The School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) Celebrates its 10 Year Anniversary

On Sunday, March 31, 2019, the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) celebrated its 10th anniversary. AUC President Francis J. Ricciardone, members of the Cabinet and a number of very prominent Egyptian and international public figures in media and politics were among the attendees, in addition to GAPP faculty and staff. This is in addition to a number of foreign academics and practitioners who flew from different parts of the globe to attend the celebration.

President Ricciardone gave welcoming words at the beginning of the event commending the achievements of GAPP and describing how it fit with the vision of AUC as a global university.

Nabil Fahmy '74, '77, the School's founding dean, opened the event by calling on the audience to applaud GAPP alumni, staff and faculty, attributing the school's success to them. He highlighted the achievements of the School, explaining that for ten years, the School has embraced a number of fundamental goals, concepts and principles towards enlightened governance. For GAPP, enlightened governance meant serving the public with integrity, a strong commitment to the rule of law, ethics and inclusiveness.

Fahmy then recognized Doha Al Zohairy '10, a graduate of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication with a master’s in Television and Digital Journalism, and Noura Wahby '13, a graduate from the Department of Public Policy and Administration with a master’s in Public Administration. They were both awarded the Alumni Achievement Award.

The Distinguished Staff Award went to Maysa Ayoub, manager of the Centre for Migration and Refugee Studies, for her work with the Centre.

Laila El Baradei, professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration and associate dean for graduate studies in research, was recognized and received the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award.

For the first time, GAPP offered the Distinguished Public Service Award, which recognizes distinguished individuals who have prioritized public interests. The awardee was Georges Abi-Saab, an Egyptian lawyer who has dedicated his career to the public good of Egypt and beyond.

The faculty and staff of GAPP then surprised Fahmy with a gift presented by Provost Ehab Abdel Rahman that symbolized their appreciation for his leadership.

The event concluded with a distinguished panel of professionals and academicians discussing “Where is the World Going." The panel included speakers from all over the world, including Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani, senior advisor and professor in the practice of public policy, National University of Singapore; Ambassador Shivshankar Menon, professor, Ashoka University, India; George Njenga, executive dean, Strathmore Business School; Anne-Marie Slaughter, president and CEO, New America; and Ziad Bahaa El Din, founder and managing partner, Thebes Consultancy, Egypt. They all emphasized that change was imminent and that collective cooperation imperative.