt only to pack his bags and fly out once more -- this time to the Philippines. Recruited by the trending company Rocket Internet, Kandil was given the opportunity to build and grow a business based on an already successful business model. "They cherry-pick entrepreneurs, give them budgets and send them to a country to start a business," he said. "We were supposed to grow the business, scale it and hire replacements after six months to continue sustaining the company's progress when we leave. It was an amazing experience."

After six months, Kandil had already grown his online vehicle marketplace, Carmudi, to 40 people and scaled it to three cities. Carmudi was soon the second largest company in the Philippines, coming out on top of three major competitors.

Transforming Transportation

Swvl comes as a cost-friendly and useful alternative for commuters, given the challenges associated with public transportation in Egypt -- whether in terms of the reach of the bus and metro network or the lack of a clear system. Through this application, Kandil and his partners have been able to build an entire transportation infrastructure in Egypt, offering a reliable and accessible service that spans across Cairo and even extends outside of the capital.

Users of Swvl input their desired pick-up location and destination, and the application offers a set of routes and times from which to choose. It gives all the essential information: how long the ride will take and the distance needed to walk based on the route. Users are able to pay online so that riding just becomes a matter of pick-up and drop-off.

Swvl's system of buses sets up routes based on the pick-up and drop-off locations typically requested, offering shared fixed flat rates with no surge pricing. When the application was first introduced in Cairo, the first few routes departed from AUC so that the team could monitor the market and gather data to multiply routes based on consumers' needs.

Kandil also noted that this application offers an effective relief to the government, privatizing a system of public transportation while maintaining affordable prices and creating opportunities for employment. Since the introduction of the app, Swvl's fleet has increased to hundreds of buses. Swvl intends to invest $16.9 million, or EGP 300 million, in the Egyptian market in the next three years to employ micro-entrepreneurs. "We want to become one of the biggest job creators in the country," said Kandil.

AUC: The Springboard

While at AUC, Kandil was a member of the Cairo International Model United Nations, an organization that pushed him to grow as a leader and businessman. "We had to lobby at conferences and get everyone around us to believe in what we were saying," said Kandil.

"I think this is a unique skill that AUC students, in particular, have. When I graduated, I started doing this. My job is basically selling what we do."

After graduation, Kandil dabbled in venture capital for some time as an intern, before joining Otlob as its head of operations. Already managing five teams as a fresh graduate, he was able to increase the company's efficiency by approximately 400 percent.

Continuing down the path of company growth, Kandil then joined Careem as a market launcher, debuting cities in Turkey, Pakistan and Egypt for the transportation service in only six months. His talent was recognized with the CEO's High Achiever Award.

Having worked in an on-demand transportation company for some time, Kandil began to observe trends in the market, noticing that the average trip fare totaled three or four dollars, which can be a toll for the average Egyptian commuter. "I had a hypothesis that the problem was with the tourism companies," Kandil said. "I knew that these companies have huge fleets of buses that are high quality, but completely underutilized."

With his eye on an opening in the market and partners interested in collaborating, Kandil felt ready to leave Careem and begin work on a new project. He and his fellow co-founders Nouh and Sabbah left their job positions, and the next month, were working on Swvl.

Kandil and his team are alumni of the AUC Venture Lab, Egypt's first University-based incubator, where they participated in cycle eight. AUC Venture Lab offers acceleration programs to high-growth and innovation-driven startups. With the AUC Venture Lab's entrepreneurial support as well as the knowledge and guidance of mentors, the team was able to launch the application before graduating from the cycle.

"It's important for entrepreneurs to create new innovation-led startups that act as platforms for increasing competitiveness," said Ayman Ismail '95, '97, the Abdul Latif Jameel Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship and director of the AUC Venture Lab. "Almost 50 percent of AUC Venture Lab startups receive investments, with the total now exceeding EGP 220 million. We are proud of the Swvl founders, who are definitely changing and revolutionizing the Egyptian transportation sector."

Venturing into the Unknown
 

Traffic in Cairo can make owning a car of your own an annoyance. Photo via IaSousa on Flickr.

Kandil's academic background and experience traveling as a student have given him an edge as he looks to continue developing his startup. "It's been very challenging," he noted. "We want to keep growing quickly. I was lucky that I got to work with different cultures in various geographic locations when I was younger. It makes it much less scary when we say, 'OK, let's go to this country and launch a business there.'"

After overcoming many challenges along the way and creating success out of limited initial resources, Kandil feels confident in his decision to divert from his original career path. He encourages AUC students and graduates to take risks such as this one and innovate.

"As AUC graduates, we have the opportunity to take risks," said Kandil. "My single advice is: Build something; take a risk. This is what will differentiate you. It's been very hard taking this leap, but we now dream of seeing Swvl as the first Egyptian tech unicorn. We're laser-focused on this vision right now."

 

By Elizabeth Lepro, photo by Ahmad El-Nemr | This Q&A appeared in the Spring 2018 edition of AUC Today.

In this interview with Haynes Mahoney, AUC's special adviser for arts and community engagement, the newly appointed adviser discusses the plans for AUC's cultural future. You can read a full version of this interview here, and a recap of the very first Ramadan Nights event here.

What do you think are the positives and drawbacks of AUC New Cairo's location?

Haynes Mahoney: New Cairo is an expanding area, and Cairo itself -- Old Cairo -- is bursting at the seams and is constrained geographically. But what you mostly have in New Cairo are malls and cinema complexes and really not much else. So my job is to figure out how to make AUC attractive as a cultural and artistic hub to the burgeoning population that's moving out here, utilizing all of the resources and, first and foremost, the people who are here at AUC. We've got amazing talent. The challenge is to bring people in from
the community.

How will students be involved?

They're key players. They have the passion and ideas, and we really need to do
them justice by involving them in every phase of the Arts, Community Outreach and Campus Animation program.

How would a non-arts major benefit from AUC becoming a community cultural hub?

When you're a student, you're dealing with a lot of theory. You're seeing the world through the eyes of academics, which is fine. It's what a university does primarily. But with this initiative, whether you're a performer, a manager or a publicist, you're reaching out to an audience that is not just your parents or fellow students, but is outside the community. That really exposes you to marketing, to getting feedback, to dealing with the outside world, the media -- these practical aspects of putting on a program. It's a lot of hands-on experience, and that is key to a liberal arts education.

Will artistic and cultural events at AUC be affordable? For the most part, yes. We should be aiming at things from a very wide spectrum. We shouldn't exclude those who are on limited budgets or any intellectuals, artists and people who are culturally creative. We want to include everyone.
With all that's going on in the world, why is art still important?

It's not just important; it's really at the core. It gives people meaning. That's the problem we're facing now: Everybody is on their cell phones or devices, responding to the concerns of the immediate moment, but not having a longer perspective.

"Art is a universal way of letting people look at the meaning of their lives and how they relate to history as it's going on. People come and go; empires rise and fall; governments disintegrate. But art endures because it has an eternal message to it."