“I didn’t know Nadia Younes,” Dame Minouche Shafik stated as she began her lecture. “But I’m sure that if I did, we would have gotten on famously.”

Dame Minouche Shafik, director of the London School of Economics and Political Science and the first woman in the school's history to hold this position, was the featured speaker at this year’s Nadia Younes Memorial Lecture. Shafik also served as former vice president of the World Bank at the age of 36 — the youngest to ever hold this position — with an illustrious career in economics and academia behind her.

“She exemplifies in her life what we do, and that is inspiring explorers for lifelong journeys of challenge, discovery, innovation and service,” said AUC President Francis J. Ricciardone.

Opportunities and Leadership

In her speech, Shafik tackled everything from social mobility and women in the workplace to cryptocurrency, but the main focus of her talk was on leadership in a globalizing world and the economic factors that lead to success. “How much of one’s success is the role of luck?” she questioned, describing how many outside factors contribute to an individual’s prosperity, including where someone is born, their family and education.

“I strongly believe that talent is spread evenly around the world, but opportunity is not.”

Shafik thinks that lucky or unlucky circumstances have a big impact on life outcomes -– frequently outweighing other factors. Citing her own accomplishments, Shafik stated that if she had been born into a different family with different opportunities available, she probably would not have come close to the level of success she has achieved.

According to Shafik, it is the job of the state through the social contract -– the set of rules and institutions that govern that relationship between a government and its citizens -– to compensate for the impact of luck on social mobility. “Every country relies on institutions to deliver its social contract: the family, the community and voluntary organizations, the state and the market,” she explained.

While the term social contract might feel abstract, to Shafik, it is an integral aspect of what makes societies and economies work or not work. The social contract can help make up for “bad luck,” or lack of opportunities people face through the provision of public goods.

What Happened in Egypt

“So what has happened in Egypt?” she asked.

According to Shafik, inequality in Egypt is actually low by international standards. She believes that the real economic crisis in the country is the deterioration of its middle class. She explained how the middle class has suffered from lower returns to education, cuts and subsidies that decreased public sector employment, contributing to high unemployment rates and declining public services.

“In the last decade, the percentage of downwardly mobile Egyptians has actually exceeded the number of upwardly mobile Egyptians,” she declared. She calls this phenomenon the “nouveau poor,” a condition where parental wealth, quality of education and access to social networks have become significant factors for success.

“In the past, the middle class could count on a conveyor belt of higher education leading to university, leading to public sector employment. But now, that conveyor belt has stopped,” she explained.

To Shafik, this is a framework where luck has more impact than effort in determining success, leading to young people having lower standards of living than their predecessors and an overall decline in life satisfaction and economic stability.

A Way Forward

So what can be done? Shafik honed in on the importance of protecting and strengthening upward social mobility and supporting institutions that bolster it, such as education. And the focus on education needs to start early on. According to research Shafik cited, giving children access to resources such as nutrition and education in the first 1,000 days of their life has a huge impact on their future.

Shafik also affirms that a good leader is instrumental in bringing about positive change.

“Leadership is what you do when you cannot rely on management, when you face uncertainty,” she stated, citing Nelson Mandela and her grandmother as two examples of strong leaders. To Shafik, a good leader is someone who inspires and builds strong teams around them.

However, while she believes good leadership is important, she also believes many institutional factors influence change. One of these factors she focused on was gender parity. Despite woman making large strides in higher education, they make up a minority of the workforce.

“One of the issues in a country like Egypt is that there are many many incredibly talented young Egyptian women, but only 16 percent of Egyptian women participate in the formal labor market. And if you could equalize male and female labor force participation in Egypt, the economy would be 60 percent bigger,” she exclaimed.

This problem extends beyond women. Shafik described the phenomenon of "hidden Einsteins:" countries filled with untapped human resources.

“There are millions and millions of what they call hidden Einsteins throughout the country which, if that potential was tapped and they were given those opportunities, you would have a huge increase in innovation and productivity,” she elaborated.

However, Shafik is hopeful about women's participation in the workforce increasing.

“I think at the moment we really are on the cusp of potentially a major change, and I'm quite optimistic about not just all the women we see rising to the top, but also all the young women coming up who will fill those jobs in the future toward gender parity,” she stated.

For Shafik, taking advantage of these human resources, and providing more people the opportunities they need to be productive and creative is the key to shaping a brighter economic future — in Egypt and globally.

Commemorating Nadia

The Nadia Younes Memorial Lecture is a joint lecture series by the Nadia Younes Memorial Fund and AUC, bringing internationally renowned speakers to talk at the University. The fund was established in 2004 following the tragic death of Nadia Younes in the bombing of the United Nations Headquarters in Iraq. The fund aims to honor her memory and commemorate her achievements by advancing international relations and humanitarian affairs, promoting her passion fields to new generations of students.

The goal of the lecture series is to highlight speakers who have made a global impact and have a unique perspective on international policy. “We are interested in presenting practical solutions to real-world problems,” explained Fouad Younes ‘66, managing director of the Fouad Mahmoud Younes & Associates Consulting Company, as he introduced Dame Shafik.

Younes believes that Shafik shares not only AUC’s values, but also his sister’s. “They share a determination to show the world what an Egyptian woman is capable of achieving once she puts her mind to it,” he elaborated.

Besides her current position as director, Shafik has served as the vice president of the World Bank, permanent secretary for the Department for International Development, deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund and deputy governor of the Bank of England.

Shafik was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the Queen’s New Year’s Honors list in 2015 and holds honorary doctorates from the University of Warwick, the University of Reading, and Glasgow University. Currently, she serves as a trustee of the British Museum, the council of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the governor of the National Institute for Economic and Social Research, and is an honorary fellow of St. Antony’s College Oxford.

Previous Naida Younes Lecture speakers have included Kofi Annan, former secretary- general of the United Nations; Lubna S. Olayan, CEO and deputy chairman of Olayan Financing Company; and Nabil Fahmy ‘74, ‘77, current dean of AUC’s School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and Egypt's former minister of foreign affairs.

AUC's Rare Books and Special Collections Library is collaborating with New York University to digitize 3,000 volumes of Arabic language texts. The project is a response to the lack of Arabic-language content available online and aims to provide global access to important Arabic collections. This will enable easier access to the texts for the general public, as well as providing materials for digital humanities projects and research. In addition, many older Arabic books are out of print due to their fragile condition. Digitizing them will preserve the texts for future generations. 

The Arabic Collections Online (ACO) project was established with support from New York University Abu Dhabi and major grants. Contributing partners include New York University, Princeton University, Cornell University, Columbia University, the American University of Beurit and United Arab Emirates National Archives. 

"The partnership discussions began in 2014, though actual photography didn't occur until 2016. They flew myself and two staff members to New York to receive training on a very high-end camera system which was then shipped back to Egypt. With the agreement, we have to produce a certain number of pages per month from books that NYU selects -- all in Arabic and pre-1956. All of the books will be available online at some point, though right now only 361 of the roughly 860 we've photographed are online," explained Ryder Kouba, digital archivist at the Rare Books and Special Collections Library, and one of the staff members working on the ACO project at AUC. 

Currently, ACO provides access to 10,043 volumes across 6,265 subjects, from rich Arabic collections of distinguished research libraries. The digitized library features Arabic-language texts on every subject, including literature, business, science, philosophy, law, religion and more. The ultimate goal is to feature up to 23,000 volumes from the library collections of NYU and other partner institutions.

 Watch this video to learn more about the Library and its digitization project.

AUC’s Board of Trustees Cairo meeting this month coincided with the University’s centennial celebration kickoff and the inauguration of the Tahrir Cultural Center, as well as the public launch of AUC’s Centennial Campaign: A New Century of Impact, in honor of the University’s 100^th birthday. The campaign has currently raised 70 percent of its $100 million target.

“We are here to recognize a history of service that would not be possible without the generosity of our donors, who have allowed us at AUC to open our doors to bright, ambitious students from all walks of life,” said Richard Bartlett, chairman of the Board of Trustees, at the Centennial Campaign reveal, hosting some of AUC’s top supporters as well as scholarship and fellowship students.

During their stay in Cairo, members of the Board of Trustees met with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who commended AUC’s role “throughout its history in serving the Egyptian education sector and society ... and its contribution to the country’s educational and research systems and role in fostering closer relations between the Egyptian and American people,” according to Ahram Online. The trustees also visited the New Administrative Capital and attended a session with developers and officials from the New Cairo municipality, discussing the future of our New Cairo neighborhood and how all sides collaborate to create a stronger community.

On both campuses, the trustees discussed long-term strategic campus planning and the AUC experience. They spent a full day on the New Cairo campus taking tours, attending a lunch with students, and meeting faculty and staff. They visited the athletic facilities and select classes and received an update on AUC's dashboards. The trustees also issued a statement to the AUC community. 

A new trustee was also elected at the meeting: Laurie Fitch, partner in the Strategic Advisory Group at the London-based PJT Partners, which provides advisory and capital raising solutions.

Tahrir Cultural Center Inauguration

Celebrating AUC’s 100^th birthday, the trustees attended the centennial celebration launch event and the phase-one inauguration of the Tahrir Cultural Center (TCC) on the historic Tahrir Square campus. The TCC opening included remarks from President Francis Ricciardone; Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Amr Adly; prominent businessman and investor Naguib Sawiris, chairman of Orascom Investment Holding; and Board of Trustees Chair Richard Bartlett. The event also included a musical performance, “Ewart Hall: Musical Memories,” featuring singers Mai Farouk and Rula Zaki, the Tahrir Cultural Center Orchestra and conductor Hisham Gabr.

President Ricciardone noted how the establishment of the Tahrir Cultural Center marks a new chapter in AUC’s history: “Today, Egypt can be, should be, really must be, at a point of renaissance, … and AUC must be at the heart of that revival — working to re-establish Umm El Donia as the cultural magnet it has always been, ensuring that the best minds in this region are equipped with the education that they need for the lives of service which our alumni have always led, and spearheading impactful research to address the most pressing challenges of our time.”

Bartlett emphasized the importance of reflecting on AUC’s past, but also focusing on its central mission, which has allowed it to endure and will ensure a new century of continued impact and excellence. “At every critical stage in AUC’s history,” he noted, “people — Egyptians, Americans, Arabs — have recognized that AUC is a positive force for Egypt and the world. AUC has flourished because its mission responds to society’s needs. … Knowledge of AUC history inspires reverence for its mission. Let us remain true to that mission, and our next century will take care of itself. … Happy birthday, AUC.”

Saturday, February 9, 2019, marks the date of AUC's centennial year, and now, also commemorates the inauguration of the University’s new Tahrir Cultural Center (TCC). With a ceremony hosted in the renovated Ewart Memorial Hall, opened with speeches from AUC President Francis Ricciardone; Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Amr Adly; and prominent businessman and investor, Naguib Sawiris, chairman of Orascom Investment Holding; there couldn’t be a more fitting venue or occasion for the center’s inauguration.

AUC's Tahrir Cultural Center will serve as the setting for a wide variety of cultural and artistic events, including live dance, theatrical and musical performances, book clubs, movie screenings, conferences and art displays, such as the current exhibits Bint al-Nil by Sherin Guirguis and When Dreams Call for Silence by former AUC professor Huda Lutfi. The center will be fully owned, operated and programmed by AUC, and the Tahrir Square campus will simultaneously continue to host University-related professional and academic arts programs, along with public lectures and seminars.

The first phase of the opening of the Tahrir Cultural Center features the renovation of six gallery spaces, newly redesigned outdoor garden “perfect for exhibitions and music festivals,” a remodeled cafeteria, the newly renovated Ewart Memorial Hall, Oriental Hall, special access lounge area, Falaki Theater and gallery, spaces for workshops and classrooms.

A New Renaissance

The construction and development of the Tahrir Cultural Center have been funded and supported by Sawiris, a longtime supporter of cultural and educational institutions in Egypt. President Ricciardone described Sawiris as “passionate about giving back to Egypt, [and] giving generously with purpose and impact.”

During the TCC’s inauguration, Sawiris noted that “art and cultural activities are key to positive transformations in the Egyptian community. ... I am pleased to support the establishment of the TCC that will serve as a dynamic platform for cultural exchanges for both Egyptians and expats. I believe that it will mark the beginning of another exceptional centennial for AUC.”

Sawiris envisions the TCC as a place where young people could get exposed to a range of art forms and receive encouragement toward their own creative expression. As he stated earlier this year, “I am a believer in the power of arts and culture to transform communities.”

In its initial phase, the new TCC comprises six main gallery spaces, Ewart Memorial Hall, Oriental Hall, a special access lounge area, a remodeled cafeteria and the Falaki Theater and gallery, along with further space for workshops and classes. The TCC also boasts a redesigned outdoor garden -- the perfect space to host sprawling exhibitions and lively music festivals.

President Ricciardone believes that the establishment of this center will mark a new chapter in AUC’s history.

“Today, Egypt is at a new a renaissance, and AUC is at the heart of this revival … ensuring the best minds of the region are equipped with the education they need for the lives of service our alumni have always led, and spearheading impactful research to address the most pressing challenges of our time.”

Celebration of the Past, Vision for the Future

The TCC is at once the culmination of 100 years of AUC, and simultaneously, a glimpse into its future. Throughout its history, the University has continually strived to connect with the world outside its arched walls, actively contributing to Cairo and the Egyptian community at large. Now, the Tahrir Cultural Center will serve as an evolving inspiration for future generations of AUCians.

"Throughout its long history, AUC has experienced many excellent phases," expressed Deputy Minister Adly. "Since its inception in 1919 and its developed performance over the years, it is considered a perfect example of an academic institution [that] is mainly concerned with society."

“We are dedicated to reviving Egypt’s place as a regional fountainhead of arts and culture through the establishment of AUC’s Tahrir Cultural Center,” noted President Francis Ricciardone, explaining how the center’s mission will be to stimulate intellectual exchange and serve as a cultural hub for the greater community. “Once complete, AUC’s Tahrir Cultural Center will be a centerpiece of downtown Cairo -- the beating heart of culture in the Arab world.”

Soon, there will be opportunities to support the TCC through a Friends of AUC’s Tahrir Cultural Center initiative. For now, take the opportunity to walk through the lush gardens and galleries so you can see the vision come alive for yourself. These current installations and the refurbished campus are just teasers of what the TCC will deliver to Cairo in the future.

For updates on the Tahrir Cultural Center's upcoming events, click here.

As Spring 2019 classes commence, AUC welcomes 110 undergraduates and 144 graduate students to campus, including 16 international students from countries all over the globe, including Japan, Syria, Uganda, Ecuador, Palestine and the United States. Over one-third of incoming undergraduate students are receiving full and partial scholarships.

The newcomers have arrived right in time for the University's centennial kickoff, which will take place in less than two weeks at AUC Tahrir Square. 

Why Are You Excited to be at AUC?

"I am most excited [to come to AUC] because it’s a good opportunity for social life. Also, I want to major in business, and I heard AUC has the best business school."  

-- Merna Adel, undergraduate, Egypt

"I am most excited about the diversity and international community [at AUC] and, of course, the program I am doing."

-- Amro Al Hassan, pursuing an MA in international and comparative education, Sudan

"I'm most excited because, here, I feel like I'll explore myself more and I'll figure out what I'm interested in."

-- Miral Fahmy, undergraduate, Egypt

"Why did I come here? It’s the city; its Cairo — the vibrant city."

-- Anders Dypvik, study abroad, undergraduate, Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oslo, Norway

"I picked AUC because my cousin went here, and she told me about the University and the social and academic life. It’s the best in Egypt!"

-- Jacqueline Azar, undergraduate, Egypt

"I am most excited to learn about the culture and take an intensive Arabic course.”

-- Muna Jibril, study abroad, undergraduate, University of Bergen

"I'm most excited about coming to AUC for the culture, to meet new people and to experience life in Cairo.”

-- Christina Oyelowo, study abroad, undergraduate, Middle Eastern Studies, American University of Paris

"I picked AUC because it is based in Cairo and you get to live in the Middle East. Also because I'm taking an intensive course in Arabic, and it’s a great place to learn Arabic."

-- Astri Waldeland, study abroad, undergraduate, University of Bergen, Norway

"I'm most excited about living in Cairo and learning Arabic."

-- Camelia Manring, study abroad, undergraduate, Arabic and Geography, Vasser College, New York

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave his major United States policy address on the Middle East at AUC New Cairo. His wife, Susan Pompeo, met with students and alumni on campus. 
 

"This year marks 100 years since the founding of this institution, and AUC is more than just a University. It is an important symbol of America’s friendship with Egypt and what binds our people together — a modern place of learning in the midst of an ancient civilization with its own rich history of artists, poets and intellectuals."  

Three student teams were recently selected as finalists for the AUC-TAMEER Water Tower Competition. These included "Colors of Life,” with team members Haidy Helmy, Mostafa Ahmed and Merhan Amer; “Ciel,” with team members Ghenwa Yehia ElMougy, Farah Habib, Nehal Ezz and Mariam Ismail; and “HRSH Architects,” with team members Rana Abdelkhalek, Hana Elshiaty, Hady Eissa and Sana Soliman.

The design that is ultimately selected in the final round of presentations will be used to transform the water tower outside of AUC’s New Cairo campus into a work of urban design, making it the first beautified water tower in Egypt. The competition is being run by AUC in partnership with TAMEER, a real estate development company that will work with the University to make the students’ designs a reality.

The Challenge

Seven teams presented their original designs at the final exhibition. Twenty-five students participated, with backgrounds in disciplines ranging from business to graphic design. After their presentations, teams were then asked questions and evaluated by a jury panel.

The challenge gave students the opportunity to work in a cross-disciplinary setting, applying their knowledge of design, marketing and architecture to a real-world situation. The students had six weeks to finish their first design proposals, working within academically diverse teams and taking part in guided workshops led by volunteer faculty members. The contestants had to grapple with creating a realistic, affordable and engaging design that reflected the values of the New Cairo community in a short-time frame.

“I’ve been at the majority of the workshops we’ve been running over the past month, so we’ve been seeing the progression of the designs. They really put a lot of work into the final stretch,” explained John Hoey, associate professor of practice in the Department of the Arts and non-voting jury member on the competition panel. “We hadn’t really talked about their planning for the budget or for the timeline of their designs. And no matter how great the idea is, if you can’t put it into place, it's kind of pointless.”

The rest of the jury included voting members Magda Mostafa, associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Architecture; Nagla Samir, associate professor of practice in the Department of Arts; Arch. Bachir Moujaes, architect, urban designer and head of design at Solidere; Engineer Mahmoud Hussein, vice president of New Cairo Municipality for Development; Engineer Gamal Taalat, vice minister of the new Urban Community Authority; and Mona Hussein ‘83, designer and owner of Mahally furniture store. Non-voting jury members included Hoey; Engineer Ghada Oteifa, construction engineer and project management professional; Engineer Sally Hussein, director of the Beautification Division of the New Cairo Municipality.

Jury members were looking for designs that were both realistic and artistic -- something that would inspire the New Cairo community. “I’m hoping that the ideas that will come will be beyond what we thought of,” Hussein stated before the competition. The judges acted as a sounding boarding for the designs, asking questions about how the models would be seen from multiple angels and at different times of day, and making sure that the materials utilized in the designs were easily maintained. They explained that they were taking creativity, durability, feasibility and environmental impact into account.

The Drawing Board

The student designs ranged from chromatic to organic, incorporating dazzling hues, 3D overlays and inventive technical effects. All the designs aimed to take Egyptian culture and the New Cairo community into account, attempting to be simultaneously inspirational and representative of the city. While the presentations were all expressive and stirring, they differed in vision. The team “Ciel” explained that they “avoided the abstract so that we could reach a wider audience." Meanwhile, “Gavel and Gravel” believed that “a good design should arouse curiosity, asking for another look. You should feel something but you don’t know what.”

“We wanted to create something everyone feels at home looking at,” the “The Globals" team members said as they presented their design: a brilliant vision of tiles and solar panels streaming down the side of the water tower like colored rain. The student visions also included a pink tree sprouting out of a jet-black background, a speckling of multidimensional cells in earthy green and shocking magenta, and a vivid patterned ribbon snaking its way around the structure.

The Finalists

The team “Colors of Life,” one of the competition finalists, presented this last design. As team members explained in their presentation, the inspiration for their project came from the “calling of the birds,” an event that takes place in Cairo at sunrise and sunset. “These birds represent the community, since they always fly together in a pack,” Merhan Amer, one of the students on the team, explained. They also focused on color, using vibrant greens and light blues to stand out against the sandy background of New Cairo. “Cairo is such a lively city, and we as people were never rigid and stiff. We were always dreamy and colorful, so we thought, 'Let's have flowing, dreamy artwork,'” the team explained.

While the other finalists’ designs were also impressive, they varied widely in appearance. The team “HRSH Architects” imagined a patchwork of windows opening into different pictures and scenes from everyday life. “Behind every window, there is a story. New Cairo is a community of people who are searching for new beginnings, and this becomes the story of the tower,” explained the team of architecture majors. The team’s design combined 2D and 3D objects, using window frames to illuminate scenes that represent different milestones. These images would be illuminated at night by a panel of LED lights.

“I love the kinetic vision of that instillation,” Hussein expressed.

“Don’t be afraid of keeping it flat.” Mostafa suggested, giving us a hint of what their design might look like at the final exposition. “You could do a 3D-effect with a subtle play of depth in each window.”

The last finalist, “Ciel,” tackled the project differently, creating a blended composition of the sky at different times of day, with phases of the moon being exposed by black light at night. Their submission also includes a crowd of people at the bottom looking up at the sky above them. “We wanted to have the chance to show Egypt different, but familiar faces -- the type of faces you feel like you could meet while walking down the street, inspired by the sight of the sky at different times,” the team explained.

A Global Initiative

All the judges were incredibly impressed with what the teams put forward. “They have achieved something that is exceptional,” stated Moujaes. “This started as a humble initiative, and it will end up having global impact.”

Antoine El Khoury, managing director of TAMEER, was also moved. "We are impressed –– impressed with your talent; impressed with your dedication, all the efforts, creativity, emotions and research that you have invested in this work; impressed with your courage in standing before a jury of this caliber and before your very demanding professors. We now understand why AUC is a leading University," he said.

“A lot of my friends ask me when I’m exhausted and running around why I do it, and the answer is getting to work with students,” expressed Mostafa. “I think this is a great example of how lucky we are.”

“Moments like this are what make me proud to be part of AUC -- this amazing energy,” affirmed Samir.

The jury members believe that the competition is an incredible opportunity to create a piece of community art while enriching the participating students’ education in the process. “Being able to do something on this scale while they’re still in school starts to seal the future for them. It has that credibility -- something that is intangible, and that goes beyond any sort of financial compensation,” said Hoey.

“Competitions like this expose us to different experiences outside of the University and coursework,” agreed Amer from the team “Colors of Life.”

“We’re happy, but we have a challenge ahead. We want to go to the next level, but it will be a challenge to change and modify the work for it to happen,” added the team members from “HRSH Architects.”

If the project goes well, jury-members hope it could be replicated in other neighborhoods throughout Cairo. As many of them expressed, it is an opportunity to interact with the community and encourage people to care more about the spaces they inhabit.

“Before this competition, I saw the tower every day and I never noticed it,” said a team member of “Wonderland.” While this might once have been the case, after its beautification, the water tower will certainly be noticeable. In whatever form it takes, it will be visible on a skyline, an enticing sight and monument for New Cairo.

As El Khoury said in his thank you speech, "Thank you for the beautiful stories you told us today. You are talented storytellers. You made us dream. Now, let's together make these dreams come true."

Click here for more information on the competition.

AUC recently celebrated the opening of two University Centers for Career Development (UCCDs) at Alexandria University's Faculty of Commerce and Faculty of Engineering, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). These mark the seventh out of 20 UCCDs to be established in 12 public universities in Greatr Cairo, the Delta and Upper Egypt, benefiting more than 1 million students.

Reflecting on the inauguration, AUC President Francis Ricciardone said, "As AUC celebrates 100 years of excellence in education and service to Egypt, we are glad to share our expertise in career guidance through the two career development centers that are established in partnership with Alexandria University. The value of those centers lies in the impact they will have in training the centers’ staff as career services providers, preparing students effectively for employers’ hiring needs and enhancing their employability. I wish to thank the American people for making these career development centers possible through the funding and support of USAID.”

Rebecca Latorraca, USAID deputy mission director, said, "In its 80 years of history, Alexandria University has been a pioneer in education in the region, and it continues to make strides toward providing resources and opportunities to its students. This includes hosting two centers for career development that will benefit its 62,000 students in the Faculties of Engineering and Commerce."

Emphasizing the key role of the two centers in preparing the students for labor market requirements, Essam ElKordi, president of Alexandria University, added, “The centers present for Alexandria University an additional link with the industry and will keep up-to-date with the competencies that our graduates should have to satisfy the job market needs. The range of career services, employability and entrepreneurial skills trainings that the centers provide will increase our students’ competitiveness in landing employment opportunities.”

Sharing the same sentiment, Saeed Allam, dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Alexandria University, noted, “We are proud to host a University Center for Career Development at the Faculty of Engineering and provide our students with the career management and soft skills that will help facilitate their transition to the working world."

Recognizing the value that the new centers will provide to the Faculty of Commerce and its students, Dean Said Al Saifi added, “The centers will add a new dimension to our relationship with the business sector in Alexandria, ensuring that our graduates are well-prepared for its needs and are up-to-date with recent developments applied by the industry.” 

The University Centers for Career Development project aims to give professional career guidance and a range of employability skills training, free of charge, to help universities bridge the gap between university educational outcomes and industry needs. The centers facilitate students’ job search through employment fairs and job announcements, and support students’ entrepreneurial interests through relevant training. 

By partnering with the International Labor Organization, the project will help identify local labor market requirements and keep universities updated with those needs to accommodate for them in their curricula. 

Coaching football isn’t just about scoring goals; it’s also about setting them.

News@AUC met with Robert Reasso, AUC’s new athletic director and football head coach, to learn more about his plans for AUC’s Office of Athletics and football team on and off the field, ask about his favorite sports teams, discover why he “gets a kick” out of working at AUC and more.

Q:  When did you get your start working in athletics?

A: I started as a player. I played with Pfeiffer University and then got my Master of Education from Springfield College of Massachusetts. The soccer coach at Springfield was phenomenal, and he really got me interested. I coached some high school football, then started coaching college. I was really fortunate and got a job at Rutgers University. I was there for over two decades coaching soccer. Then I transitioned to working as an athletics director. First, I was a director at the University of Southern Maine, and later, I got recruited back to my alma mater, Pfeiffer. There, I was vice president, athletics director and soccer coach. It was great because they won one game the year before I got there, and three years later, we were undefeated national champions. I had tremendous players.

Q:  What made you decide to take on this new position with AUC?

A:  Originally, I knew about AUC because I recruited here. I had seven players at Rutgers from AUC, so I had to come to Cairo. At that time, roughly where we were standing was still a desert! I coached Aly Mazhar who went to Be Fit Egypt. I also coached some national team players here, so I already had a network in Cairo. When this job was posted, I realized that I wanted another challenge and something different. I decided to apply. Next thing I know, they offered me the job, and here I am!

Q: What is your favorite part about working at AUC?

A: I love Egyptian people; they're so friendly. Also, my staff is tremendous, and I love my footballers. I find Egyptian footballers to be very talented. I wanted to come here because I wanted to work with the best. One of the things you miss as an educator is teaching, and I have the opportunity now to teach again. I love being on the field with the guys, and I love the campus.

Q: What are your goals as the new athletics director, and what changes do you want to see implemented?

A: When I got here, there wasn't one picture on the wall, and there still aren't, so we're putting up photos of student athletes. Also, we are working on branding ourselves. We're looking to build an athletics website and to use social media to get the word out to the community about who we are. Right now, we're invisible to the world because we don’t have a website and people don't know how good we are. Second, the president has allowed me to come in and develop an American-style Office of Athletics, and that’s what we're doing. We’re cutting down on University sports teams and turning them into club teams. For example, rugby and frisbee are going to become club teams so they can play other Egyptian universities’ club teams. Our rugby team still has alumni playing, and that doesn't fit into a college athletic environment, so we're trying to work with the Student Union and the Office of Student Life to have them identified as clubs. Finally, we’ve started a student athletic advisory committee, something that is very big in the United States. We are having two athletes from each team meet monthly to give us an idea of what’s going on with the student athletes. It is also service-oriented.

Q: What has surprised you most about living in Egypt?

A: I tell my friends, at any one moment, Egypt is romantic, exotic and chaotic!

Q: What is your favorite football team?

A: Manchester United Football Club. They’re the biggest brand in the world. When I talk about brands, I’m talking about Coke and Apple; they're up on that level. I also kind of have a favorite football team in each country.

Q: How did you feel about France’s World Cup win this year?

A: I thought the World Cup this year was phenomenal! It was difficult for me because the United States wasn't in it and Italy wasn't in it, which is my parents’ country, but it's the World Cup, so of course, I follow it. And I like the French team! I did think that the Egyptian team could have done better. I think that if they had played in that first game, they might have had a chance of going through. I know the country was in mourning afterward, and since I was coming here, I was in mourning with them.

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to students interested in playing football and joining the football team?

Well, they have to try out. In the United States, you usually have your team picked out before they come because you recruit. Here, I was shocked how many kids tried out -- 120 kids tried out for our team, and I've cut it down since then. They were all great footballers. You have to come to tryouts incredibly fit, ready to put it all on the line and ready to learn a new system and a new style.

The Egyptian government recently approved the minting of AUC's centennial coin. 

"It's the government acknowledging that 100 years of AUC is worth commemorating," explained Nagla Samir, associate professor in the Department of the Arts and co-chair of the Materials and Collateral Taskforce for AUC's centennial.

To create a coin for the centennial celebration in Feburary, graphic design students Ahmad Khalil, Mariam Ibrahim, Lana Kurdi, Mariem Abutaleb and Ingy Fawzy took part in a mentored workshop supervised by Samir and Ghalia Elsrakbi, instructor in the Department of the Arts. The student designs were inspired by AUC's unique architecture and the University's rich history.

"I hope that people get a feel for what this institution is about and realize thats it's been in Egypt for a very long time," said Khalil, describing what he hopes people think when they see the coin. "It was the first time I helped produce something that would go out into the world; it's very meaningful," he added.

"It wasn't just a theoretical project -- your eyes and your professors eyes are not the only judge. Everyone has to understand this coin and it has to be of value for everyone," said Ibrahim, talking about how the design team wanted to create a coin that would speak to all AUCians.

Be on the lookout for the coin at AUC's yearlong centennial celebration starting in February 2019.  

The five AUC graphic design students who designed the University's centennial coin with President Francis Ricciardone (center), Nagla Samir (third from right), Ghalia Elsrakbi (second from right) and Lamia Eid, associate dean of Libraries and Learning Technologies and head of the Materials and Collateral Taskforce for AUC's centennial (left)