AUC Hosts Columbia Students For A Global Learning Experience
February 10, 2025, Cairo – A group of 23 graduate students from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) recently came to The American University in Cairo (AUC) for their Egypt Trek that was organized by AUC’s School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP). The Egypt Trek, a four-day learning experience led by SIPA student Lucas Brooks, who studied abroad at AUC last semester, gave participants an immersive opportunity to engage with pressing global issues through real-world experiences. “From walking through a historic neighborhood with a civil society expert to meeting high-level diplomats, every event was instructive and thought-provoking,” said Brooks, who praised AUC for blending rigorous academic study with hands-on engagement, pushing students beyond theoretical problems to actual solutions. According to Noha Mekkawy, dean of GAPP, “The program aimed to acquaint Columbia’s students with public policy issues that are significant to Egypt as an important and populous country in the Arab region.”
The Columbia students engaged in meetings with diplomats and discussions with various academic and professional practitioners working on migration and refugee issues, urbanism and spatial planning, sustainable development and climate change, and Egyptian diplomacy in the context of rapidly changing regional and global orders. They also had excursions to historic areas, and campus visits, including AUC's research centers, the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies and the Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES), in addition to the work of AUC partners in government, civil society, and the international development community including, the Egyptian Diplomatic Institute, Megawra (Built Environment Collective), and UNHCR.
SIPA student Maya Hartman enjoyed the combination of lectures with real-world interactions in the city, which she praised as a “special way to experience policy” in Egypt. She said, “We were given the opportunity to have candid conversations with experts and experience firsthand how the theory we study is implemented in practice in Egypt.”
The students became inspired to learn more about the subjects covered by AUC faculty during their trek. “Topics such as urban planning and pollution, in particular, are thematic areas I had not previously considered exploring,” said SIPA student India Sophia Barsella, who described the experience as eye-opening.
For SIPA student William Thompson, the subject of water usage specifically stuck. “I appreciated the opportunity to ask questions and have transparent discussions about the issues facing Egypt and the region with leading experts on the subject matter,” Thompson noted.
The learning component seemed like the most widely appreciated aspect of the trip. This was certainly the case for SIPA student Tudor Boanda. “Our visit to the Central Bank of Egypt [covered] the role of macroeconomic policymaking in community development,” said Boanda, noting that his newfound insights about inclusivity in the policymaking process will be applicable to his future career.
Sarah O’Connell, also a SIPA student, said the AUC speakers “brought a deeply human element to our trip as we learned about the concerns and crises that have affected Egypt since its inception, as well as people’s hopes for the future.”
The trek left a lasting impact on the group. “AUC is more than a place of learning; it’s a place for lifelong personal growth,” said Yuner Jiang, summarizing the collective feeling of the group. This student-led initiative was not only exciting but deeply enriching—an academic experience that blended theory with practice in ways that will resonate far beyond the classroom.