International student Sara Carere has never experienced a month quite like Ramadan in Egypt. Living in wust el balad, or downtown Cairo, Carere has fasted with friends from Assiut, eaten suhoor on the street with her neighbors and watched hours of musalsalat (Ramadan TV series). 

“I was most surprised by how special and collective fasting feels,” Carere says. “Back home in the Netherlands I had some Muslim friends who fasted, but seeing Ramadan on a country-wide scale is incredible.”

Carere fasted the first two days of Ramadan to understand what her Muslim friends and neighbors were feeling firsthand. “It was really hard for me,” Carere recalls. “Maybe it's because I haven’t done it before, but not drinking water was so tough. That first iftar was incredible, though; water and dates have never tasted so good.” 

As a Middle Eastern studies student from the University of Groningen, Carere has spent her study abroad year at AUC making friends from all over the world. Her iftars have included traditional Egyptian foods and sweets, like molokhia, mahshi, kunafa and atayef, in addition to international foods, like Spanish omelets and pasta bolognese.

“I’ve really enjoyed this month because my roommates and I always have dinner together at iftar. Planning the meals, going grocery shopping and visiting the local market in Sayeda Zaynab to see the lanterns has been a lot of fun,” Carere says. “The fresh fruit juice from the street vendors is so good. My favorite is the coconut drink, sobia.” 

Living in downtown Cairo has immersed Carere in the Ramadan spirit. “The first night we walked around downtown until suhoor. Everyone seemed so happy and energetic,” Carere recalls. “We spent the night playing dominoes at an awha (local coffee shop) and drinking tea. It’s been a great chance to practice my Arabic.”

Ramadan has also highlighted some amusing cultural differences between the Netherlands and Egypt, particularly with regard to watching musalsalat. “In the Netherlands, we usually watch a show in silence and discuss it after,” Carere explains. “Watching the shows here with my Egyptian friends involves a lot more commenting and asking questions. I like it; it's more engaging. My favorite shows so far are Al Maddah and Al Soffara.”

At other times, the month feels bittersweet for Carere. “Seeing everyone breaking fast with their families and spending so much time together does make me a little homesick,” Carere says. “Thankfully, my dad is coming to visit next month, and I am so excited to show him how special Egypt is during Ramadan.”

Hassan Azzazy, distinguished University professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry, has been honored for his extensive work in the field of biochemistry with the Distinguished Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and a Doctor of Science from Alexandria University, in addition to being elected chair of the National Committee of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology in Egypt. 

The highly prestigious award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation includes a one-year invitation and grant to conduct research at the Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technologies in Jena, Germany. Azzazy’s research addresses a wide array of global health and environmental challenges by creating diagnostic tests and biosensors for disease detection, developing new medicines, designing chemosensors for monitoring heavy metals and improving wound care. 

Azzazy was also awarded a Doctor of Science from his alma mater, Alexandria University, in recognition of his overall research productivity and scientific contributions made since he received his PhD from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in biomedical sciences.

In his position as chair of the National Committee of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology in Egypt, Azzazy works with a committee to lead national efforts in developing research and teaching activities in biochemistry, molecular biology and related disciplines. 

He also coordinates collaborations with similar regional and international societies, such as a recent symposium on “drug delivery nanocarriers,” which was attended by 200 participants from research institutions from all over Egypt.

“Between 2009 and 2019, I used to smoke between seven to 10 cigarettes a day. During those 10 years, I tried to quit several times without success,” said Michael Gibson, senior instructor in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition.  

Last June, Gibson learned about AUC’s Smoking Cessation Clinic from on-campus flyers and decided to enroll in the program. First, he met with a psychiatrist who asked him some questions about his addiction and prescribed some medications for several months to help him quit. “I wanted to quit for my health and fitness and because I don't like the way it smells on my hands, clothes and in my breath,” he said.

On July 25, Gibson smoked his last cigarette. 

The medications and regular counseling are what helped Gibson relieve his cravings and made him realize that he doesn’t want or need this anymore. “The regular follow-up with the psychiatrist every other week to check in with me and track my progress was a great motivational boost,” explained Gibson.

“I have not only continued to refrain from smoking since then, but ­­­­­­­­­­for the most part, I don't even have the desire anymore,” he affirmed.

“There are times, every now and then, when I feel the urge (as I see someone lighting up), but I resist,” he noted.

Since he quit smoking, Gibson has witnessed a significant improvement in his ability to run and play sports, and his overall health has become better. He’s enjoying having his life and health back. 

“I no longer have to smell like a used ashtray, and my sense of smell and taste are sharper again. It feels good to not feel addicted to anything,” he said. “I strongly encourage anyone who is finding it difficult to quit to try the program.”

Attend the Digital Education Campus Conversation on October 9 in Moataz Al Alfi Hall, AUC New Cairo to learn more about the innovative initiative. 

According to Forbes, the worldwide e-learning market is projected to be worth $325 Billion in 2025. In its second century, AUC will be more focusing on its potential to innovate via empowering learners through digital education as the first university to have a robust information technology infrastructure and a Center for Learning and Teaching infrastructure. The News@AUC team spoke with Hoda Mostafa, director of AUC's Center for Learning and Teaching about digitizing education at AUC.

Can you tell us more about the Digital Education at AUC?

Digital education, in the broad sense, is not new to AUC. We have always strived to lead the transformation of higher education through digital education and innovative pedagogies for many years. It started in the early 2000s, before we moved to AUC New Cairo, with the adoption of a learning management system across the University and the adoption of multiple instructional technologies across the board, whether it is web 2.0 or specific instructional technologies in the classroom, platforms that students use across the disciplines. We offer strong support through the Center for Learning and Teaching (CLT) around the active integration of technology into the classroom in what we call  “pedagogically sound” ways. In other words, we do not encourage the integration of technology for its own sake, but because it improves the educational and the learning experience for our students, and it is also a learning opportunity for our faculty.

What is the more recent Digital Education Initiative all about?

It is a University-wide initiative around digital education to include online, blended learning as part of our innovation pillar at AUC. Online and blended programs are being introduced to provide greater access to our extended education offerings within our programs and diplomas. This modality allows learners from anywhere around the globe to take our courses. For example, by offering courses fully online in Arabic, we are expanding our reach and appealing to the Middle East and North Africa region and other audiences. For undergraduates, we have started offering Arabic courses in a blended format this semester.

In 2013, President Anderson established a Task Force on Blended learning with the mandate, "To develop guidelines and best practices for an institutional implementation of blended learning at AUC and to assess AUC’s readiness for such an initiative”

In 2014, the AUC provost established a standing committee on Blended and Online instruction that was made to set or recommend policy and strategy at the University level for blended and online instruction.

It is only in the latest strategic plan of the University that blended and online learning became a specific strategic goal.

What are your biggest challenges?

Faculty require support to design and teach in an online or blended learning modality. We already have experience with faculty who have taught courses in a blended format, which means that part of the class time is replaced with an online experience so they are doing some things online and some things face-to-face, and the course is designed so that it flows naturally. Teaching online is not the same as teaching face to face. This is a challenge when introducing these new mindsets to the learning landscape at AUC. Students also need support to succeed as online learners.

How are you working to overcome those challenges?

We are working on training faculty on how to design blended-learning courses, whether they're degree or non-degree programs, so we are building up capacity for our faculty to become more familiar with designing courses. We are also training instructors to teach online because it is very different than teaching in the classroom.

It is important to understand that in any initiative like this, there is always slow incremental gradual change, changing the culture, and establishing strong roots and capacity building. Expecting faculty to teach online or even to teach with technology requires capacity building and professional development and that’s why we are very lucky that we have a CLT at the University that can support faculty to explore new ways of teaching with the support of an infrastructure that allows this; whether it is a technological infrastructure like a robust institutional learning management system or the support system of skilled instructional designers and instructional technologists at CLT, which is unique in the region.                

Who will benefit from this initiative?

The digital education would benefit the entire community of educators and learners and learners beyond AUC students.

In the few courses that have recently been launched, we have had over 900 students who took non-degree courses in the area of extended education.

How is it different from blended learning? And from what AUC currently offers online?  

Blended learning is part of the initiative, but the scope of the initiative now is to go fully online with a focus on the professional non-degree area, not just AUC students. Through the School of Continuing Education, we have just launched one diploma, “Foundations of Business Administration” as a pilot.    

The establishment of the digital education unit at the Center for Learning and Teaching is what makes it different. Now we have a unit and a whole team; an instructional technology team, instructional development, and video production and multimedia team. The teams are composed of nine exclusively dedicated members to support faculty in everything related to digital education, whether it is the traditional or not so traditional integration of technology into the classroom, video conferencing, the production of videos in our state-of-the-art studio or the design of blended and online courses with the full support of the instructional design and technology team.

Why is this an important initiative for AUC? 

We are the first university to have a robust information technology infrastructure and a Center for Learning and Teaching infrastructure.

I think it is important to think of a common purpose for higher education, and that is the transformative nature of higher education including the experiences that the students are exposed to, types of skills they learn, self-learning, interacting with people online and digital literacies. All of these things are implicit to learning in a blended or online environment. Additionally, online courses contribute to increasing AUC’s reach to people who can benefit from quality AUC courses.

But it is a slow process. That’s why we have a one, two and three-year plans, but the overarching of why it is important to AUC is because it affects everyone, technology is part of our lives, every single person should be able to teach himself new things even if learning how to cook or play the guitar through a YouTube video. We should embrace that we can offer high-quality online experiences that are equal to our face-to-face quality of education.

What are your short and long-term plans?

Our hope is to introduce some elements of a blended or online learning experience for our students and expand our reach. If you look at some of the statistics in the U.S, you'll find that over 30 percent of the students will have taken at least one online course in their undergraduate education by the time they graduate and this is increasing every year. There are multiple public and private universities that offer the same course in both versions; online and face-to-face and the students can choose.

The strategic mission of the University in the next two years is to focus on the non-degree professional certificates, diplomas and tracks through its different schools so any kind of professional offerings in extended education is a strategic kind of area for growth. This doesn’t mean we won’t be looking at opportunities in the post-graduate offerings at AUC as well.

How can people apply or learn more about it? 

Through CLT as mediators of the process. The schools and their programs are identifying the programs that have the potential to go online, they are doing market research and addressing their audience, building on their knowledge of their learners and program placement. It is a school-driven initiative according to the needs of their community of learners.  CLT serves as a service and support center and not necessarily a decision-making entity. We serve the schools with the purpose of bringing together all stakeholders; chairs, program directors, deans, faculty to the same kind of space.

How will the stakeholders benefit from the Digital Education Campus Conversation taking place on October 9?

On October 9, we are holding a communication event followed by an opportunity-seeking activity,  bringing together the stakeholders, asking common questions like where do you see the potential of online learning within your community of learners. The community of the School of Continuing Education is very different than the executive business community and the Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism learners and we should respect the differences so that our products align with the market needs.

In this community campus conversation, stakeholders will hopefully meet to explore opportunities at CLT and leave with a better understanding of their needs and the transformative power of integrating digital education, whether online, blended or web-enhanced learning into their programs.

Rachel Awad is AUC's new senior director of academic affairs projects in the Office of the Provost. With more than 25 years of experience in educational management at universities, ministries of education and NGOs in the United States and the Middle East, Awad is looking forward to being part of AUC.
 #PeopleOfAUC

What’s your main role as the senior director of academic affairs projects?

I represent the provost by providing leadership to a wide variety of projects across the University’s academic areas. I work closely with the associate provosts, deans, and faculty, as well as with teams from the administrative and operational units, to help ensure that projects move forward in a coordinated and timely manner.

Why did you decide to join AUC? 

My love for Egypt, coupled with my passion for the liberal arts, made AUC a very natural choice as the only liberal arts institution in the country.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and your previous experience?

I have bachelor’s and master’s degrees in comparative religion and culture, and a doctorate in public administration and international public policy. I have been working in educational management for over 25 years, working with universities, ministries of education and NGOs in the United States and across the MENA region, including many in Egypt.  

What are your priorities during this coming year? 

As a newcomer to AUC, one of my immediate priorities is to learn what drives the University -- not only to know who’s who and what’s what, but to truly understand AUC’s unique culture. And, of course, helping to implement projects and initiatives that support the University's mission and mandate.

What’s your plan to further strengthen AUC’s academic position locally and regionally? 

I think it’s important to say that I personally don’t have a plan. But the Office of the Provost has a very detailed and ambitious plan that in turn is 100% aligned to the University’s broader strategic plan. Every project and initiative that I will be working on aligns with one or more of the key pillars of this plan. This means that through my day-to-day work I will be an integral part of the AUC’s commitment to maintaining and strengthening its unique position in Egypt, the region and globally.   

What do you like most about AUC? 

I love how the atmosphere and energy on campus are a true mix of Egyptian and American cultures and values.

Favorite movie: Depending on my mood, I have three favorites: The Philadelphia Story, My Cousin Vinny, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Favorite book: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Favorite music: My favorite genre is definitely rock and roll. There are so many bands that I love, but my top three are The Kinks, The Grateful Dead, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.

Favorite activity: Hanging out at the pool with family/friends, a good book and good music.

Favorite Egyptian food: Koshary, mahshi and feteer.

Your hero/role model: Martin Luther King and Michelle Obama

Greatest inspiration: People who live by the courage of their conviction.

Accomplishment you’re most proud of: Raising my son and seeing him grow into a man who I’m proud to know and love to spend time with.

Fun fact: I lived in seven different homes in seven cities, five states and two countries by the time I was 8 years old.

What problem do you wish to solve in the world? 

I would love to see a world where everyone has access to quality education and healthcare, and safe housing, food and water.

In an attempt to help bridge the gap between university education outcomes and the needs of the labor market, AUC recently celebrated the opening of three USAID-funded University Centers for Career Development at Zagazig University and one at Ain Shams University - totaling 12 out of 20 UCDCs in 12 public universities in Greater Cairo, the Delta and Upper Egypt - part of an initiative to equip and prepare around 1 million public university students for the labor market with a comprehensive set of guidance and training in the fields of career management, employability skills and entrepreneurship -- free of charge -- to increase their competitiveness.   

Zagazig University

Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel Ghaffar praised the project, “The opening of the three University Centers for Career Development today is a great example of cooperation between the United States Agency for International Development and The American University in Cairo, which has served Egypt for 100 years and whose graduates are excelling in all positions.”

Abdel Ghaffar emphasized the importance of such a program for Egypt’s youth. “There is always a gap between academic education and the needs of the labor market -- not only in Egypt, but all over the world," he said. "This is why the career development centers are of importance to raise the quality of graduates to compete in the local and international labor markets. We hope we can have such career development centers in all Egyptian universities.”

To ensure the sustainability of the University Centers for Career Development and their services, an AUC team will train and certify the UCCD staff at Zagazig University as career service providers to university students.

“Zagazig University has always been in pursuit of modernization and development to serve its community," said Zagazig University President Khaled Abdel Barry. "It has served as a beacon of knowledge and foundation of creativity with capable graduates who compete in the job market and contribute to developing their society. Today, we celebrate the opening of three University Centers for Career Development that will serve not only students and graduates by preparing them, raising their competence and helping them find jobs -- but will also have a positive impact on the Sharqia governorate’s economy with its industrial, agricultural and touristic cities.”

AUC Provost Ehab Abdel-Rahman emphasized AUC's mission to serve. “The University Centers for Career Development project is a wonderful endeavor that is emblematic of AUC’s dedication to giving back to Egypt,” he said. "We are pleased to collaborate with Zagazig University to establish three University Centers for Career Development to prepare their students for the labor market and develop their skills so they can contribute positively to the business, industrial and agricultural sectors in Sharqia governorate."

Ain Shams University

Ain Shams University collaborated earlier with AUC in the field of career education when it hosted in 2014 two centers at the Ain Shams Faculty of Engineering and main campus as part of the pilot project, Employability and Career Development Centers. 

"As AUC celebrates 100 years of excellence in education and service to Egypt, we are pleased to once again collaborate with Ain Shams University in the field of career education as we celebrate the inauguration of the University Center for Career Development at the Faculty of Commerce,” said Ahmed Tolba, associate provost for strategic enrollment management. “This follows the success of the Employability and Career Development Centers established at the Faculty of Engineering and the main career center that we jointly established in 2014. Collectively, the three centers will provide more students with access to career guidance services, which will contribute to increasing their competitiveness and employability in the job market. We appreciate USAID's support in funding the University Centers for Career Development in Egypt."

To ensure the sustainability of the University Center for Career Development and its services, the AUC team will train the UCCD staff at Ain Shams University's Faculty of Commerce to become career service providers to university students.

Ain Shams University Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development Nazmy Abdel Hamid noted, “Ain Shams University has always been a forerunner among universities to embrace new models and approaches to serve its students and the wider community. The university is building on the success of the Employability and Career Development Centers, which we take pride in the fact that they continue to be sustained and successfully functioning. The ECDC at the Faculty of Engineering has provided different services to more than 11,000 students, while the main campus ECDC has served more than 13,000 students. The two centers have hosted six employment fairs availing hundreds of vacancies and internships for thousands of students and alumni. Our success will continue with the UCCDs, and we will continue to inspire model success and share our best practices with others.” 

AUC has moved up 25 places compared to last year in the 2020 QS World University Rankings, placing 395^th globally — making it among the top 1.5% of universities worldwide.

AUC also ranks among the top 1% worldwide in terms of specific indicators such as international faculty, employer reputation and academic reputation. The University is ranked second in Africa after the University of Cape Town.

According to QS, there are more than 26,000 universities worldwide, and QS ranks only the top 1,000 — approximately 4 percent of the world’s universities. Universities ranked in the 300 range like AUC — such as The George Washington University and the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies — are, therefore, in the top 1.5% of universities worldwide. AUC is in the top 37% of universities ranked by QS.

"This jump in our rankings is a reflection of our continued focus on providing a high-quality academic program at the heart of the uniquely student-centered AUC experience," said AUC President Francis Ricciardone. "I commend our faculty and staff who continue to strive for the highest levels of achievement in all fields across the University.  Their world-class talent and commitment ensure that our solid reputation will grow from strength to strength as we build on AUC's first century's legacy, here at the threshold of our second century."

The acclaimed QS rankings rate the world's top universities based on six indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-to-student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio and international student ratio. AUC’s strongest indicators are international faculty (141^st worldwide), employer reputation (253^th worldwide) and academic reputation (344^th worldwide). This makes AUC in the top 1% worldwide for these three indicators.

With international faculty, an indicator of a “strong international brand” as QS puts it, AUC surpasses the global median of 11.1, with 37.3% international faculty.

Overall, AUC ranks in the same range as other prestigious U.S. universities, including the University of California, Santa Cruz; University of Connecticut and University of Colorado, Denver. It also ranks ahead of other private, mid-size, four-year liberal arts institutions delivering a curriculum comparable to AUC, such as Wake Forest University, Lehigh University, Brandeis University and the College of William & Mary.

These rankings are an effective way for prospective students to compare schools and decide which universities to enroll in. “Ranking is not a goal. However, the QS rankings are an acknowledgment of the strength of AUC’s liberal arts education and the quality of our institution. Being in the top 1% of universities worldwide is an indicator of AUC's quality of education,” said AUC Provost Ehab Abdel-Rahman. “A university should be selective and participate in the ranking(s) that reflect its mission and vision. The indicators QS uses reflect AUC’s mission to provide a global, reputable education and holistic experience for our students.” 

Click here to view AUC's QS profile. 

The Hadhramout Foundation for Human Development recently gave $2 million to AUC to establish the Hadhramout Foundation Scholarship for Yemeni Students, supporting 27 high-achieving Yemeni students —15 undergraduates and 12 graduate students — starting Spring 2020, as well as the Hadhramout Foundation Fund at the School of Continuing Education. The latter will support 20 Yemeni learners to take the English for Effective Communication Program and the Certified Public Accountant certification.

“For 100 years, AUC has assumed a leadership role in supporting and empowering bright and ambitious students who are seeking to shape the world around them,” said AUC President Francis J. Ricciardone. “We are proud to announce that through this scholarship initiative, Yemeni youth in Egypt will be given the special opportunity to receive a world-class education.”

Addressing the Hadhramout Foundation for Human Development, Ricciardone added, “We at AUC are focused, and you are helping us focus. Thank you for all the good you are enabling us to do.”

The Hadhramout Foundation for Human Development is a charitable organization operating in the Hadhramout region of Yemen that aims at building human resources among disadvantaged Yemeni populations. The organization funds a range of initiatives that include skills programs and two English language institutes, as well as supporting opportunities for continuing education. 

“A few years ago, it was a dream that our foundation would send people to AUC,” said Engineer Bugshan, CEO of House of Invention International and president of the Hadhramout Foundation for Human Development. “Hopefully, we will see big numbers of students coming to AUC.”

Engineer Bugshan is a businessman and philanthropist from the Hadhrami diaspora who has a history of giving back to his homeland. He has given more than $10 million throughout his lifetime to a range of causes including initiatives in health, human services and cultural heritage. In 2012, the Arab Economic Forum recognized Eng. Bugshan for his pioneering achievements in the economic and investment fields in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.

“This is a University with a good reputation,” said Saleh Awadh Aram, CEO and Board of Trustees member of the Hadhramout Foundation for Human Development. “It’s a good opportunity for our students to come here and get higher education from this University.”

The scholarships are part of the $100 million AUC Centennial Campaign: A New Century of Impact, which has now reached 80 percent of its target. The campaign is part of AUC's vision for greater impact in the next century. The campaign priorities are fostering a global experience, creating centennial scholarships that give the most deserving and talented students access to an AUC education, nurturing arts and cultural programs, charting a way forward for the MENA region and building a culture of philanthropy. For more on the Centennial Campaign, click here. To make a gift to AUC, click here.

AUC graphic design graduate Maha Hesham ‘19 became a city sensation with her senior thesis: colorful postage stamps depicting historical Egyptian female pioneers, from Um Kulthum to Doria Shafik and Huda Sharawi. 

For Hesham, the project was an opportunity to raise awareness of these impactful women and the unequal representation they’ve been given within historical narratives and popular culture.

"We have so many female leaders to be proud of, and people have no idea,” she explained. “I wanted to create stamps that would value these women and discuss their significance -- bringing them some measure of equality.”

Picking Postage

So why did she choose stamps as her medium?

Hesham wanted to pursue a subject that could incorporate her passion for illustration. “My first idea was to design the stamps that go in passports,” she said. However, when she proposed the idea to her professor, the teacher thought she was referring to postage stamps.

“I thought it was an interesting idea, and I decided to look into it,” she confessed.

Hesham started her research broadly, first looking into the history of postage stamps and then focusing on Egyptian postage stamps specifically. Using the AUC Library as her main resource, Hesham discovered that something as seemingly innocuous as a stamp had a rich history and a variety of purposes.

“I found so many uses for postage stamps -- of course their primary function is to prepay mail, but they’re also a form of propaganda. They can advertise for things like the opening of a new hotel or the Art Deco movement,” she explained. “They also have touristic value. If you send a letter from Egypt to the US and it has Egyptian monuments on it, you can get a sense of what Egypt has to offer.”

According to Hesham, the first Egyptian postage stamps were ornamental and detailed with Turkish script. After becoming an independent country, the new motifs in Egyptian postage became symbols of the country’s vast history, like the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx.”

“Looking at these stamps, you can see how Egypt saw itself and decided to represent itself,” she explained. “These stamps really are an important method to record history.” She also saw historical figures represented in these stamps -- leaders, scientists and changemakers who were contributing to society at the time.

A Commemorative Stamp

From her research, one thing stuck out to Hesham: You could learn a lot about a country’s values through its stamps. And by looking at Egypt’s historical stamps, she realized that they were used to pay more tribute to men than to women.

“This is when I decided to start researching Egyptian female leaders,” she stated. And for Hesham, this research was eye-opening. “I learned about so many female pioneers between the 1920s and the 1960s whom I had never heard about,” she exclaimed.

She decided to choose nine women to represent in her stamps, and she picked women whose stories moved her. These were Amina Al Said, a writer and magazine editor; Suhayr Al Qalamawi, an academic and journalist; Lutfia Al Nadi, the first female pilot; Doria Shafik, an activist and writer; Huda Sharawi, a feminist and activist; Moufida AbdelRahman, a pioneering female lawyer; Sameera Moussa, a nuclear researcher; Um Kulthum, the famous Egyptian singer; and Safiya Zahgoul, a political activist and revolutionary figure.

During the process, Hesham also sat in on a meeting of a philatelic (i.e. stamp-collecting) society in Cairo. “If I’m going to design something, I need to have a target market,” Hesham explained. Originally, she had considered making her stamps digital, since traditional postage has fallen out of use in Egypt. However, after meeting members of the philatelic society, she realized that there are people out there keeping stamps alive. “Maybe I should do something for them,” she posited.

Making Mail

Once Hesham decided the stamps would be physical instead of digital, she began the design process.

For the representation of women on the stamps, Hesham decided she wanted to incorporate all the colors of the rainbow. She drew the leaders vividly in bright hues -- symbolic of hope. She decided to number the stamps 1, 2, 3 and 5 since these were the most common values for vintage stamps at the time the women depicted on them were alive.

“I experimented with so many art styles from pointism to monochromatic, but then I started with lines, and I realized that minimalism is in right now and that just simplifying everything to lines was the way to go,” she said, explaining her stamps refined look.

Hesham's project touched a chord with people. After the final exhibition of her thesis, someone from Women of Egypt reached out, writing an article about her stamps for International Women’s month. Since then, Hesham has been interviewed by more than six news sources about her project.

“Even now it's very hard to process. It still feels like a dream -- so surreal,” Hesham exclaimed.

So where will Hesham go from here? “It would be so nice to see Egypt develop the production of these stamps,” she suggested. “There is still a debate over whether I should make then a collector's item, print them or sell them in local bookstores.”

According to Hesham, a lot of people are getting into stamps these days, even outside of the philatelic society. “Vintage things are coming back into fashion,” she explained. “More and more people are getting into it.”

And what else is on the horizon for Hesham? “I want to continue to create art that raises awareness about important issues,” she stated.

In the end, her stamps are at once an artistic homage to female leaders, a feminist story and a beautiful collector's item.

“They are like miniature paintings -- masterpieces,” she stated.

Want to learn more about Hesham and her work? Check out her website here.

For any budding Egyptologist, the opportunity to study the hieroglyphics and history of Egypt's ancient civilizations on-site is a chance not to pass up. Graduate student Julia Viani Puglisi, who is currently pursuing her PhD in Egyptology at Harvard’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, decided to do just that — studying Egyptology for a semester at AUC as a recipient of the Simpson Endowed Scholarships for Year-Abroad Program in Egyptology. Puglisi came to AUC as the result of a recent partnership with Harvard University, facilitating student exchange and future collaboration between both institutions. 

Puglisi earned her bachelor's in classical languages from the University of California, Berkeley and her master's in Egyptology from Indiana University, Bloomington, where she won the Indiana University 2018 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award. Titled The Mechanics of Egyptian Paronomasia: Applying Pattern Recognition Search to the Ramesside Dream Manual, Puglisi's thesis is the highest evaluated thesis in the Math/Physical Sciences/Engineering category. 

Puglisi is grateful for the opportunity to study Egyptology firsthand in the land of the Pharaohs. Speaking at AUC's Centennial Campaign launch in February 2019, Puglisi said:

“I am honored to be here representing my field and, now, two institutions as part of a new generation of Egyptologists empowered to learn from Egyptians and this country’s deep cultural heritage. I am here because I want to contribute to the dialogue of Egyptology’s future in Egypt. As a digital humanist and devoted student to Egypt’s past, I hope to push my discipline forward and encourage young Egyptologists to break convention. With the generous support of the Department of Egyptology and its fearsome faculty — my new mentors — I am able to know how it feels to study Egyptology in Egypt. I am here because I believe that the future of a discipline rests on its ability to reignite sparks of childlike wonder — when you’re too old to play anymore. Egypt has that magic. I am deeply grateful and thrilled for the opportunity to contribute to a strong legacy of Egyptology at The American University in Cairo."

News@AUC spoke with Puglisi about her passion for Egyptology and her learning experience at AUC:

Q: What originally got you interested in Egyptology?

Like most Egyptologists, my passion emerged when I was young and never went away. The hieroglyphic script caught my attention first, in particular, the inscriptions on monumental structures half-buried under layers of debris and sand. Although I could write my name with the hieroglyphic "alphabet" (snake - quail chick - mouth - reed - vulture

) I was dissatisfied with my inability to make sense of the enigmatic texts inscribed on tomb and temple walls. What did they truly say? It was my dream to read their language and to understand how they felt and expressed their world.

Q: What was your favorite part about attending AUC?

The Egyptology faculty is the primary reason why I chose AUC. I felt that there was a harmonious balance between my professors, which created a rich, open learning environment. I also greatly enjoyed the composition of my schedule and how the conversation and material explored in each course complemented and enhanced one another throughout the semester.

Thank you, Fayza Haikal, Salima Ikram, Lisa Sabbahy and Mariam Ayad for your endless support and the passion with which you shared your knowledge.

I also loved the bus rides and the University Garden with its rows of grapefruits, oranges and lemons. I loved that my backpack was packed with citruses of all kinds in March and April. I remember the transit in and out of New Cairo: I would arrive on campus as the sun was rising and leave when it was setting. Every day, the R9 bus was filled with dynamic and colorful conversations between students, professors and visiting scholars. Specifically, I remember connecting more with two of my professors during these commutes — I spoke about my dreams as a scholar and consulted them on my fears as I embark further on my path in my field. It was very therapeutic.

Q: Would you encourage other international Egyptology students to come to Egypt to study?

Yes, I would highly recommend the program and the opportunity to live in Cairo. I think it is essential for young Egyptologists to familiarize themselves with the culture and spaces that modern Egyptians inhabit and experience and to be able to see history in person in the place where it all happened.

Q: Do you have a hero?

My mother and father, who worked hard to do what they love and taught their children to chase their dreams to the end. They're the best people I know.