AUC’s Theatre Program is looking to cast actors for the upcoming production, You W-Ana Too, a play that explores the issue of sexual harassment from various perspectives, including family and couple, bystander, victim and perpetrator, male and female, power and incapacity. 

Co-creators of the play Jillian Campana, professor of theatre and associate dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, along with Dina Amin, head of the Theatre Program and associate professor of theatre, are encouraging people to try out in order to experience the joy of taking part in a one-of-a-kind production like this one that tackles some of society’s most pressing issues. Auditions will take place on December 3, with callbacks on December 5. The play creators are also looking for stage managers, designers and student guides who help audiences get from one play to the next. Credit is available for those involved. 

“Aside from caring about the issue and being interested in promoting conversation, participants will have the joy of being involved in a play,” Campana said. “There is something truly magical about bringing a story to life, embodying another person and working with collaborators to make a story meaningful and resonate. We learn so much about ourselves by studying others in this way.”

The idea for the play draws inspiration from a 2018 Washington Post article, “In Egypt, a #MeToo complaint can land a woman in jail.”

“I remember reading that article, which discusses Amal Fathy and other women who were targeted precisely because they were making or supporting accusations of sexual harassment. I decided then that one of my next AUC productions would be about this issue,” Campana said. 

With the events that unfolded this past summer in Egypt and the movement around sexual harassment awareness gaining unprecedented traction, Campana had known that this sort of production would gain support and interest. 

For her, exploring different perspectives is essential to understanding why sexual harassment happens, how it happens and what happens in the aftermath. This play, she said, can hopefully encourage conversations that increase awareness. 

““Sexual harassment and sexual assault happen everywhere, in every country in the world and most of us have experienced it in some way,” she said. "Change can happen in big and small ways. If just a few people see this performance and think more critically about sexual harassment and make a change as a result of their observations and thoughts, it will be a huge success.”

The play takes a unique format: Split into five different parts, each one takes place outdoors and simultaneously, with audience members moving from one play to the next.

“This allows for discussion in between performances — an unpacking and reflection about the theme and characters and events depicted,” Campana said. 

You can find instructions on how to sign up for auditions below. The play will premier in March at the New Cairo campus. 

“The hardest problems to solve are those that we find too shameful even to name or to admit exist,” said President Francis Ricciardone in his opening remarks during the inauguration of the AUC SpeakUp Dialog Series held last Thursday.  

“At AUC, we think of ourselves as progressive, and we don’t shy away from problems – we welcome them. We think our role in higher education is to address the great problems of our time, and we believe we do so effectively,” he added, emphasizing the role of leading higher education institutions in raising awareness on sexual harassment and conveying the measures AUC has taken to combat the issue.

As part of the AUCSpeakUp initiative, the University launched the AUC SpeakUp Dialog Series in Ewart Memorial Hall, AUC Tahrir Square. The series, inaugurated with a dialog on “How can we combat harassment and why should we care?” features a set of conversations around key topics ranging from social norms and portrayals of gender in film to safety of public spaces, workplaces, and college campuses.

The AUC SpeakUp Dialog Series is held in partnership with several institutions and prominent influencers to participate in the national conversation on sexual harassment to raise awareness of this critical issue.  AUC had recently formed an Advisory Board of distinguished leaders to help shape the topics, speakers, sequence and direction of the series.

The board members are Maya Morsy ’95, president of Egypt’s National Council for Women; Hisham El-Khazindar ’96, co-founder and managing director of Qalaa Holdings and AUC trustee; Christine Arab, UN Women Egypt country representative; Hoda Elsadda, professor of English and comparative literature at Cairo University; Rabab El Mahdi ’96, ’98, associate professor and chair of AUC’s Department of Political Science; Nadeen Ashraf, AUC student and founder of Assault Police; and Omar Samra ’00, adventurer, entrepreneur and motivational speaker. The first of the series was moderated by Farah Shash ’09, ’12, community psychologist and co-founder of The Community Hub.

The Dialog Series was launched to keep the issue of sexual harassment at the forefront, not only on campus but on a country level. In fact, sexual harassment is a global problem that has become prevalent in today’s time.

"When I was a student at AUC, we never heard of the word harassment," reflected Morsy. "I'm a 1995 graduate, so 20 years ago, this term never existed, but now it's widely heard in Egypt and the world. It's called sexual harassment. In my generation, it was called flirtation. ... The word harassment changed everything," she said, addressing the need to continue spreading awareness of sexual harassment and stressing that the constitution and Egyptian law protect women's rights.

In the past few years, women started to speak up and society's structure and ethics underwent a major change. There has undeniably been more awareness of the topic since 2010, when the magnitude of the issue was felt. That's especially with the passing of Egyptian laws in 2014 that address sexual harassment, which resulted in women gaining the confidence to speak up and report their experiences.

“In the case of Egypt, sexual harassment is quite advanced in the social dialog, particularly if you look where it sits in the region, both in Africa and the Arab region, and that’s extremely important. Laws are fine and incredibly important to combat sexual harassment, but it’s actually a behavior shift that is required,” said Arab.

“Laws need to be enforced; that means institutions like AUC have to enforce these with rigor, impartiality, and penalty. There has to be justice. That’s when the behavior starts to change.”

Last summer, numerous women took their incidents to both social media and court, shortly after @assaultpolice was created to support women to speak up while maintaining their anonymity, reflecting the significance of civil society organizations. "The accumulation of civil society organization initiatives is very important," said El Mahdi. "State institutions and civil society organizations actually complete each other's work; they're not against each other - [working] to create an environment where people can speak up," El Mahdi noted, stressing the importance of such integration without incriminating the victim at the societal or institutional level

On @assaultpolice, Ashraf, who launched the Assault Police Instagram account that reinvigorated Egypt's #MeToo movement, explained how social media was an efficient tool in fighting sexual harassment.

"I was just sitting for years seeing that no one is taking this issue seriously from the community around me. For years, girls were told not to talk about this: 'This is not acceptable,' 'This is wrong,' 'We cannot talk about these things'", she said. "I reached a level where I felt I had to do something. ... I noticed with the first story I shared that the survivors of harassment realized that they have similar experiences and that they were not the problem, but the real problem was the harassers and society."

During the same period, several initiatives were being held on a country level by different institutions and individuals, including Samra. "Posts about social media were starting to spread about sexual harassment," he said. "I was so concerned, unhappy and upset."

"I know that this problem has been there for years, but I was upset because I didn't find that men are talking about it enough," Samra added. "There has to be a higher responsibility on men to talk about it. I believe that we're at a stage where if we're saying that we have the laws and penalties, we must all delve into a stage where the whole society becomes Assault Police. ... Silence at this stage is almost a crime."

On the workplace level, the private sector may be seen as relatively hesitant when it comes to discussing sexual harassment. Yet, there remains awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace, such as that by El-Khazindar. "I look at the issue of sexual harassment and sexual violence within a wider context related to women's empowerment, women's rights and the role of women, and I look at it from a developmental perspective," said El-Khazindar.

"At the end of the day, no community, no country, advances if half of this society, which is women, is not empowered and is subject to secondary treatment. For me, this is not an issue of man and woman but an issue of what is right and what is wrong," El-Khazindar added, emphasizing that universities have an essential educational role in creating the appropriate climate to set the rules and deter harassers, and the private sector has a role in setting a good example for institutions.

When it comes to educational institutions, units combating sexual harassment have been established at different universities, with 22 units in place to combat violence against women in Egyptian universities. Elsadda has been working since 2014 on policies fighting harassment inside universities and was one of the founders of the Anti-Harassment Unit at Cairo University in 2014.

"There was a revolutionary movement in Egypt for three years, that started from  2011 to 2014. Many taboos were discussed in society, and violence against women was one of the issues that were tackled by NGOs and other groups. ...In 2014, a law was passed to incriminate violence against women," Elsadda said.

"These university units are a first step in a long way. It's very important to enforce the law and reconsider the personal affairs code, family code and media coverage because all these elements together help in decreasing the incidents of sexual harassment."

Since the subject of the educational institutions and universities is a vast one, the next session of the Dialog Series on December 14 will tackle: “From the Playground to School: Does the Way We’re Brought Up Affect How We Treat Women?” Find out more here.

For more information:

AUCSpeakUp initiative

Dialog Series

Advisory Board profiles

Nahdet Misr Publishing Group recently held a launch event celebrating award-winning novelist and AUC Professor of Applied Linguistics Reem Bassiouney’s new book, Sabeel Al Gharek. With the first edition selling out in only five days and the second edition released shortly after, the book has been achieving substantial success.

Bassiouney attributes the book's success to the different layers of meaning it carries. “The book is historical, philosophical, romantic, Sufi and more. On the surface, the structure can either seem like a love story or a historical one, but as you go deeper, you explore different themes. It’s about history and myths, but also about life in general and the roads we take that affect who we are,” she said.

Earlier this year, Bassiouney was awarded the Supreme Council of Culture's 2019-2020 Naguib Mahfouz Award for Best Egyptian Novel for her best-selling book, Sons of the People: The Mamluk Trilogy, exploring the history of the Mamluks in Egypt with a deeper insight into their human experiences.

“Naguib Mahfouz is one of the most inspiring writers. Having the honor of receiving an award with his name is a big recognition that I appreciate very much,” Bassiouney proudly stated.

The award was unexpected for Bassiouney. Nahdet Misr Publishing Group had nominated and presented the novel for the award with her approval, but she got immersed in her day-to-day tasks that she entirely forgot about it.

“Reem Bassiouney is an experienced and professional novelist who mastered linguistics and, accordingly, excelled in writing,” said Dalia Ibrahim ‘93, ’99, CEO of Nahdet Misr Publishing House. “Being a lover of history who’s proud of her Egyptian identity to the utmost extent, she succeeded in presenting wonderful novels in which she merges history and fiction while shedding light on some of the most important historical periods that the country has gone through to enrich the minds of readers and guide them to researching and penetrating history to understand the past, its impact and its close connection with the present and the future.”

Bassiouney explained that Nahdet Misr Publishing House had taken a risk with her at the time of Sons of the People: The Mamluk Trilogy, being a 760-page book. “Our chemistry together is really good. They read very well and always give me a very objective opinion and end up with a reasonable decision,” she said. In light of that, the book has indeed been a best-seller for two years.

“Bassiouney’s books carry a great cultural value that we’re keen to present to our readers so that they can sail with us to new worlds that they didn’t know before to see and understand the present and the future with a more comprehensive perspective,” noted Ibrahim. “Sabeel Al Gharek comes after two years and a half of writing to present us with valuable work once again, and this time, takes us to the depths of the human soul, the dilemma of existence and the human journey in understanding its construction and finding the way. In my opinion, it’s one of the best and deepest novels Bassiouney wrote, diving and sailing us again to different periods of time through a number of overlapping stories that carry within them many existential questions and issues through a wonderful combination of philosophy and mysticism.”

On the choice of history as a genre, Bassiouney expressed that “history is liberating. It gives me much more liberty to merge certain themes than in contemporary writing. It could be just me, but I find it easier when I’m writing about history.” In Sabeel Al Gharek, for example, Bassiouney merges magical realism with mythical history without restraint.

She proceeds to explain that she lets her imagination take the lead while writing a novel, even when history is involved. However, she steers clear of reflecting her own opinions in her writing. “I usually don’t state opinions. I just describe, and the interpretation is up to the reader. I don’t want to prescribe how to live; I’m just describing how life is,” she said.

However, she hopes that history has the same effect on readers as it did on her. “We need to liberate ourselves in the same way I liberated myself while writing. We’re speaking about medieval times, yet we impose their values today,” she expressed. “We need to go back and analyze what they went through to become that way, and accordingly, we can’t live by their values in our modern time.”

Through her historical novels, Bassiouney aims to “connect people with their historical past.”

“Some parts of history are very dark and haven’t been taught at schools, either at all or in the right way. I want people to read more about their history, especially such critical parts,” she clarified. “You can’t understand the present without understanding the past -- it is related to the present in a way.”

Bassiouney has been writing novels since she was 12 years old. She always had a passion for literature, specifically novels. Her experience with teaching language in society through linguistics courses at AUC has tremendously facilitated her writing in many ways.

"Linguistics and literature are very much related in my mind. When you're able to understand the language better and relate it to society, writing becomes easier. Additionally, sociolinguistics taught me not to be judgmental, and that significantly helped me as an author." she reflected. "I also find it refreshing to deal with younger students – I learn a lot from them."

To date, three of Bassouiney's books have also been translated into different languages to extend to a global audience. Her novels are read by almost everyone: Her readers are as young as 15 years old and as old as 90. "If you're writing about the human experience, you can appeal to everyone," she said.  

“Doctors told my mom I was going to die. They told her not to invest too much in me as I am dying anyway,” said Aya Abbas, the first and youngest paralympic swimmer in the Middle East and Africa to win world paraswimming championship medals as well as Egypt's Republican Medal for Athletes.

Abbas and her family never took no for an answer. With her family’s support, Abbas challenged herself to become the first and youngest Paralympic swimmer participating in the Rio 2016 Paralympics and is now preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, which have been postponed to August 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

“It’s all due to my mom’s support, who never left my side during trips and training. My family, friends and coaches have also supported me throughout the way. Without their continuous support, I wouldn’t have been who I am today. I owe them everything,” said the journalism and mass communication sophomore who is double minoring in business administration and theatre at AUC.

Abbas’s journey started in 2006 by joining El Shams Club’s special needs team when it was first established. At the age of 8, she started competing in national championships and won Egypt's best swimmer cup for five consecutive years. At the age of 14, she joined the Egyptian Paralympic national team and became the first Arab and Egyptian female swimmer to win two world championship medals.

When she first joined AUC as a holder of the Athletic Scholarship — provided to a select number of students who participate in University-sponsored sports — she was mesmerized with the facilities offered to people with disabilities, “I am impressed with all facilities offered at AUC to make our lives better especially the Center for Student Well-Being — my go-to place on campus — that always works to support people with disabilities in all aspects. I really appreciate the campus accessibility to wheelchair users, which makes my life much easier," said Abbas, who regularly participates in swimming events held by AUC.

Besides swimming, Abbas is passionate about arts. Her dream is to work in acting, production and filmmaking to support people with disabilities and make their lives easier.

“I want to become the first wheelchair professional actress in Egypt,” she said. “I wish I could get into filmmaking, especially acting, and help people with disabilities stand in front of the camera to prove how good they can be as public speakers or directors. We can do anything.”

Abbas immediately minored in theatre and signed up for AUC's Theatre & Film Club to develop her love for acting and filmmaking. “The extracurricular activities at AUC are everything to me; they help us find our passion in different fields,” she affirmed. “I love the AUC Theater & Film Club and have a thing for theaters at AUC; the Malak Gabr Arts Theater and Bassily Auditorium. I’ve only taken one theatre course and one film course so far, but I always feel something special when I go there.”

Abbas is so grateful for the University’s Athletic Scholarship that helped her study at AUC to find and support her passion for acting and major in marketing with the wide variety of activities offered on campus.

“My dream to study integrated marketing communication, theatre and business administration at AUC came true with the help of the Athletic Scholarship,” she said. “The scholarship gave me a chance to explore different activities on campus and discover my passion for acting by joining the AUC Theater & Film Club. ”

Abbas is now preparing for the Olympics. “I train almost twice every day; I have my swimming training everyday in the morning and at night, and I also have my fitness and yoga classes three times a week. Hopefully, when things get better after the pandemic, I’ll start traveling again to take part in international trials.”

As an admirer of AUC’s rich cultural and academic history, Catherine Yassa, a mathematics graduating senior minoring in creative writing, joined the AUC Student Ambassadors program two years ago to represent the University and its core values. At that time, it was just the second cycle of the program.

Yassa was wholeheartedly keen on communicating AUC’s global impact to its different stakeholders while investing in networking with as many community members as possible. Since then, she has built connections with high-profile individuals in the politics, arts and higher education industries, among others. Representing the student body in accreditation meetings with the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education in Egypt (NAQAAE), in particular, is among her cherished memories of being a Student Ambassador. 

“Being a Student Ambassador taught me confidence, poise and adaptability. It’s extremely humbling how much I’ve grown since I’ve joined the program,” said Yassa. “I’m also lucky I get to work with such a brilliant team.”

Most recently, AUC introduced a virtual online 360-degrees tour of the New Cairo campus, meant to support international students in touring the campus firsthand before physically arriving to Cairo. When it was launched, AUC’s Student Ambassadors were selected to showcase the campus through their eyes, intertwined with their relative experiences.

“The whole experience was interesting, to say the least. Our team worked tirelessly over the summer to create a worthy substitute for in-person tours before orientation,” reflected Yassa. “Preparation alone took several weeks - from an updated tour narrative and working with peer leaders to figuring out how to engage freshmen through Zoom.”

While the process was challenging, the results were overwhelmingly impressive and fulfilling. “There’s no question that the New Cairo campus is stunning. Even though most students had never seen it before, the intricacies of its design and the lush greenery shine through any digital screen,” stressed Yassa. “Of course, it’s not as good as the ‘real-thing,’ but freshmen were undeterred. Once the world returns to normal, I’m really excited for them to experience the campus and what it means to be a full-fledged AUCian!”

Student Ambassadors don’t only provide distinguished guests with tours; share an overview of AUC’s mission, history and achievements; and support the community by being hosts to AUC-organized conferences. They also acquire competitive skills, including leadership, self-reliance top-notch public communication. To ensure they’re equipped for these significant responsibilities, they’re trained by prominent instructors to guarantee the highest standards.

Yassa is the youngest of three sisters and grew up in a family that celebrated individuality. Her parents were always keen on sparking her and her sisters’ curiosity and keeping their imaginations alight. With that, exploration and inquisitiveness were always present in her family, and bringing together distinct fields such as music, science, and arts, were far from unordinary.

Growing up with vivid memories of “ABBA” and “The Carpenters” crooning softly in her home’s background, Yassa embraced her parent’s cross-disciplinary learning environment until she uniquely blended mathematics and writing in her studies today. This is in addition to her passion for sustainability along with astronomy and space. At AUC, she found herself immersed in a variety of resources that enabled her to follow her “kaleidoscope of passions,” as she describes it.

Pursuing her excitement for astronomy and space, Yassa had recently spoken about the newest SpaceX Falcon Rocket Technology to 1,000+ attendees as part of the annual Astronomy Club Conference. Also, uniting with AUC’s sustainable development efforts, she worked on several sustainability projects at the Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES) and developed and presented research on renewable energy solutions to aid Egyptian farmers. 

What’s more, when it comes to writing, Yassa had many of her creative works published, from articles on student health and research on how greed shapes modern humanity, to a short murder-comedy play for The Author’s Challenge at AUC. Notably, it was through this very eight-page literary endeavor that won over the judges that she traveled to Paris last summer to study film and cinema, all sponsored by AUC. 

Despite the current testing times, Yassa holds on to an optimistic view of the future, believing that innovation will come to the rescue. “There’s so much new technology being developed, which intersects with everything I’ve pursued throughout my 23 years of living,” she enthusiastically said. “As such, I can’t wait to be at the forefront of this new wave of creativity and innovation –– a dream AUC has empowered me to pursue.”

AUC’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences was recently awarded a grant agreement worth approximately $1.3M over two years from the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (USAID/ASHA) to fund “The Interdisciplinary Future of Art Education at AUC.”

Through the grant, the school plans to bolster the Department of the Arts with present-day, state-of-the-art technological resources to lay the foundations for the development and scaling up of the department's five programs: theatre, music, film, visual arts and graphic design. 

“This is a very important time in the history of HUSS because it gives us the needed support to be able to go forward to enhance liberal arts education,” said Zeinab Taha '78, '81, professor and interim dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Having the department equipped both in terms of human resources and equipment will result in excellent programs and, consequently, up-to-date graduates ready to contribute to the market both locally and internationally.”

Taking the form of creative platforms, five initiatives are currently in the works: a new Media Lab, Music Technology Studio, Fashion Design Lab, upgraded Sharjah Art Gallery and renovated classrooms/studios. Given the diverse and versatile nature of arts education, the intent is to bridge the exchange of knowledge and practices among the programs through interdisciplinary methods and experimentation. 

“This grant is a step toward interdisciplinary education, which I believe is the future of education,” said Haytham Nawar, associate professor and chair of the Department of the Arts. “The new interdisciplinary environment we are aiming for will help students develop the essential skills and understanding required in the diverse areas of the creative process. This approach will open the doors for future generations to reach a mutually collaborative and constructive understanding and achieve purposeful research.”

The specific goals of the Interdisciplinary Future of Art Education at AUC are twofold: to empower students with the knowledge and ability to explore expressive possibilities brought about by existing and emerging forms of technology, and to cultivate an intellectual framework to investigate, understand and navigate a world infused with media and communication technologies. 

The technologies are posited not as an end in themselves, but as a means to address fundamental questions pertaining to the human condition, complex relationships between ourselves and our mediated environment, and what it means to be an active participant in a world increasingly informed by computation and automation.

“The Office of Sponsored Programs is thrilled to work alongside the Department of the Arts in this transformative initiative," said Dina Adly (MPA '17), associate provost, of sponsored programs. "Being in line with AUC’s Centennial Strategic Plan pillar of ‘innovation,’ the award engages in the active purposing of resources toward creative and versatile academic endeavors."

Adly added, "AUC’s learning platforms are integral to student growth, faculty development and the University's impact on the community at large by integrating novel spaces, equipment and technology and by instilling American best practices and values. OSP is proud that the School of Humanities and Social Sciences won this significant award that will help shape the future of arts education at AUC and contribute to equipping our graduates for the present and future market.” 

Moreover, the department plans on introducing new undergraduate majors, including music technology and fashion design. “Several art disciplines are growing, and the demand is increasing in the MENA region. We hope to upgrade the existing material that we have to improve the current degrees, and we also aspire to introduce new ones to cater to this increasing demand,” added Nawar.

Taha highlights that despite its growing popularity, music technology, in particular, has no equivalent study in Egypt. In fact, only a few institutions offer a degree in that area in the Middle East. “This is an opportunity to graduate students at an unprecedented level in the Middle East and put AUC, especially with its liberal arts focus, as a leading institution on the map of qualified students to come study in Egypt.”

“With USAID/ASHA’s support, AUC will not only continue to nurture interdisciplinary learning strategies across programs under the Department of the Arts but will also [bulid] synergies and fresh collaborations between the Department of the Arts and other departments at AUC,” noted Adly.

As such, the interactive technology advancements and new program additions are set to take the Department of the Arts to new frontiers, meanwhile magnifying AUC’s liberal arts education and emphasizing inclusive, cross-disciplinary approaches to learning to equip students to excel in evolving, competitive markets.

With the aim of combating sexual harassment and safeguarding its community, AUC established the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) on August 1 to handle sexual harassment and discrimination complaints from students, faculty and staff. The office reinforces and underpins AUC’s Anti-Harassment and Non-Discrimination Policy, abiding by Egyptian laws, and strengthening AUC’s reporting channels.

OIE educates and acquaints the AUC community with the Anti-Harassment and Non-Discrimination policy set in place for sexual misconduct on and off campus, receives reports of policy violations, investigates and implements sanctions in accordance with the Policy, and directs individuals to available campus resources, including medical and counseling services, academic support and legal assistance.

On that account and as part of the #AUCSpeakUp initiative to reinforce AUC’s legacy of equity, inclusiveness, and a safe campus, AUC launched a mandatory training for every member of the community, including the president and senior leadership across the board. AUC is the first to introduce such mandatory training for all faculty, staff and students. An online training module is also due to be introduced this fall. 

The Zoom training provided to senior academic and administration leadership discussed Title IX (USA federal law) and Egyptian laws on sexual harassment/misconduct and their prohibitions and how they apply to community members, AUC’s policy, the definition of sexual harassment/misconduct, reporting obligations, and more. To ensure the information was fully digested, participants were given scenarios and assessments to test their knowledge.

“The office stimulates AUC’s culture of mutual respect and sustains a harassment and discrimination free campus for the community at large by reinforcing policies on broader levels,” said Reem El Mograby, Title IX coordinator. “Our previous structure was under the area of student life and handled mostly student complaints. Now it spans to include faculty, staff, alumni and visitors. I see AUC becoming a leader in this domain across other universities in not only Egypt but also the region.” 

AUC led a national conversation on anti-harassment, hosting Maya Morsy ’95, president of Egypt’s National Council for Women (NCW) to discuss the latest measures and efforts to combat sexual harassment as well as the collaboration with NCW to promote awareness on sexual harassment in higher education and discuss policies and measures that guarantee a safer environment for women. AUC is also joining forces with other universities and organizations in Egypt to create real and lasting social and cultural change through a national dialogue. 

OIE is the principal point of contact for any harassment, discrimination or sexual misconduct complaints and ensures the University’s prompt and equitable response in compliance with Egyptian laws and policies to stop and prevent the recurrence of the harassment, in addition to remedying the effects. The office works closely with impacted individuals to provide them the necessary support, backed by AUC’s counseling services.

Anonymous complaints of alleged violations can be reported through different channels, including an online reporting form, one-on-one meetings, or by emailing the OIE at [email protected]. The University assures that information about cases remains confidential and is only shared on a need-to-know basis. 

“We also work on strategies to prevent sexual harassment at AUC. Part of that prevention is to make sure that we respond to all allegations of harassment and discrimination on our campuses. The idea is not only to reinforce the existing policy but to prevent harassment and discrimination from happening altogether,” asserts El Mograby, stressing that prevention and proactiveness are the cornerstone of ingraining and maintaining a safe culture on campus.

In that regard, AUC is a founding member and the only institution outside of the United States to be part of Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education. The collaborative brings together leaders from over 60 academic and research institutions to work toward targeted, collective action on addressing and preventing sexual harassment across all disciplines and people in higher education. Action Collaborative members –– including universities and research and training institutions –– identify, research, develop and implement efforts that go beyond basic legal compliance to evidence-based policies and practices for addressing and preventing all forms of sexual harassment and promoting a campus climate of civility and respect.

AUC has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment in all its forms and remains unwaveringly committed to ensuring that its educational mission continues to be carried out in an environment that is free of harassment and discrimination. 

“If you experience harassment, abuse or bullying of any kind, especially sexual harassment, you have rights and you have options. If you have witnessed it happening to others, you really have an obligation to report it. Please know the policy, and please report,” said President Francis Ricciardone. “We have put in place the human resources to uphold these precepts, but in order for our policies to be effective, we must rely on one another to identify both individual and systemic problems without silence or fear.”

For more information on the #AUCSpeakUp initiative, visit the AUC Speak Up webpage here.

To report an anonymous complaint, fill in this online form, or contact the Office of Institutional Equity at [email protected].

To learn more; check out the AUC's Anti-Harassment and Non-Discrimination Policy.

AUC welcomes the Class of 2024 — with their aspirations and endeavors —while implementing a hybrid model of classes with an emphasis on maintaining a low-density campus, where 93% of classes will be held online and only 7% will meet face to face when required.

"I warmly welcome both new and returning AUCians to this bright new academic year, promising an unusual wealth of challenges and opportunities," said President Francis Ricciardone in his welcome message to the AUC community. "I am pleased to welcome an especially strong incoming freshman class."

Made up of approximately 1,200 undergraduates — 58% females and 42% males — and more than 340 admitted graduate students — 70% females and 30% males — the incoming class hails from 26 diverse countries, including the United States, Canada, Spain and Brazil, as well as different parts of Africa and the Middle East such as Nigeria, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Palestine, Tunisia and, of course, Egypt. Egyptian students are joining AUC from 20 governorates across the country, including Ismailia, Alexandria, Dakahlia and The New Valley.

This year also marks the kickoff of the USAID Scholars program, which received more than 4,000 applications from all of Egypt's 27 governorates.

With a selectivity of 40%, representing a 7% improvement over last fall, and a yield — the percentage of students who enroll from those we accept — of about 77%, entry to AUC remains highly competitive. AUC continues to provide more than $22.3 million in scholarships and financial aid.

This year, more than 100 new international students are studying at AUC, and around 3.4% of undergraduate students are international.

Sara Toutain, an international student studying translation at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, has been in Egypt for a week and a half. "It's been an incredible experience; people are super welcoming. They are helping us with our classes and courses, and they really want to learn Spanish from us, which is really fun — a super amazing experience," she said.

Alba Fernandez, who is also studying translation at UAB Barcelona, came to AUC to learn Arabic. "I am pleasantly surprised. I love the people here; I love the place. The University is amazing. I am very happy to be here," she said.

Rachel Campbell is joining AUC from Canada to pursue a master's in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). "My experience in Egypt has been great," she said. "I've lived here for a year already, but my experience at AUC has been fantastic. The organizing team has been great. They also bought me coffee twice. I love them. They are doing awesome."

Approximately 200 of the enrolled undergraduates have already declared majors in sciences and engineering, while other students will navigate courses before deciding on their majors.

For freshman Omar Mehanna, one of the main reasons he applied to AUC is its liberal arts education. "I expect to meet a huge number of people with diverse backgrounds and with different perspectives on life than I have. I also expect to take part in cocurricular activities to develop my skills professionally and personally," he said.

Likewise, Nour Khalifa is also looking forward to being part of AUC's diverse community and meeting new people, whether through sports teams, students organizations or classes. "I applied to AUC because I want to study psychology, and it's the only University that offers what I need," she said.

Sarah Koura, a freshman intending to major in either political science or business administration, decided to join AUC for the global experience, cocurricular activities and victorious sports teams. "AUC is unique," she said. "It's the only University in Egypt that gives you the 'abroad' experience in your homeland," she said.

For the first time, AUC’s First-Year Program (FYP) for incoming students will be blended this fall.

The integrated orientation will be mostly virtual with two days of face-to-face interaction on campus that includes the Engagement Fair as well as other on-ground activities, where students will be divided into small cohorts who come to campus on different days. New additions to FYP this year include sessions on IT solutions and services as well as combatting sexual harassment, YouVisit virtual tour, AUC-Connect hub and a pre-orientation guide for students to use throughout the year. 

“This makes FYP distinctive this time not only because it is mostly online due to the pandemic, but also because it is a hybrid orientation done for the first time in Egypt,” said Dina Wahdan, electronics and communications engineering student and FYP president. “This year, we are focusing on the transitioning of first-year students in all academic aspects as well as their personal development and engaging them with the AUC community.”

How It’s Done Virtually

For starters, the orientation consists of two online days and two days on campus. The online days will be mostly held on Zoom and will provide incoming students with all information they need, while still including online activities that will help them engage with their Peer Leaders and colleagues. The on-ground days will include some activities along with the Engagement Fair, in which students get the chance to sign up for their preferred clubs.

New additions this year include a session on IT solutions and services, since the semester will be hybrid, and a separate health insurance session for new international students. FYP also launched a pre-orientation guide this year that doesn’t only help incoming students during orientation, but is also available for them all year long. “The guide includes information about what makes AUC distinctive as a liberal arts University, policies, facilities and all what students need to know about AUC,” Wahdan added.

The guide was delivered asynchronously in advance of the dates of the virtual component with readings and assignments in a flipped-class mode. “This better ensures that FYP students are prepared and ready to engage with other students on day one of the virtual component,” said Ahmed Zain, student development manager at the Office of the Dean of Students.

The incoming students are divided into smaller batches this year, where all students will be required to use AUC Connect — a hub that connects sessions and participants to ensure effective, user-friendly and interactive learning, as it will include the orientation schedule, individual student sections and all Zoom links according to group numbers. Each virtual class section will include 16 new students rather than 25, while students will be divided in virtual breakout rooms to work independently and present their work to their peers.

“The Peer Leaders are currently trained to use Zoom and features such as breakout rooms, polls and chat to create lively, interactive sessions,” said Zain. “An important new feature of the orientation this year is the AUC-Connect app, which hosts [everything] in a friendly and interactive platform. This helps students navigate things and engage with their peers more easily.”

After the orientation ends, all incoming students will be required —for the first time — to take a quiz to test what they grasped during the orientation and point out areas that need further development. Students are also required to fill out a survey after completing the orientation, where they assess their overall experience and write their feedback on all aspects of the program, including content, activities and any technical issues they faced. “All of this … shows how we as a team go beyond [what’s required], even in these circumstances, and this is what makes us distinctive,” explained Wahdan.

Train the Trainers

Before starting the virtual orientation, the FYP team conducted focus groups, where 70 students from the incoming class volunteered to attend and test the system that will be used throughout the program, providing their feedback and thoughts on how to facilitate the process and enrich the experience for both students and the FYP team. “The thorough feedback we have requested from first-year students and Peer Leaders enabled us to enhance the experience on both ends,” said Wahdan.

The FYP student orientation team is made up of 140 Peer Leaders who volunteer their time to help set incoming students on the right path and familiarize them with the AUC experience. An important addition to FYP this year is training the Peer Leaders different to deliver the best quality of service, given the COVID-19 situation. AUC’s Center for Learning and Teaching (CLT) trained Peer Leaders on how to provide interactive virtual sessions using new software programs, building on the experience of AUC faculty during the Spring 2020 semester. “The FYP team modified the orientation’s content to best align with the new blended learning format, including reconceiving the in-class games in a virtual format to provide the same high-quality experience that new students expect from AUC,” said Zain.

The FYP Core Leadership used CLT’s Training of Trainers model to train Peer Leaders on navigating different online learning tools such as Zoom, Blackboard and Moodle. One-to-one sessions were also provided for the Peer Leaders.

In addition, sessions on combating sexual harassment have been integrated into the integrated orientation this fall, familiarizing students with how to address the definition of sexual harassment, ways to report a perceived instance of sexual harassment and measures taken by AUC to protect those who report such incidents. Peer Leaders will also inform incoming students of different resources at AUC that could help victims of sexual harassment. Following the session, a quiz will be taken to measure gains in awareness among FYP students. There will also be a follow up with further awareness sessions for anyone performing poorly on the quiz.

It’s Still Fun

“Just because sessions are online doesn’t preclude being fun and exciting,” affirmed Zain. “Online training can be engaging if facilitators are trained to design student-centered activities in small group settings.”

Thus, the Office of Student Life has designed the Engagement Fair take place on the third day of the FYP orientation, split over two days in tandem with the FYP schedule, in three different locations, to decrease the number of students on campus at any point in time. More areas of the campus are being used so that students are spread out to the greatest extent, and all activities take place outdoors. FYP also designed additional on-campus engagement activities that will supplement and enhance the experience of students who are being introduced to the New Cairo campus for the first time.

Virtual Campus Tour

The YouVisit virtual tour is a new feature of the FYP experience this fall, where a Student Ambassador will join the tour virtually to narrate the full experience.

“As FYP president, I constantly make it a point to keep my team motivated and to not only remind them of our purpose as an entity, but also to make them aware that our attempt to make this orientation succeed makes us unique, given the current circumstances,” Wahdan said. “To me, FYP is the most important phase where incoming students truly attempt to engage with University life. Although this pandemic has caused the world to slow down, we have come to see that with dedication, passion and a collective effort, nothing is impossible and impact can be made even with the smallest gestures.”

The recent explosion in Lebanon shook an entire nation — and indeed the region and the world — in every sense of the word. News@AUC spoke to faculty members in different disciplines to understand the repercussions of this calamity.

How and why did it happen?

Jamal Haidar, assistant professor of economics: A combination of endemic economic corruption, criminal negligence and professional incompetence played a part in this huge human and economic disaster.

Sarah El-Richani, assistant professor of journalism and mass communication: It is not yet definite what caused the blast, but it appears to be the result of corruption, negligence and mismanagement, which sadly are hallmarks of the political leadership in Lebanon. The blast was catastrophic, and people are rightfully demanding answers and, more importantly, justice. 

Why is the timing so bad?

Bahgat Korany, political science professor: The blast, which was approximately the equivalent of 1,200 tons of dynamite and was felt as a huge earthquake as far as Cyprus, came at a time when Lebanon was already going through a multiple crises complex. A few years ago, people protested the accumulation of street garbage and the incapacity of the government to deal with such a relatively simple problem. The protestors’ slogan against the governing elite was, “Your bad smell is widespread.” This garbage problem was just a reflection of a politico-economic crisis in Lebanon. Since October 2019, street protests have become more frequent, and the economy has continued to go down. Prices of basic food supplies, for example, went up by 150%, the Lebanese pound lost 80% of its value against the dollar, the country can’t pay its debt and the Lebanese people are deprived of electricity 21 hours per day. The protestors are identifying Lebanon’s political system as the culprit.

What are the immediate consequences?

Ibrahim Awad, professor of practice of global affairs and director of the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies: Lebanon is facing an extremely dire situation. Ports have been destroyed, food imports — which account for more than 80% of the country’s food needs — are affected, money is not coming in except most probably for remittances sent by Lebanese migrants to help sustain their families, and anger is widespread. 

Sean Lee, assistant professor of political science: The short-term and medium-term effects will be devastating. Already, Lebanon was suffering a severe economic crisis accompanied by hyperinflation, the rapid devaluation of the lira and a collapse of the banking sector that has all but wiped out most people’s savings. Many Lebanese were already finding it difficult to afford even the most basic staples, and this will only get worse because due to the artificial currency peg, which has now collapsed, the Lebanese economy relied on imports for almost everything. With the Beirut port all but destroyed along with its grain silos and what reserves were left and the port in Tripoli suffering from long-term neglect, we can expect to see food insecurity become more and more common in the country.

Lee: On the political side of things, over the last 15 years, I’ve never seen so much anger and rage in the country. A significant segment of the population sees the entire country’s political class as their enemy and are calling for the whole system to be destroyed.

What effect do you think the current protests will have on Lebanon? 

Lee: The political elites are not likely to give up their power easily. While the Lebanese state is nowhere to be found when it comes to providing the basic services necessary for its residents to survive, it has shown itself mostly through its coercive apparatus whenever the political elites feel threatened by popular mobilization. We saw it during the You Stink protests back in 2015-2016 and during the protests last fall, and we have already seen it after the explosion. The state was notably absent while Beirutis came out in their masses to help clean up after the explosion, but the security forces were out in force to tear gas and shoot protesters.

El-Richani: So far, and as a result of the palpable anger, Beirut port and customs officials have been detained. Intense protests are vital in ensuring that at least these port officials face justice. The political class who handpicked these officials to serve their interests may well sacrifice them to appease the protesters. Is this adequate? Absolutely not.

El-Richani: The outgoing prime minister who called for early elections has resigned with his cabinet. Again this will not appease the street, as this cabinet was in power for eight months whereas the ammonium nitrates have been at the port since 2013!

El-Richani: Prime Minister Diab’s cabinet will continue as a caretaker government until a new one is formed. This is no easy task, as a national consensus government would anger protesters and a neutral cabinet is also unlikely. However intense international pressure linking much-needed aid to reforms and the formation of a cabinet might do the trick. Talk of early elections is also not a panacea, as it is very unlikely that our parliamentarians would pass a fair electoral law that would harm their interests. Protesters are also ill-prepared to take on the well-oiled machines of these oligarchs, particularly in light of the crippling economic and financial crisis. 

What is the solution for Lebanon to recover?

Awad: Currently, people in Lebanon are divided. The communitarian and sectarian system is deeply entrenched. To me, the country needs a solid, well-organized and trans-sectarian political movement that recruits from all communities in Lebanon. Independent personalities from the different communities should form the nucleus of this movement. However, they should not be in the nucleus in representation of their communities. If each community protests on its own and has its own project for the future, this is not a solution.

Lee: Many Lebanese citizens see the state as irredeemably corrupt and so no longer trust it to handle any sort of influx of money for reconstruction or even humanitarian needs. In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, there will need to be an influx of support and funds that bypass the state and go directly to grassroots organizations and institutions like the Lebanese Red Cross. This will be tricky to accomplish in a way that doesn’t flood the country with new dollars and further devalue the lira.

Korany: In the short term, the most immediate task is to get people out of their despair and start solving daily problems, such as caring for the wounded, especially that some of the hospitals have been destroyed by the blast; finding shelter for the 300,000 people who lost their homes; and rebuilding the port, which ushers 70% of Lebanon's needs. The most immediate way to recover is to deal with the economic problems

How can Lebanon recover economically?

Haidar: Lebanon now needs urgent foreign aid. But to avoid elite capture, knowing how to channel foreign aid is key. It is important to ensure transparent channels are in place to guarantee any foreign aid that goes to Lebanon ends up where it’s supposed to end and does what it’s supposed to do. Recent analysis showed that few firms captured development and reconstruction foreign funding over the last decade, suggesting insufficient transparency in public resource allocation processes. 

Korany: The percentage of the poor before the blast was 52% and is now increasing. It is important to mobilize international aid, but also to establish trust in the government by containing widespread corruption. Otherwise, as French President Emmanuel Macron said during his rush to visit Beirut, international aid is not guaranteed. Lebanon was negotiating with the International Monetary Fund before the explosion for $1 billion when it really needed $5 billion. Preliminary estimates of the country’s current external financing needs amount to $12-15 billion. While political reform is certainly the inescapable objective, achieving palpable economic results will take shorter time and help people regain hope.

What is the effect of this disaster on the region?

Korany: Beirut was traditionally called Paris of the Middle East, and Lebanon has been perceived as a model of political opening or democracy. Its model has failed, and Lebanon could now join the list of failed states such as Iraq, Syria, Libya or Yemen.

Korany: I was saddened by a petition signed by about 60,000 Lebanese people and sent to President Macron asking for a return of the French mandate after 77 years of gaining independence! This is an explicit demand for a return of colonialism in the Arab world — pure and simple. I hope that local governing elites will realize the seriousness of such views and do better to avoid pushing people to think that a return to colonial times could be the way out of their problems.

What’s next for Lebanon?

Haidar: Time is at a prime in Lebanon now. Donors are currently exploring possible ways to support the people of Lebanon. It is essential to overcome the lack of progress in the institutional and structural reform discussions, and focus on human and economic recovery.

Korany: Blast or no blast, the reform of Lebanon's feudalistic political system has to be the main objective. Given the complexity of the issues and the need for consensus among protesters, the elaboration of a workable political substitute to the present system will, unfortunately, take time.

Lee: In the long term, Lebanon’s political and economic systems have proven themselves resilient in the face of attempts at reform, so completely new systems are needed: ones that involve a real social contract and treat people as citizens rather than members of a sect.

Awad: Lebanon needs an integrated political system — not a coalition of leaders of different communities. It is obvious that this political system will have to be pluralistic and secular. Challenges may not be overcome immediately or in the short term. But with the ingenuity of the Lebanese people, they can be gradually addressed in the medium term. Nobody should think of a solution for Lebanon in terms of a zero-sum game. All political and social parties should be incentivized to create the integrated political system that equally and indiscriminately serves the interests of the entire Lebanese population and secludes it from undue regional and international interference. 

El-Richani: I am doubtful much-needed meaningful change is possible. Sadly, the “pessimism of the intellect” dominates, and I fear that the real perpetrators of this calamity — the political and sectarian cartel — will again dodge responsibility and safeguard their interests by twisting facts or even using force. The system is deeply entrenched, and the protests — though heartening and traverse sectarian lines — are yet to emerge as a unified force able to challenge the established zuama, or leaders. I hope I will be proven wrong.