With Hani Henry, associate professor at the Department of Psychology and associate dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, as the main speaker, AUC held the first Media Virtual Discussion, titled “Maintaining Mental Wellness during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic” on April 6. During the discussion, Henry shared advice on how to maintain mental wellness and reduce the anxiety and stress caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.

As millions in Egypt and the world are in self-isolation and with the constant stream of breaking news notifications, many are feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Henry explained that when there is a global crisis of this magnitude, there must be a scientific evaluation of it.

"So we must ask ourselves what is affecting us most, and determine the type of feelings that we feel, is it fear? Fear of what? We must understand the nature of our reactions and feelings. Some people, as Henry said, feel deprived, for example, of their inability to go to mosques or churches.  Others feel deprived of their inability to see their parents. "So people must try to protect themselves and their nervous system by determining what affects them and what does not so that they can ignore the issues that are not relevant to them.” 

Henry also stressed the need to identify that there are things one can’t control. “The main problem that many people face is trying to control things that they can't control, such as anticipating what will happen tomorrow or the actions of others. So instead, they can control their attitude or the news they choose to read," he said.

Henry shared pieces of advice and several tips from The American Psychological Association to help control feelings of anxiety and stress during COVID-19, including:

- Reducing exposure to negative news since it may lead to an increased sense of panic. Staying informed but setting a limit to watching or reading stories about the development of COVID-19 to 30 minutes a day, for example.

- Continuing the daily routine, such as waking up at the same time, as well as maintaining boundaries between family and work life while working at home.

- Trying to discover new hobbies or working on the delayed tasks.

-  Choosing to pay attention to the value of the present moment and the value of health, for example, using “optimism bias”. For example, during self-isolation at home, many people now have the opportunity to spend better quality time with their children, which has not always been the case with the fast pace of life. 

- Trying to avoid negative people and reducing the sources of stress.

- Helping others and finding ways to give back to society.

- Recording video clips with family members to highlight how the family is overcoming the current crisis. Such techniques could give the person a degree of control and hope.

- Seeking help from others, from close friends or family members, or seeking psychological help through online cognitive behavioral therapy.

- Expressing and talking about feelings of anger or psychological pain because suppressing such feelings may lead to depression or increased mental illnesses, the effects of which may not appear now.

- Meditating through exercises on mobile applications or doing simple physical activities at home.

Henry also discussed the psychological pressures that many of the underprivileged labor force face daily. He believes that they have a different kind of perseverance, determination, and faith in their ability to overcome difficulties because they have always faced problems that many people of privilege haven't encountered. "So we can learn how they deal with their hardships and try to adopt simpler ways of looking at problems,” he said.

When dealing with children who are suffering from anxiety or stress, Henry believes that stressed-out parents can become wounded healers.

“The parents’ feelings allow them to resonate with their children. It is important that they acknowledge the children’s feelings and not underestimate them. Yet parents should also give them hope and encouragement and try to simplify the idea that the only constant in life is change.”

Henry also stressed the need for families to support each other in such difficult times and show appreciation to the women and mothers, who currently bear a lot of pressure at homes taking care of their families due to self-isolation at home.

As for the mental health of the workers in the medical sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, Henry said, "The heroic role of those working in the medical sector must be recognized. Currently, they are like soldiers in a state of war, and they won’t necessarily have time to consider their mental well-being. However, their mental health must be taken care of after the end of this crisis, as some of them might suffer from post-traumatic stress. He added that "we can currently continue to support and encourage them morally through initiatives that are taking place around the world, such as applauding them at seven in the evening from our homes and highlighting their heroic efforts."

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AUC has been reaffirmed for its national accreditation with the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education (NAQAAE).

NAQAAE was founded to enhance the quality of education in Egypt by developing an integrated system to assure education quality. AUC was the first University in Egypt to receive the NAQAAE accreditation in 2010, with additional school- and department-level accreditation for the School of Sciences and Engineering and Department of Management within the School of Business. With this reaffirmation, AUC maintains its status as both a nationally accredited University as well as an American-accredited University with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

“Maintaining the MSCHE as well as the NAQAAE accreditation for years ensures that AUC is sustaining quality education and service based on Egyptian and international standards,” said Provost Ehab Abdel-Rahman. “It validates our hard work, confirms to the public the validity of our programs and positively impacts the educational experience and future prospects of our students.”

The reaffirmation process was a rigorous self-assessment coordinated by the Office of Strategy Management and Institutional Effectiveness (SMIE), which was responsible for leading and facilitating the institutions accreditation efforts throughout the process.

“In higher education, institutional accreditation promises a standard of excellence,” attested Iman Megahed ’90, ’92, AUC's chief knowledge and strategy officer. “Accreditation is a transformative process for universities, as it supports the institution’s mission and allows it to provide students with the quality educational experience they deserve.”

An Accreditation Steering Committee -- co-chaired by Professor Ezzat Fahmy, construction engineering; Professor Basil Kamel, architecture; and Associate Professor Atta Gebril, applied linguistics -- worked diligently with a representative group of AUC faculty and staff members in developing the self-study report and providing evidence of AUC’s compliance with NAQAAE accreditation standards. This successful reaffirmation process was under the guidance and leadership of Provost Ehab Abdel-Rahman in coordination with AUC Counselor Ashraf Hatem. The process concluded with a three-day visit to AUC’s campus by a committee of experts in higher education in order to observe AUC’s congruence with its self-study and meet with representatives from different constituents and stakeholders. The committee provided a thorough report, which included recommendations for areas within the University that can be further enhanced.

“The self-assessment process ensures, as we move into the future, that we continuously improve and advance the University,” explained Heba Fathelbab (MA ‘10), senior director of assessment and accreditation at the Office of Strategy Management and Institutional Effectiveness. “The reaffirmation of accreditation process is a lot of hard work, but it is an excellent way to ensure that AUC remains relevant and provides a unique educational experience for its students.”

AUC's faculty members have been hard at work trying to navigate the challenges that come with shifting to online instruction. News@AUC spoke to some faculty members to learn about their experiences so far and what they've been doing to adapt to the changes. Here's what they had to say: 

Carie Forden, professor, Department of Psychology

"I teach social psychology, which is very relevant to the current situation, as we are covering topics such as stress, conformity and group behavior. Instead of doing narrated PowerPoints, my husband and I are turning the course material into a podcast, complete with theme music, advertisements and recommendations. My husband is the host who is asking the questions, and I'm the expert guest. He's a good listener and very curious about things, so it works well. It's been a lot of fun. Last week's podcast on stress included a discussion of how to deal with the stress of coronavirus and quarantine and a commercial for meditating while washing your hands."

Tarek Selim '92, '95, professor, Department of Economics

"It was a bit frustrating in the beginning, but now, many faculty actually like it! The challenge for me, and I guess for the whole of AUC as an institution, will be fairness in the online grading system: how to make sure that the inputs received online are indeed the effort of the particular student being assessed and how to make online grading fair for all. This is a fundamental challenge and is an ethical issue and has accreditation requirements as well. Another challenge is the 'time to access' online materials for students if the server/cloud does not have enough capacity in peak times."

On the soft side of things, I received many comics relating AUC's online education to Egyptian cinema/ famous plays."

Rasha Abdulla '92, '96, professor and graduate director, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication:

"My first experience was really good. I taught the class live on Zoom, and a recording is also available online. Almost all the students 'showed up,' and we only had a couple missing. I think it went better than we all expected. The students were wonderful and very interactive. I had done my homework on all the little perks that Zoom has to offer. I used a PowerPoint presentation and shared it with them on the screen, paused to invite questions or comments every once in a while and asked their impressions at the beginning and at the end of the class. I think we were all pretty happy with the experience."

Michael Reimer, associate professor, Department of History 

"Yes, it has been a big challenge. The tasks involved seem endless, and I find it hard to lecture without a class in front of me. However, the positive aspect of online teaching is that I am in more frequent contact with some students who rarely participated in class discussion, but who are now are asking questions and participating in online discussions. Also, because I am setting smaller writing assignments rather than essay examinations, students write more frequently in response to the assigned readings, which I hope will stimulate their understanding of these texts. In the future, even in normal face-to-face instruction, I plan to continue to use online discussion forums to encourage the quieter students to participate."

Shahira Fahmy, professor, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

"So far, I've taught two online classes: one undergraduate class on Blackboard and the second class was on Zoom for graduate students. My graduate class on Zoom went really well. The students were engaged and very interactive that ironically it almost felt like we could communicate better with each other online than face-to-face.  My undergraduate class still needs some adjustments to get the students more involved and actively engaged in the learning process. I understand that students, and undergraduate students specifically, might feel anxious and apprehensive about the process. I want them to know that these feelings are normal. No one anticipated the current situation, but I think we will all learn from this experience and, in the end, hopefully find some joy in the process."

Hassan Azzazy, professor, Department of Chemistry

"A powerful feature of Panopto is that it enables students to easily locate any topic in a lecture and replay the relevant slides and voice. It also enables students to have permanent records of videotaped lectures. On the other hand, I have used a combination of Notepad and Screen Recorder on my cell phone (with a stylus) to hand write explanations of specific topics or solve exercises as I do on whiteboards in classrooms, then posted links to these videos on Blackboard." 

Adel El Adawy, assistant professor, Middle East Studies Center

"Online teaching was a new experience for me. I hadn't done it before so I didn't know how it will go, but I think after receiving training during spring break and having one week of experience, it went pretty well. I would say my classroom experience has not really changed from face-to-face teaching and now online teaching because most of my classes are very small — graduate seminars, graduate students — so I've decided to use the software Zoom, which actually really gives a very similar experience, as if you are sitting face-to-face in class. We’ll see how the rest of the semester will go, but I think, after one week, I am very satisfied and I think my students are as well."

Ayman Ismail '95, '97, associate professor, Department of Management

"I’ve done a lot of online teaching before, but moving a complete undergraduate course online is a new adventure. So far, it has worked out well. We are holding online discussion sessions using interactive tools, video cases and alternative assessment methods. Students are not only learning the course material, but also new ways of working together, innovating and collaborating."

Khaled Tarabieh, assistant professor, Department of Architecture

"I have been involved in online instruction at AUC during the past five years part of the ProGreen Diploma for Green Technologies where I, along with other professionals in Egypt and Lebanon, taught sustainable design and green technology. In the past two years, the AUC state-of-the-art communication technologies allowed us to engage in virtual teaching with the University of Arizona, creating virtual classrooms to teach Sustainable Architecture. This experience allowed me a smooth transition into fully online teaching in the past week. No challenges were observed except for the daily interaction with the campus community faculty, staff and students, all of which I miss deeply. Our successful transition to online learning shows how our investment over the past few years in infrastructure and online learning has paid off.  I truly believe this situation has been a test of resilience and sustainability of our institution of the future, a test we have fortunately passed with flying colors."

Michael Gibson, senior instructor, Department of Rhetoric and Composition

"Monday the class met on google hangouts. It was ok. Today I used Zoom. It went great.  I really like the online learning and am staying in touch through the week both on google hangout chat and email. I'm enjoying it. The only downside is not being physically together. Some of my students say they like it better because it's more comfortable, convenient, and efficient, and we're actually communicating more often (in various ways) and more thoroughly."

With online classes starting Sunday, AUCTV interviewed Vice President for Digital Transformation Ayman Abdellatif on how his team has been working hard to make sure the process runs smoothly and how students and faculty members should utilize the IT Help Desk when running into challenges. Watch the full interview.

#PeopleOfAUC

With Mother's Day coming up on March 21, working mothers in Egypt and at AUC are facing a lot of challenges in light of the coronavirus situation — they are trying to keep their kids safe at home and entertained, keeping pace with their online learning at home and — on top of that — working in their daily jobs.

We spoke to AUC's staff working mothers, and here are their thoughts on this year's Mother's Day:

Noha Saada, senior director, Academic Advising Center: 

“I think we have to strike a balance. We should neither frighten our kids nor neglect our work duties. We should work on maintaining our balance without panicking too much in order to be able to think straight. A couple of days ago, I started panicking too much, which made me get physically sick. What we are doing at work now is that we are working on a remote location policy while keeping some of the staff members on campus to maintain normal operations at the office. We are installing VPNs on our laptops and contacting students to inform them that we are taking online advising appointments, including videoconferencing tools when necessary. Concerning my two sons, things are getting really difficult. I am trying to handle it with my husband and nanny. We take annual leaves rotationally, and they are starting online learning, so I’ll be trying to keep up with the pace of their online learning when I am back from work. Things are even getting more difficult for my kids to stay at home, especially that they are used to working out three times a week, so my husband sometimes works out with them at home and we take them for a walk in open places since it is the safest option. I hope this works, and I hope people will take quarantining seriously."

Amira El Biltagy, program manager, Yousef Jameel Public Leadership Program, School of Global Affairs and Public Policy:                                                                                                                                    

“These are very difficult times. The fact that schools are shut down for two weeks and kids are isolated at home makes you think what you should and shouldn’t do: Should we have some friends at home or not? Can we eat out or not? They need to be entertained 24/7 and you still have to work, even if remotely, and in my case also study for my master's, which is quite challenging to be honest or at least harder than the usual days when they are consumed in school work and sports. I am a believer that safety comes first, so for the next couple of weeks, the plan is to hold it together and keep our sanity and divide the day among different activities, of which some, I must admit, are useless but still very much needed!”

Sherine Meshad, associate director of communications and marketing, School of Business:

"It’s an everyday challenge to balance a working life and having kids staying at home in response to COVID-19. The flexibility of rotation that the School of Business has set in place makes it a bit easier to navigate the challenge of homeschooling and work responsibilities. I have to say it’s a pendulum of emotions between going up the wall and having the chance to spend more time with my kids. I'm making the best out of the situation while wishing for a cure."

Eman Abdel Salam, operations manager, School of Global Affairs and Public Policy:

"What we are going through these days is hard to believe. It feels weird when all of a sudden someone pressed the pause button for your 18 hours of daily routine, and you can’t do anything about it! Having to deal with isolated, bored kids at home is not as easy as it sounds. Having to entertain them as well as do online school work is much harder than we thought, especially with my work duties. For days now, the do's and don’t lists have been growing in my head, and I'd be lying if I said I got it all under control. It’s another challenge that we as working mothers have to go through. This too shall pass.”

Salma Adly, program officer at the International Program Office:

"As a working mom and a mother of two teenage girls, I find it hard to cope with this semi-crisis that we are facing nowadays. Not only is it a difficult time for all of us, but it is also extra difficult for working mothers and fathers. I find it difficult to convince my girls that this virus is not a joke and that we have to take it seriously by sanitizing everything we use and avoiding crowded places. Between online classes, which is a hassle, housework and trying to keep my family safe, I have to try to balance my work while working from home and meeting my deadlines. May this difficult time go away soon."

We are now facing the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone is feeling anxious, disorientated, worried and generally uneasy. Workplaces are being disrupted to an unprecedented degree, and nobody knows how long this will last. Many of us have to work from home, and this in itself can be not only challenging, but also isolating and lonely. Social bonding is important, and many of us will miss out on interacting with colleagues, and for our faculty with our students too. So, what can we all do about it?

1. Work on your time management

Time management is crucial. One way to make working from home more productive is to break work down things into smaller tasks. With distractions at home, getting into flow can sometimes be difficult. Many of us are living with our families and pets. There are house chores that have to be done, and often those around us may not understand the type of work we are doing. Having short breaks is crucial, even if this means calling a colleague for a chat, checking in on students, doing a bit of housework or, in my case, going for a cuddle with my dog, and -- even more useful -- doing a few stretches. Staying physically well will help us all stay mentally positive.

2. Take up a hobby

Since many of us will not have to spend time commuting or taking children to school, we are not going out as much and, hopefully, this will conserve some energy. Taking time out every day to learn a new language, draw, paint, practice yoga, read or even just sit still and think. These little activities can help us disconnect not only from work, but also from all the news around us, which can get overwhelming sometimes. It will also help us =feel like we are achieving a task or end goal beyond work, making us feel more satisfied and happier.

3. Stay socially bonded

While we are not seeing our colleagues and friends as much, this does not mean that we cannot stay connected. Having regular check-ins is important, especially if you have elderly family members whom you are unable to see: Speaking with them helps them feel less isolated. I find that writing letters is therapeutic, even though I am unsure when I will be able to post them. Getting my thoughts down to a friend or loved one makes me feel more connected to them and satisfied.

4. Be grateful

Over this period, I am encouraging my students to think about one thing every day they are grateful for, even if this is having a warm shower or a clean drink of water. AUC has, and historically always had, a solid community that has stuck together during difficult times. Simply knowing that your organization and colleagues are there for you gives employees a sense of psychological security and elicits feelings of happiness. In current times, this is something that organizations need to strive to do more so than ever.

Stay connected, stay grateful and stay happy!

Nellie El Enany is an assistant professor in the Department of Management. Her research interests center on issues of identity, including identity construction, stigma, legitimacy and identity work. She also has an interest in the psychology of happiness in the workplace. 

“Between 2009 and 2019, I used to smoke between seven to 10 cigarettes a day. During those 10 years, I tried to quit several times without success,” said Michael Gibson, senior instructor in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition.  

Last June, Gibson learned about AUC’s Smoking Cessation Clinic from on-campus flyers and decided to enroll in the program. First, he met with a psychiatrist who asked him some questions about his addiction and prescribed some medications for several months to help him quit. “I wanted to quit for my health and fitness and because I don't like the way it smells on my hands, clothes and in my breath,” he said.

On July 25, Gibson smoked his last cigarette. 

The medications and regular counseling are what helped Gibson relieve his cravings and made him realize that he doesn’t want or need this anymore. “The regular follow-up with the psychiatrist every other week to check in with me and track my progress was a great motivational boost,” explained Gibson.

“I have not only continued to refrain from smoking since then, but ­­­­­­­­­­for the most part, I don't even have the desire anymore,” he affirmed.

“There are times, every now and then, when I feel the urge (as I see someone lighting up), but I resist,” he noted.

Since he quit smoking, Gibson has witnessed a significant improvement in his ability to run and play sports, and his overall health has become better. He’s enjoying having his life and health back. 

“I no longer have to smell like a used ashtray, and my sense of smell and taste are sharper again. It feels good to not feel addicted to anything,” he said. “I strongly encourage anyone who is finding it difficult to quit to try the program.”

If you were on campus last Wednesday and Thursday, you would’ve seen crowds of new students eager to begin their lives at AUC wandering among a sea of caps and gowns, graduates ready to start their journeys beyond this campus.

There were a total of 530 graduates from five schools at the midyear school-based commencements last week, with five PhD students, 113 master's and 412 bachelor's in all. The graduating class was 57% women and 43% men. Fifty-nine students graduated with honors, 82 with high honors and 47 with highest honors. The School of Sciences and Engineering had the greatest number of graduates.

The ceremonies featured inspiring speeches from the deans of the different schools as well as from students. The speeches emphasized the importance of being flexible with career opportunities and life changes and advised graduates to make impactful and responsible decisions. Parents and families were thanked for their support, as were the faculty and staff for their “behind -the -scenes” work. 

School of Sciences and Engineering

Dean Hassan El-Fawal recognized the importance of having a liberal arts and sciences education, noting that it is “the education of leaders, not followers.” 

“We have asked much of you as students. Now we ask of you, as graduates, to accept the responsibilities of leadership, and to exemplify the kind of courage, compassion and creativity we foster in our students and celebrate in our alumni,” El-Fawal added. 

Mohamed Mahmoud Abd El Sattar ‘20, the graduating class representative who received a bachelor's in petroleum engineering, opened his speech with a few jokes, then got serious about how important it is to keep moving forward. He closed his speech by highlighting AUC’s role in fostering proactive mindsets. 

“Here at AUC, we learn beyond academics,” he said. “We learn how to formulate our equation of life, and thanks to all of the liberal arts courses, not only do we get to formulate our equation of life, but we also get to doubt, critique and test our equations to build a better and stronger foundation for our lives to be built on. AUC served as a real-life simulation period for all of us, where mistakes are allowed, identified and corrected. Mistakes at AUC makes us better and stronger.”

The school gave out five awards to graduates for their research projects and academic performance.

The Fadel Assabghy Award for "outstanding master's thesis work" was given to Amal Abouel-Fetouh Badr for her thesis titled, “In-Depth Analysis of Culturable Microalgae Diversity in the River Nile at Different Locations,” under the supervision of Walid Fouad, associate professor in the Department of Biology. Badr completed her thesis in Fall 2019. 

The Medhat Haroun Award for "outstanding master's thesis work" was given to Tamima Sherif Elbashbishy for her thesis titled, "An Ontology Framework for Addressing Cost Overrun Through Risk Modeling: A Risk Path Approach," conducted under the supervision of Ossama Hosny, professor in the Department of Construction Engineering.

Lotfy Hussein Abdel Khaliq and Nour Mohamed Abdelhamed, both computer engineering graduates, were awarded the Abdel Rahman El Sawy award, which is presented to Public School Scholarship recipients with the highest grade point averages in an engineering department.

Established in 2017 to provide a bi-annual cash award to the highest performing graduate and undergraduate students, the Mohamed Bin Abdulkarim A. Allehedan Award was presented to Sarah Omar Youssef, who earned a master's mechanical engineering, and Rania Mohamed El-Shenety, who received a bachelor's in actuarial science. 

School of Business

"Make your life a quest for continuous improvement. Learning is always a lifelong journey, and never a destination," Dean Sherif Kamel '88, '90, '13 told the graduating class. "Always seek the next challenge, the next mission, the next endeavor. Be ambitious and be confident that anything you are passionate about and work hard for will be achieved." 

Youssef Sabek '20, who received a bachelor's in business administration, asked for a favor from his fellow graduates.

"I ask that you become ethical decision makers," he said. "I ask that you seek out responsible and climate-friendly decisions, and I ask that you treat future colleagues with dignity and compassion. This country and this region really need it."

Two awards were given out: the Student Recognition Award and the Academic Club Award. 

Nour Beshir '20, who graduated with a bachelor's in economics and business administration with a finance concentration, received the Student Recognition Award for demonstrating "outstanding services and achievements to the school since declaration to graduation." The Entrepreneur’s Society won the Academic Club Award.

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Class representative Malak El-Shorbagy '20, who received a bachelor's in political science, expressed the importance of getting an education from a school as diverse as HUSS. 

"Being enrolled in this school will pay off because it is rich in diversity," she said. "Diversity is a non-detachable element of our HUSS institute. Diversity is what taught each and every one of us to be truly tolerant."

School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Founding Dean Nabil Fahmy praised the graduates for their common goal, the reason they decided to pursue a career in this field. 

“You have been focused not only on your personal interest, but on the common good, with implications far beyond your immediate needs,” he said. 

Mariam Fawzy ‘20, who graduated with a bachelor’s in journalism and mass communication, said that a GAPP education equipped students with the tools to form  “proper, educated opinions about matters around us” that they will take outside the classroom. 

Graduate School of Education

Heba el-Deghaidy, the school's interim dean, noted, “This is the beginning of what we hope will be an exciting and rewarding journey where you can make a difference and make us proud at AUC."

For commencement photo albums click here.

AUC's campus is sparkling with energy and hope as new and returning students kick off the Spring 2020 semester. More than 80 new undergraduates and 140 graduate students started their studies as the University approaches the final phase of its centennial celebration: Experience the Future. 

The new undergraduate class — 47.5% females and 52.5% males — is enriching campus diversity, with students coming from the United States, Syria and Yemen. 

Likewise, on the graduate level, the class  — 67% females and 33% males — comprises a diverse international body coming from the United States, Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria, Eritrea, Iraq, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia.  

Students expressed their hopes and eagerness to learn more about Egyptian history and improve their Arabic Language skills. News@AUC caught up with some of them during orientation week and on the first day of classes to learn about why they decided to join AUC and what they look forward to this semester. Here's what they had to say: 

Kit Feeney

The American University of Paris

"I came to AUC for the many cool economics programs and to get better in Arabic. I am taking the Egyptian colloquial class to learn Arabic. It is a really beautiful campus; I love it, I really couldn't ask for anything more."

Mateusz Puczel

Warsaw School of Economics

"I chose to come to AUC because I love the Middle East, and AUC is one of the best universities in the Middle East."

Ryan Butler

The State University of New York at New Paltz

"I came to AUC because I have a love for history, and Egyptian history is my favorite, I am looking forward to learning a lot at AUC from history professors. I also love the weather; it's perfect weather given the season."

Van Ieray

University of New Mexico

"I came to AUC because I am interested in Arabic and Egyptian history."

For some students from DePauw University, coming to Egypt was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and with no idea of what to expect coming here, it was the “pleasant surprises” that made the visit worthwhile. 

"I came in with not a lot of expectations," said Meghan Wallace, a senior majoring in global health. "There are a lot of misconceptions around coming here, but I didn’t expect to feel this comfortable and this much at home."

Wallace was among 27 students from DePauw University, who were at AUC for 10 days taking the course, Leading Change: A Design-Thinking Challenge in Cairo, Egypt, and attending lectures about Egyptian culture and history. This is DePauw’s first collaboration with AUC and the first time its students take part in the Faculty-Led Program. 

“I’ve studied abroad in different colleges in Europe and Asia, but this campus definitely stood out to me," said Edward Kim, a senior majoring in political science. “Seeing the photos of the campus online was amazing. I am amazed every day I wake up and go outside. I don’t think I’ll ever get the chance to come to a rich country with a beautiful culture and history again. It was a no-brainer. I didn’t hesitate to apply.” 

The course presents students with an issue in Egyptian society and requires that they come up with a solution. It aims to promote creativity and leadership among the students and expand their awareness of the world around them by introducing them to the multifaceted culture and history of Egypt. 

“Our challenge was related to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030,” said Eduardo Garcia, a junior majoring in global health. “We had to identify solutions and initiatives we saw in Egypt that we could take back to the United States and implement in our own society.” 

“I really enjoyed this new idea of experiential learning, of learning in the classroom and then actually experiencing it outside,” Wallace said.

DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, is a small private liberal arts college with an enrollment of 1,972 students. The institution is a top national liberal arts university, ranked number one  in Indiana, where professional success is the outcome for nearly 100% of graduates. 

“One thing that stood out about AUC was how similar it was to studying at my own university,” Kim said. “The class sizes were small, I felt pretty at home and the professors were awesome. They provided so much new information and knowledge that I didn’t even consider before.” 

Giselle Villegas, a senior majoring in computer science and Spanish, added that the class, in addition to the experience as a whole, succeeded in reshaping any prior knowledge and misconceptions about Egypt that stem from misrepresentation in the media.

“I just really enjoyed the fact that the professors provided us with information and were receptive to our questions, even if our questions were tied to preconceived notions we had because of where we came from,” Villegas said. 

Garcia mentioned that John Swanson’s lecture about Islam helped foster a clear understanding of the religion and how it is interconnected with Christianity. 

“It was one of the best lectures I’ve had in a long time,” Wallace said. “The amount of engagement and knowledge that he had to share with us was phenomenal. Every single lecture was phenomenal and really interesting.”

Similarities aside, all the students noted that their favorite part about Egypt has been the one thing that makes it different from the rest of the world: the people. 

“The idea of community is something that I found unique about Cairo,” Villegas said. “Back in the States the concept of individualism is very present, and that’s something I found very different here, whether it was out in the markets or even here at the University. There have been a lot of instances when people help us out, and they won’t leave you behind.” 

Echoing the same sentiment, Garcia said, “I really love the people here. They’re so sweet and genuine and always willing to help with whatever issues you may have. Meeting new people and interacting with the students was great; they’re awesome.” 

“Meeting people was the highlight of my visit,” Kim said. “Walking in the streets, the mosques, the synagogue, the Citadel — just being around people was the best part. Everyone felt welcomed; I had no thought of worry or danger, and I’ve felt safe since I got here.”

And while they all agree that their time in Egypt was life-changing, they said they believe that it is what they’ll take back with them to the United States that will have the greatest impact. 

“When you travel you learn that everyone has so many different problems and solutions, and being able to know that and understand it is such a big thing,” Kim said. “There’s so many things to see, do and experience.”

“I’m taking it all back,” joked Garcia, as he mentioned how much he loved molokhiya and riding camels at the Pyramids. But on a more serious note, he said he was inspired by the country’s “consciousness around sustainability, especially recycling,” something he says is lacking in efforts in the United States.  

As for the others, what they’re taking back with them is not so much a call on others, but an effort to reshape their own lives and decisions. 

“A lot of learning on how to be a better leader comes from making connections with people and talking to them and getting to know them,” Wallace said. “That’s how you make change, and I’d like to implement that in my life.” 

And what stuck with Villegas the most was the sense of community she felt both on campus and in the city. “Being here gave me a refresher of going back to this idea of community,” she said.