AUC Celebrates Centennial International Day-Spring Festival

March 5, 2019, Cairo – The American University in Cairo (AUC) celebrated yesterday

the AUC Centennial International Day - Spring Festival at the New Cairo Campus. Students from 32 countries including Japan, USA, Canada, Palestine, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Madagascar, Kenya, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon paraded their countries’ flags and showcased the cultures of their countries in different booths. Community members enjoyed live music throughout the night filled with singing, dancing, eating and playing games.

 “We are celebrating the International Day this year in a very special way as AUC celebrates 100 years in Egypt,” said AUC President, Francis Ricciardone, “It made me feel very proud and happy to hear all these different national anthems and see the students in their national costumes. It was really spectacular.”

Celebrating International Day, Erick Edward Dokalahi, who studies food chemistry as part of the African Graduate Fellowship program at AUC, said: “I am the first person from Madagascar to study at AUC and I am always happy to tell people how we live, our culture and the different ethnicities in my country.” Dokolahi expressed how he feels welcomed at AUC, saying: “Whenever there is an event like the International Day, Egyptian students and others from different nationalities are always eager to know details about my country, that is why I am always enthusiastic about International Day.”

The Office of Student Life and The Cairo International Model of United Nations (CIMUN) helped in organizing the event, which featured also booths selling merchandise by different NGOs as part of AUC’s Neighborhood Initiative.