Ahmed Bahaa-Eldin Scholar: “Success is Within Our Grasp”

Many young Egyptians have the desire to influence change, but often lack the means to do so. With the support of scholarships at AUC, students who would not otherwise have the opportunity can develop their skills to create real, lasting change for their lives and their country. Ahmed Bassiouny ’14, a computer science graduate from Assiut, has been able to do just that through the generous support of Mr. Ziad Bahaa-Eldin ’87.

Mr. Bahaa-Eldin, an AUC trustee and former member of the Egyptian Parliament representing South Assiut and former interim-deputy prime minister and international cooperation minister, has steadfastly dedicated both time and resources to ensure that an AUC education is available to the most deserving students. He established the Ahmed Bahaa-Eldin Scholarship in honor of his father to award an outstanding scholar from Assiut.

Ahmed Bassiouny is the first Ahmed Bahaa-Eldin scholar and, now, a graduate. “AUC is the best college in Egypt and, arguably, in the Middle East. It offers an exceptional combination of actual education and enriched student life. Even when compared to many very good schools, AUC still holds an exceptional place,” said Bassiouny.

As with many AUC students, Bassiouny was an active member of community service clubs on campus. He participated in Alashanek Ya Balady (For You My Country), where he served as president during the 2012 - 2013 academic year. Alashanek Ya Balady focuses on sustainable development in the Ain El Sira district through economic empowerment of the underprivileged, and promoting a culture of social responsibility and activism among the youth. Bassiouny also wrote for the Independent, the student-run newspaper of the Student Union.

“Participating in extracurricular activities has benefited me the most at AUC. Giving back to the community, [being] exposed to different cultures and backgrounds and learning the spirit of teamwork, accountability and responsibility has given me a lot of experience that added a lot to my character and simply created a new ‘me,’” he added.

Bassiouny believes that being an AUC graduate will open for him many doors of opportunity to lead a prosperous career. “Having AUC’s name on my CV has its own merits during job hunting inside and outside Egypt,” he added. “Being at AUC is an edge for indicating that this person is capable of coexisting and embracing differences.” Bassiouny is currently a research assistant at Microsoft’s Advanced Technology Lab in Cairo, and he plans to pursue a master’s degree after gaining experience in the work place.

According to Bassiouny, he believes that with the type of education and experience AUC students gain while at AUC, they always have that extra edge that will allow them to contribute to their communities and make a difference. “We, AUCians, are expected to achieve something out there … success is within our grasp,” stressed Bassiouny.