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. 

John Rodenbeck, professor emeritus of English and comparative literature, passed away recently at his home in France.

Rodenbeck joined AUC in 1964. "When I arrived in Egypt in 1964, I found that what I'd seen in films was in some abstract degree more or less true, but that in fact the reality was 10 times as exciting," reflected Rodenbeck in "The Road Taken" (Interview) published in Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics in 2006. "I was enormously gratified. What first brought me to Egypt, though, was what killed the cat: sheer curiosity." 

Rodenbeck continued teaching at AUC for more than three decades. In a 1990 interview with the Caravan student newspaper, he likened teaching to acting, which is one of his passions, saying: [Teaching[ is the idea of giving performance that is appealing." 

Rodenbeck's son, Max, who serves as the South Asia bureau chief at The Economist in New Delhi, reflected on his father as a professor of English and comparative literature: "As a professor, his interests ranged from English Romantics to Greek and Latin classics to European travel literature, particularly in the Middle East. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was also very active in the AUC theatre, often playing a leading role."

In a 2006 oral history interview with the Rare Books and Special Collections Library, Rodenbeck described English and comparative literature students at AUC as "extremely interested" and "highly motivated." 

In addition to teaching, Rodenbeck served as director of AUC Press from 1974 to 1983. Reflecting on that time, he noted in his oral history interview: "... What I had to do was to set up a policy that I thought would be suitable for a press here. And that is, first of all, that we should concentrate on Egypt and the Middle East, particularly Egypt, of course, but the Middle East next — which meant that we did not attempt to produce items in English literature, for example, or having to do with Western society. And the other thing I did was to try to get into something that ... had ... commercial possibilities. The 'Practical Guide to Cairo,' for instance, was was my invention. ... It's done quite well, gone through several editions. And that was the first sort of outreach in the direction of being commercial." 

Rodenbeck also started the tradition of publishing translations at AUC Press. "The program of publishing translations had been started by John Rodenbeck back in the '70s," said Neil Hewison, formerly on the AUC Press editorial staff in an oral history interview with AUC's Rare Books and Special Collections Library. "He had decided it was an important job to do, and I remember looking back in the files one day and finding a letter that John had written, I forget to whom, explaining how important he thought it was to publish translations of Mahfouz especially, because he said, 'One day, this man is going to get the Nobel Prize.' And he said this about 10 years before Mahfouz got the Nobel Prize. So he was very farsighted in that respect."   

Echoing the same sentiment, Max Rodenbeck noted, "t was a transformative period for what had been a tiny University printing press to a publishing operation. [John Rodenbeck] won AUC the English-language rights to all of Naguib Mahfouz's works, foreseeing that the novelist would gain much wider recognition. He also jointly translated one of Mahfouz's novels, Miramar."

Islamic architecture was another of Rodenbeck's interests. He founded the Society for the Preservation of the Architectural Resources of Egypt, which aimed to document and protect Cairo's rich architectural heritage. "He loved Egypt, but also loved the French countryside, and that is where he chose to retire," said his son Max. 

Rodenbeck is survived by his three children Judith, Max and Christina.

Here's what former colleagues and students had to say about John Rodenbeck: 

"John Rodenbeck was a charismatic figure with encyclopedic knowledge, a Renaissance man who captivated students and colleagues with his eloquence and critical insights when he taught for four decades in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at AUC. He impersonated the professor of English literature character in Youssef Chahine’s film, Alexandria…Why? (1979), capturing his very own classroom charm.

As director of AUC Press (1974-1983), he collaborated on translations of 1988 Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz and disseminated his novels in the 1970s and after. Rodenbeck wrote extensively on Egypt as a cultural critic, highlighting its literature, history, art, architecture and monuments. He translated Alexandrian poets — Cavafy and Ungaretti — and published extensively on 19th- and 20th-century English literature.

A man for all seasons, Rodenbeck felt at home in the world at large. He was particularly fond of travel. His wanderlust was depicted in his interview “The Road Taken” in Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics (2006) — a volume published in his honor on the occasion of becoming professor emeritus."

Ferial Ghazoul 
Professor, Department of English and Comparative Literature
Editor, Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics 

"It is with great distress that I received the news of John Rodenbeck’s death. From the beginning, the moment I read his letter of application and saw the photograph attached, I decided he would be a great addition to the department.

So elegantly did he present himself. I never for a moment regretted the immediate decision [of recruiting Rodenbeck]. He proved to be as brilliant as he was attractive. Time after time, students urged me to persuade him to stay on, as we will never find another to replace him. I was particularly pleased when they added, 'His only problem was that he almost never gives an “A.'"

My concern was that he would not wish to stay distant from the academic world. I needn’t have worried. He not only stayed — he stayed as himself, never lowering his standards and requiring the students to stretch theirs to the utmost. With all that, he was one of the most valued members of our department."

Doris Shoukri
Professor Emerita, Department of English and Comparative Literature

"He ... was a very unassuming person ... a walking encyclopedia. He knew everything: literature, Shakespearean period, the Middle Ages. He was a scholar. ... It was a delight and pleasure to see him, telling you parts, for example, of ... Hamlet or something from Romeo and Juliet or all those things, all those great dramas. ... I enjoyed dealing with him because he was a great mind, a great intellect, a scholar. ... I had several advisers when I was working on my thesis, but he's the one who I really ... wanted to deal with ... personally. I enjoyed his intelligence and his readings, and he guided me to what I should do .... and that I owe to him. It's John Rodenbeck. A great mind, a great intellect." 

Laurence Moftah (MA '79, MA '87)
Librarian Emerita, Rare Books and Special Collections Library
Oral history interview, Rare Books and Special Collections Library, 2014

"He used to not just talk to you about, for instance, a certain author. No, he'd give you the feel of the era and act it out and walk out of the room and come in again with a flourish. ... So he was ... really wonderful.He'd give you a history of the art in those days and the music and this and that."

Amina El-Lozy '67, '72
AUC Faculty Member (English language and writing), 1972 - 1992
Oral history interview, Rare Books and Special Collections Library, 2014

Photos courtesy of the University Archives

As I prepared to study abroad at AUC in the spring semester of 2008, my mind overflowed with anticipation and nerves. I was looking forward to living and studying in a Middle Eastern country, but I was worried that I would struggle to adapt to the different cultural and educational environment.

Yet my experiences turned out to be deeply rewarding on an intellectual and cultural level. On an intellectual level, I took AUC courses on Arab political and social thought, the history of the Middle East, and political economy, as well as Arabic language classes. In particular, the course on Arab political and social thought exposed me to rich intellectual traditions in the Arabic-speaking world I was previously unfamiliar with. This course piqued my interest in Islamic political philosophy, which I have maintained to this day; I actually taught al-Farabi and Ibn Rushd, two medieval Islamic philosophers, in one of my courses this past academic year. In addition, the political economy course consisted mostly of Egyptian students, which allowed me to exchange insights into politics and economics with peers from cultural backgrounds different than mine.

Such experiences provided one of the formative lessons I learned as a study-abroad student: All human beings share a common humanity, and they are also part of a great variety of distinctive cultural traditions. This lesson has immediate applications for my book on Burke, who was a British statesman-philosopher most famous for his criticism of the French Revolution (My book doesn’t touch on Egypt or the Middle East.). Burke believed that people around the world represented a rich diversity of inherited cultures and that imperial powers (such as the British Empire in his case) held the moral obligation to respect these cultures. As I was writing my book, I thought more about Burke’s perspective and how it related to my experiences at AUC. I think he was quite right: We should recognize the common humanity of different people, and we should also recognize the importance of cultural variety throughout the globe. I would not have sufficiently appreciated this insight if I had not studied at AUC.

This encounter with Egyptian and Middle Eastern culture, of course, provided many additional opportunities unavailable to me in the United States: haggling with Egyptian vendors; celebrating in the streets of Cairo after Egypt won the Africa Cup; eating koshari; visiting the pyramids, the Black and White Desert, Mount Sinai and Luxor; teaching English to Iraqi, Somali and Sudanese refugees (a particularly rewarding experience); and playing on the AUC basketball team and going to Athens, Greece for a tournament (unfortunately I tore my ACL in a game). Perhaps the most intellectually rich experience I had, however, was participating in an informal discussion club I organized with other AUC students — including Americans, Egyptians, Palestinians and other students — that would meet weekly at the Zamalek dormitories. We would talk about Middle Eastern politics and related issues. There were many differences of opinion, but we exchanged our ideas in a civil and respectful manner. I still participate in this discussion club to this day, including with American students I met during my time at AUC who have become lifelong friends.

Hope that provides a flavor of my AUC experience.

Gregory Martin Collins SAB '08

A postdoctoral associate and lecturer in the Program on Ethics, Politics, and Economics at Yale University. His book on Edmund Burke’s economic thought, titled Commerce and Manners in Edmund Burke's Political Economy, was recently published by Cambridge University Press.

"It means the world to me receiving this award since my film will be streamed on multiple platforms for people all around the world to see," said Malak El Araby, a graduating senior majoring in film who is one of 10 winners of the Ladima Foundation African Women in the Time of COVID-19 Short Film Competition. 

Being, El Araby's film, is just under two minutes long and features snippets of her life before Egypt shut down due to COVID-19. For her, the film is meant to highlight the moments people might usually take for granted and tries to find a positive side to this situation. 

"Being was made with the purpose of finding a silver lining in midst of the hardships that we had to face during a global pandemic," she said." "My main goal was to make people feel and view this pandemic differently, to make people appreciate the little things in life, to be grateful for what we have, and to never take anything for granted anymore."

El Araby's film was shown across different platforms, and she received a EUR 500 award. For her and the other nine winners of the competition, this was an opportunity to express their perspectives on the pandemic and shed light on different personal, economic and societal issues facing women.

"I realized how the little things in life are what mattered the most," El Araby said. "I missed a lot of things that a person does on a daily basis, like walking down the streets freely and breathing fresh air, or just holding a loved one. I wanted people to appreciate what they have, so when all of this is over, we’d be grateful and appreciate the little things more then ever."

You can read El Araby's full interview with ANBA here.

AUC will be providing voluntary mentorship support for entrepreneurs as part of the Gemini Uplift initiative to support entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The initiative, launched by Gemini Enterprises Africa, aims to revive the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Egypt and Africa during these difficult times through money, matchmaking and mentorship. Gemini focuses on supporting entrepreneurship in Africa, and particularly projects focused on social dimensions. 

"In brief, AUC and Gemini signed an MOU early this year, aiming to work together on student initiatives that would support entrepreneurship, including competitions and activities that would involve AUC students, such as graduation projects and entrepreneurial mentoring activities," said Ahmed Tolba, associate provost for strategic enrollment managements and associate professor of marketing.

More than 30 institutions joined the initiative, and AUC's role focuses on providing mentoring resources primarily through faculty. This is a voluntary service by each faculty member.

AUC signed an MOU with Gemini a few months ago, whereby they could support the Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program, a project hosted in Tolba's office.

AUC’s Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Research and Innovation Initiative awarded funding to 10 different research projects that are aimed at creating an impact both during and after the global COVID-19 pandemic — contributing to the scholarship and innovation in the fight against it. In this series, we are highlighting each of the 10 projects to learn about what they are and what impact they will have on society.

Project 2: Coping in Egypt During the COVID-19 Crisis

Principal Investigator: Lameese Eldesouky, assistant professor, Department of Psychology 

Co-Principal Investigators: Kate Ellis, assistant professor, Department of Psychology; Zeinab Khadr, senior research scientist, Social Research Center

How It Began

When talking to her friends and family, Eldesouky took notice of the “vastly different” ways that people were coping with the COVID-19 crisis.

“Some people were in denial and wanted to act as though nothing had changed,” she said. “Others I knew turned to religion as a guide by increasing their prayers and trying to grow closer to God. Meanwhile, there were others who turned to distracting activities like TV just to make the time go by.”

For her, this grant was an opportunity to study what’s going on with how people are dealing with their emotions and reach a scientific conclusion. 

What It's All About

This project will identify the different ways that Egyptians are coping with the COVID-19 crisis and which strategies are most effective for long-term well-being. Some questions the project aims to answer are: What strategies are people currently using the most vs. the least? Which people are using certain types of strategies more or less? 

“For example,” Eldesouky said, “people who are more optimistic may be more prone to identify positive aspects of the situation as opposed to distract themselves.”

The Research Process

This project will be completed remotely and online. Gathering data involves: 

• Having participants complete a long, one-time survey asking demographic and personality questions. 
• Conducting experience sampling: having participants complete very brief surveys multiple times a day for two weeks, which will allow for data collection about people’s emotions over time.

Data collection is set to be completed this month. 

What's the Impact?

There are two main goals of this project: The first is to help create culturally sensitive public health recommendations that enhance people’s use of healthy coping strategies and decrease their use of unhealthy ones. The second is to make people more aware of how they are coping with the situation.

“Believe it or not, the average person does not think about their emotions and how they are dealing with them on a regular basis,” Eldesouky said.

Final Thoughts

“We are very excited about this study for several reasons. While it addresses a major current issue, it also helps bring Egypt to psychological research and vice versa. The field of psychology today is primarily represented by the West and select Asian countries. Furthermore, to our knowledge, this will be one of the first studies in Egypt and the Middle East more generally to use experience sampling. This is the novel method I described where people answer the same survey multiple times a day. It’s praised for its ability to capture what people do in real time and in real life outside of a laboratory setting,” Eldesouky said.

As part of their Packaging studio course last fall, graphic design students Amena ElDefrawy, Amanda Ioannou, Hania Gazar, Reem Hasebou, Salma Aly and Noor Sallam worked on envisioning new packaging solutions for the Gourmet brand while considering the environmental aspect and sustainability. The Gourmet team liked the student work, had the most creative group intern with the company last winter and is implementing some of the student designs across its branches.

“Part of our strategy as a design program is to reach out to existing key players in the market and introduce them to our students’ work either through direct studio involvement or as jury members on our senior graduation projects,” said Bahia Shehab (MA ’09), professor of practice of design and founder of the graphic design program. “We see this as a healthy collaboration for our students to be exposed to existing opportunities in the market. This interaction helps students understand their output not only from an academic framework, but also through a practical one.”

The students worked on Gourmet’s rebranding plan, including brand image, typefaces and visual elements.

They had multiple tasks in hand, including redesigning the packaging of old products such as the juice bottles and granola boxes, while also coming up with packages for new products, in addition to suggesting retail solutions, and interior and exterior branding,

"The students expressed their satisfaction with their contributions, which also help save the environment," noted Shehab. "We encouraged them to use more sustainable packaging materials, and they were very welcoming to that suggestion. They switched from plastic to cardboard in products where it was feasible and practical to do so.”

Each of the six students worked separately on different products, while also working in teams and supporting each other with ideas when needed.

"The super team of talented AUC interns did a fantastic and professional job, and Gourmet Egypt is nothing but proud of the quality of work they presented, " said Dalia Sultan, business development director of Gourmet Egypt. "Their passion for design and their creativity were greatly demonstrated in their work,, where they were able to deliver what's required as per the briefs they were given. .. Their work was actually materialized in our new line of packaging featured in our stores, which was loved and admired, not only by Gourmet Egypt's family, but also by our customers."

El Defrawy worked on reshaping Gourmet’s shopping experience by designing sustainable and eco-friendly shopping bags. She redesigned Gourmet’s paper, plastic and insulated bags, some of which are now being used in stores.

Ioannou worked on the lettering and overall printed design of the rotisserie packages. She also designed the Valentine’s Day packages and worked on their lettering “The packages were in all stores on Valentine’s Day 2020,” Ioannou said.

New logo design for the retail shops by Bassna Hassan

El Gazar, who designed Kahk El Eid boxes and Valentine’s Day social media posts, also worked on Gourmet’s collaboration with Kazyon for a new, healthier line. She designed package stickers, which had to be clear and legible with a simple copywriting.

“I chose green since it’s easier to understand that this is a cleaner line while still maintaining some orange accents from Kazyon’s branding direction,” she said.

El Gazar also worked on the rebranding of Goumet’s No Gluten line. “I went for a neon color to be eye-catchy to anyone with gluten intolerance, who often have difficulty finding products suitable for them.”

Sallam was asked to design five of Gourmet’s existing juice flavors, and the designs have actually been in Gourmet stores as of January 2020.

While Sallam was asked to design Gourmet’s savory bakery box packages, for which she custom-made the Arabic calligraphy, she also designed their truck to promote their existing mobile application.

“The first project I was asked to work on was the labeling of a new line of terracotta baked goods for Ramadan,” said Reem Hasebou.

Hasebou also worked on redesigning fava bean packaging for different recipes.She also redesigned stickers for the Gourmet’s soups.

Aly worked in the website department. She photographed, edited, retouched and resized more than 400 images. She also suggested website user interface design solutions and redesigned the food allergy and category icons.

“Overall, I believe that we as a team have proven how design has a major impact on the community, people, and environment,” said Aly. “Our goal was not only to be only consumer conscious, but also environmentally conscious. We achieved that by reducing current packaging material and shifting to more sustainable material, while maintaining the brand’s identity.”

“As an educational institution and a design program in the heart of the Arab world, we see a lot of potential for the creative industry to offer solutions that are at par with the offering of leaders in the global economy,” said Shehab. “We can only hope that our students will be going out to the world and creating the change that we all need.”