One year ago, Sandy Moaaz and her father passed by AUC on the way to a friend’s home. Looking out the window at the vast campus, Sandy turned to her father and asked him, “Dad, do you ever think I’ll get into this place?”

Moaaz had wanted to attend AUC since she was a child. As a high schooler, she spent hours studying each day to turn her dream into reality. The result? She ranked second among the country’s thanawiya amma arts students last year.

“When I got the acceptance letter from AUC, I almost fainted,” she recalled. “Getting into this University has taught me that nothing is impossible.”

Thanawiya amma students have a history of excellence at AUC, consistently ranking among the University’s top students. Of the more than 200 thanawiya amma students who are currently receiving full and partial scholarships at AUC, 65% are ranking between high and highest honors. 

Moaaz is the first recipient of the new Ehab Abou Oaf and Jaylan El-Zoheiry Scholarship. Though previously excelling in political science, she has decided to broaden her horizons and declare economics as her major. “Right now, I am taking microeconomics and intro to music, both of which are very interesting,” she said.

Following a similar path, Abdelrhman Omar was amazed to learn that he ranked number six among Egypt’s STEM section thanawiya amma students. Not more than two months after receiving the exciting results, he joined AUC as a recipient of the USAID-AUC Merit Award with his eyes set on the University’s prestigious mechanical engineering program.

Dreaming of becoming an aerospace engineer since the second grade, the native Alexandrian is eager to start work in AUC’s labs. So far, he has decided to join the Mechanical Engineering Association and the AUC student branch of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

“There are lots of engines in the labs — especially jet engines — and I cannot wait to get involved with these projects,” he said. “Doing this will help me engage with my new environment and learn from people who are older than me.”

Fall semester began in September, but Omar has already had a number of exciting new experiences on campus. “I play basketball and volleyball at the sports complex, and the student residences host a number of movie nights, which fondly remind me of my time in high school.”

Similarly, Moaaz has found a warm and welcoming campus community.

“Everyone is friendly and helpful,” she said. “I know that not everyone gets the chance to come to AUC, so I am truly grateful to be here.”

AUC has introduced three new scholarships for thanawiya amma students this fall: the Malcolm Kerr Public School Scholarship, which supports an Egyptian public school graduate from Upper Egypt or the Assiut region; the Ehab Abou Oaf & Jaylan El-Zoheiry Scholarship, and one new fund that will provide partial scholarships. 

This is in addition to the 12 full-tuition public school scholarships for thanawiya amma and public school students already offered at AUC. Currently, there are 62 fully-funded scholarship slots available, empowering outstanding and talented public school students to attend the University and create a lasting impact in their communities and beyond.

Looking Back

Mohammed Abuelwafa ‘22, a computer engineering graduate with a minor in business administration, received a full-tuition scholarship from AUC’s Public School Scholarship Fund after ranking third among Egypt’s thanawiya amma students (math section) in 2017. Not losing an ounce of momentum, he graduated this spring summa cum laude and received the Dr. Abdel Rahman El Sawy Endowed Award for having the highest grade point average in the School of Sciences and Engineering.

“[At AUC] I was introduced to many interesting topics through the liberal arts education that distinguishes AUC from other universities — such as courses on philosophy, psychology and religious studies. Socially, I expanded my network greatly, [meeting] a lot of AUCians who occupy well-known positions across the globe. I made everlasting friends in addition to making good relationships with my professors.”

During his time at AUC, Abuelwafa was an active student — from serving as media head of the AUC Robotics Club and a peer coach at the Center for Student Well-Being to winning first place at the 2021 Cairo ICT AI Hackathon.

“These activities helped me develop soft skills that have assisted me in my career,” he said. “I believe that each experience equipped me with a unique toolkit that helped me progress further in life.”

Now a software development engineer at Siemens, Abuelwafa has his sights set on the world of biomedical engineering. “As someone with diabetes, I hope to address current medical problems from an engineering perspective using my computing skills,” he said. “Moreover, I’d like to gain more industry experience and pursue a master's and PhD in order to develop and refine these skills.”

Above all, Abuelwafa constantly strives to enact positive change in the world.

“At AUC, I was trained to be a changemaker — a leader who starts initiatives and spots inefficiencies to raise the standard of organizational efficiencies,” he said. “Most importantly, I try to be the change that I want to see in the world and be an advocate for that change.”

Explore the full range of scholarships offered at AUC.

An exhibition honoring world-famous painter and former AUC instructor Gazbia Sirry will open on October 23 at Center of Arts (Aisha Fahmy Palace) in Zamalek.

Included in the display are pieces donated by Sirry to AUC, including three sections of a 1970s 10-meter mural named “Life on the Embankment of the Nile” to AUC and 14 selections from a 2008 donation of 16 paintings to the University.

These collections are regarded as Sirry's largest landmarks throughout her career that spans over 70 years. The exhibition will also display Sirry’s paintings owned by private collectors.

During the course of her career, Sirry hosted 68 solo exhibitions showcasing her work in Egypt, the Middle East, North America and Europe. Many of her pieces are on exhibit in prominent museums across the world, including the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris and the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. She was the first Egyptian to have artwork on display at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Find your favorite painting in person at  the exhibition, which will run until December 23. Here are our favorites:

Cat Walking on Nubia (1969)

Detention (1962)

Life on the Embankment of the Nile (1964)

Which is your favorite? Let us know.

Ramy Aly, assistant professor and anthropology unit head, has co-edited the newly released Routledge Handbook on Middle Eastern Diasporas. The volume offers a fresh look at Middle Eastern diasporas, with chapters on matters as diverse as aging Turks in Sweden to Arabs in Toronto’s electronic music scene.

The book moves away from the area studies approach and methodological nationalism and instead approaches diasporic experiences along a set of terrains and experiences like making and remaking homes, livelihood and mobilities, expressions of diaspora in art and culture, how diasporic sensibilities are experienced and the notion of being plurilocal.

“Typically, readings on diaspora are all too often about ‘scary Middle Easterners’ going to other countries and causing problems because they aren’t able to adapt. This is a narrow understanding of the scale and the extent of the flow of people to and from the Middle East,” he said.

“The aim is to offer a set of readings on diaspora that foster more understanding and more nuance,” Aly explained. “When you read about Middle Easterners in Canada, for instance, you’re going to read about them through music — so you stop thinking of them as religious subjects or problems for the welfare state and instead begin to consider other aspects of their existence.”

An accumulation of three years of work, the book comprises 32 chapters by 31 contributors who identify as anthropologists, political scientists, art history academics and ethnomusicologists, among others. Aly himself is the co-author of the book’s introductory chapter, “Coming to and coming from the Middle East: The unfolding of diaspora,” with his co-editor and co-author Dalia Abdelhady, associate professor of sociology at Lund University (Sweden). 

Interacting with a variety of disciplines across the book’s chapters during the editing process, Aly described his experience navigating the challenges of transdisciplinary scholarship as an “exercise in academic tolerance.”

“During the writing process, it was challenging and interesting to push ourselves to be a bit more accepting of the fact that there are many different ways of looking at the world, but at the same time, maintain this need for interrogation and critique,” he recalled.

Born in London to Egyptian parents, growing up as part of a diaspora led Aly to complete his PhD on the subject and write his first book, Becoming Arab in London: Performativity and the Undoing of Identity. “Having moved to Egypt and shifted my research focus, I felt that this part of my academic life was drifting away, and then Dalia reached out,” he said, describing the book as a “lifeline” that pulled him back into the diaspora arena. “It means a lot to me, personally and professionally.”

Aly joined AUC’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Egyptology in 2013. His teaching covers a wide variety of subjects, including youth cultures, death and immorality, and the economy. 

“I feel very privileged to teach at AUC,” he said. “There is a sense of discovery and change as well as an edginess to contemporary anthropological knowledge that is particularly impactful amongst the students here. Personally, I have come of age as an academic at AUC.”

Having grounded himself at the University and in Egypt, Aly is now engaged in two main research projects. The first is a book about the hair cultures of young Egyptians and what these mean for our understanding of race, gender and class in Egypt. The second project focuses on ethical self-making through narratives of the 2011 revolution.

The Routledge Handbook on Middle Eastern Diasporas is dedicated to Aly’s daughter and Abdelhady’s son, both of whom are diasporic children. Aly has donated a copy of the book to the AUC Library with hopes that it will be useful to students and educators alike.

From the arts to sciences — and the special places where they meet in between — AUC is offering two restructured majors and four new minors this fall. 

Multimedia Communication and Journalism

Formerly offering the separate majors of a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Journalism (MMJ) and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Arts (CMA), AUC’s Department of Journalism and Multimedia Communication is now offering a combined Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Communication and Journalism (MMCJ).

“We decided to absorb some elements of the CMA discipline into MMJ, forming MMCJ, thereby increasing the credit hours from 48 to 72,” said Firas Al-Atraqchi, professor of practice in AUC’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication and program director.

Students who declare MMCJ will have the option of choosing one of two specializations — communication or journalism. They will also have the choice of one of two capstone pursuits in tandem with their specialization.

Bachelor of Architecture

Similarly, the Department of Architecture is now offering a Bachelor of Architecture in lieu of the Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering. The new program is a candidate for accreditation with the National Architectural Accrediting Board — an endorsement that will open even more opportunities for program graduates.

“Architecture is at a crossroads between human/cultural values and the technical capabilities of construction,” the catalog description reads. “Moreover, digital technology is rapidly growing, changing our ways of communication, expression, perception, thought and interaction.”

Students majoring in architecture will choose from the following three tracks: Human and Environmental Studies, Tectonics and Computational Design or Architecture and Urban Heritage Design.

Bioinformatics Minor

Paving the way into the future, AUC has launched the first bioinformatics academic degree in Egypt. Ahmed Moustafa, professor and chair of the Department of Biology, explained that recent developments in DNA sequencing technologies have resulted in an enormous amount of genetic data.

“To be able to process, analyze and interpret these data, a need for researchers with combined expertise in biological and computational sciences arose — resulting in the birth of the interdisciplinary field of bioinformatics,” Moustafa said. 

Many organizations in Egypt have begun adopting genomics-based approaches across a number of fields, including medicine, agriculture, energy and food. Students who study under this program will be well-equipped to meet the growing demand for bioinformaticians.

“The minor will prepare students to apply data analytics in genomic sciences,” he explained. “Moreover, the students will gain practical skills and experience that allows them to answer questions such as which genetic mutation and/or microbe is associated with a certain disease, which coronavirus variant is dominant in a specific area at a certain point in time or what genetic modification can be applied to improve the production of a certain crop.”

Game Design Minor

Also created as a response to changing job market demands, the  new minor in Game Design is overseen by Ahmad Saqfalhait, associate professor of practice and associate chair of the Department of Arts. A collaboration between the Graphic Design Program and the Department of Computer Sciences and Engineering, the program is a response to an industry that has surpassed “three of the biggest entertainment-related industries: music, film and sports, combined,” Saqfalhait said.

He added: “In addition to its economical value, game applications have expanded and evolved to cover various needs, from educational and social to medical and psychological — all playing on our need to have fun and engage.”

With the region lacking representation in this field, according to Saqfalhait, training students in this field will allow them to harness gaming to share their own narratives.

The multidisciplinary minor is open to all AUC students. After finishing the minor, some students will have the opportunity to intern at local game development studios or join an AUC team working on self-initiated game projects in collaboration with external organizations.

Visual Arts Minor

For those wishing to unlock their artistic side, the Department of the Arts is now offering a Visual Arts Minor. Also open to all students, the program will touch on art foundations, painting, ceramics, photography and animation, among others, allowing students to create works of art with a variety of tools.

“Students joining from scientific disciplines, for example, will be able to produce their science-based projects as creative art productions,” said Shady Elnoshokaty, visual arts program director and associate professor of practice in the Department of the Arts. “This is the contemporary concept of arts and art education today.”

Those minoring in Visual Arts can pursue careers as painters, sculptures or illustrators, as well as find work in art galleries and cultural institutions. Moreover, others can find their way as fashion designers, creative directors in cinema, art decorators or exhibition designers.

Islamic History Minor

Finally, the Islamic History minor is the result of a comprehensive rework of a previous minor in Classical/Medieval Middle East History. 

“The courses in this program will prepare students to consider the Islamic past with more nuance and with a variety of analytical skills,” said Amina Elbendary, associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations, stressing the program’s importance for anyone interested in the Middle East and Islam today.

She continued: “In order to understand the two, we need to develop more sophisticated ideas about how Islam came to be the way it is,” she said. “This minor is a program that helps students develop the skills necessary to do that." 

Revised to include a broader selection of courses that span multiple levels, “the idea is that a student could begin with an introductory course, such as Survey of Arab History, in their freshman or sophomore year and then proceed to take more intermediate and advanced-level courses," Elbendary explained. 

Students who choose this path will gain a firm foundation in the evolution of Islamic history across time. The course examines history through the prisms of politics, society, and culture while emphasizing current scholarship in each of those three fields.

Explore all of AUC’s course offerings here.

Coming from abroad or returning to their alma mater, AUC welcomed a new cohort of around 40 faculty members this fall.

While some members are experiencing Egypt for the first time, having moved from their homes in Germany, South Korea and more, other members are turning to their alma mater. News@AUC interviewed five members of this diverse cohort on their research, their decision to join AUC, and what they are looking forward to this year.

Shaimaa El Sherif

Instilling moral values such as acceptance and respect into her students is a key part of Shaimaa El Sherif’s, instructor in the Department of Rhetoric and Compositions, goals at AUC and her research in global citizenship education. She is currently working on two research projects, one on transformative learning and teaching and another on enhancing students’ 21st century skills. 

“I found out that there is no better educational institution in Egypt other than AUC to practice teaching and researching,” El Sherif states. “Honestly, I also owe AUC much of what I've learned academically and professionally throughout the past 10 years… I felt like it’s time to give back through teaching.”

El Sherif is excited to spend the year connecting with her students and helping them to become more well rounded through different teaching strategies in addition to working on her two research projects. 

Rodrigo Gratacós Brum

Guided by his academic background in philosophy and film, Rodrigo Gratacós Brum, associate professor of practice in the Department of the Arts, is a talented filmmaker and teacher who joined AUC because of its growing film program. 

“I saw it as an opportunity to have an impact in the area, helping to develop a program that is already very strong,” Brum explains. 

Brum is looking forward to getting to know his students better and learning how he can help them develop projects based on their own experiences and interests. 

Sanghyeok Lee

After studying in Australia and teaching in South Korea, Sanghyeok Lee, assistant professor in the Department of Economics, is ready for new academic adventures in Cairo. Lee studies micro-econometric theory, which includes event history and duration analysis, machine learning and treatment effect analysis.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to develop my knowledge and skills in a new place, and hopefully to be able to contribute to the local community as well,” Lee states. 

For the next year, Lee is most excited about the learning opportunities. After teaching in Korea and studying in Australia, New Cairo presents a novel experience for him to explore as an instructor and an academic.

Mariam Abdelazim

As an architecture alumna from AUC, Mariam Abdelazim, assistant professor in the Department of Architecture, is looking forward to the opportunity to give back to her alma mater. In her research she utilizes behavioral science to explore how people interact with public spaces. As a professor, she is excited to bring innovative teaching methods to her classroom. 

 “The attention span of students is different than before, so I always rely on interactive methods of teaching,” she explains. “I ask them to make TikTok videos on a building, or Instagram posts, or we play Jeopardy and do competitions, to get them interested through the type of media they are familiar with.”

Through the next year, Abdelazim looks forward to cultivating a learning community where students can learn from each other and she can learn from them.

Noah Farhadi

With over 27 years of experience in business administration, Noah Farhadi, professor of practice in finance in the Management Department and CIB Endowed Chair, is excited to continue his academic research on strategic finance, mergers and acquisitions and business ecosystems while teaching at the AUC. 

“I think to be a good professor, you need good students,” Farhadi explained. “The students at AUC are motivated, focused and engaged. So I made my choice to move here because it's a great platform for growth.”

In the next year, Farhadi is excited to experience Egyptian culture, connect with his students and contribute to the community. 

Launching for the first time in early 2023, AUC’s Piece of Mind festival aims to normalize conversations about mental health by featuring scripts written by members of the AUC community on mental health and well-being. 

The festival will be accepting English and Arabic submissions from students, alumni, faculty and staff until October 15. 

“Despite global efforts to raise more awareness about the importance of mental health and to destigmatize it, Egyptian society still has a way to go,” says Nadine Abdel Razek ‘20, festival artistic director. “We wanted to use theatre, as the powerful tool that it is, in creating change and starting conversations about this vital topic.”

Piece of Mind will showcase realistic,10-minute plays about mental health and community. Ahead of the festival, Abdel Razek and their team will select seven to nine scripts from the AUC community’s submissions to develop, after which three to five will be offered a place in the festival. Each script will be assigned a director, and a casting call for actors will follow. AUC community members are encouraged to audition.

The festival was created and is overseen by Jillian Campana, professor and associate dean for Undergraduate Studies and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. “When I initiated this community project I wanted to promote the idea that mental health is an issue for all of us,” she said. “Needing to talk about it, or wanting help is nothing to be ashamed of; rather seeking help when we need it is part of our total wellness."

The production will take place at AUC early February 2023 and will provide an opportunity for its creators and the audience to start conversations, connect with one another and see the ability of theatre to guide social change and acceptance. 

“We want these plays to show people that they are never alone in whatever they’re going through, that whatever they may be experiencing and/or struggling with is valid,” Abdel Razek explains. “We hope that this festival can help normalize this often taboo topic and help destigmatize it, allowing people to talk more openly about mental health struggles.”

Submit your original play to Piece of Mind here.

After 70 years of maintaining the British monarchy’s non-political status, the death of Queen Elizabeth II has raised concerns over how the transfer of power to King Charles III may disrupt the status quo. News@AUC spoke with Chris Barker, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, and Olivier Schouteden, assistant professor in the Department of History, to gain more perspective on this transition. 

What was Queen Elizabeth II’s role in the UK’s political affairs, if any?

Schouteden: Elizabeth II was a constitutional monarch, the embodiment of the nation, and without much more than a ceremonial role. Elizabeth II indeed had the reputation to refrain from intervening in (or even expressing her thoughts publicly about) political affairs.

Barker: The word often used about the queen is “inscrutable.” She was careful not to politicize the monarchy. In his 1867 book The English Constitution, Walter Bagehot distinguishes between dignified and efficient parts of the constitution, arguing that the dignified part is where the power lies and that the efficient part merely uses it. In my own view, that goes too far. And while American small-r republicans will criticize the monarchy, think of the dignity they typically impute to (or require from) their president.

What impact, if any, will this transition have on global politics? 

Schouteden: Through thick and thin, Elizabeth reigned for 70 years — her death leaves a considerable vacuum to fill. This challenge is heightened by the crisis the UK is currently undergoing. Four prime ministers in six years, reflecting a political instability that cannot be understated, an economic crisis fueling popular discontent and social strife, which stem from, among other factors, the combined effects of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine. 

On an international and diplomatic level, the UK in a post-Brexit era also struggles to redefine its position within Europe and on a global level. This transition could contribute to further weakening Britain – on a smaller level, some have been quick to notice the losses caused by the slowing down of the economy during national mourning.

Barker: Some countries among the 14 who retain the monarch as their sovereign will take the opportunity of the queen’s death to reconsider the value and meaning of the monarchy. Some may become republics, like Barbados did last year. Expect action on this front in the Caribbean countries anxious about the legacies of slavery and empire.

Will this have any discernible effect on the MENA region and Egypt specifically? 

Schouteden: It is hard to tell so early on. But what about Charles’s position in regard to religion? Charles III seems aware that he will reign over a multicultural, multi-religious society, and this could also mean more openness to different cultures outside of Britain. Yet, there is little indication that his role in this realm will be different from that of Elizabeth II.

How would you describe King Charles’ involvement with politics during Queen Elizabeth’s reign? 

Barker: The commentariat tends to describe Charles as an activist heir, and thus possibly an activist monarch, particularly on issues of importance to him, such as climate change. But Charles said in 2018 that his activism will stop when he takes the throne. The new role requires a new approach, a new restraint, and he has a model to imitate in his mother’s conduct.

Schouteden: Charles has publicly expressed his concerns regarding global warming and support for an ecological transition. He might try to stir the course of the economy in this direction, but it is unclear at this point whether ecological concerns will be given a boost in the UK because of Charles’s passionate claims for a greener world. It is worth noting that during his tenure as Prince of Wales, Charles has been criticized for his lobbying of politicians. Charles is quite savvy and more politically inclined than his mother, but we cannot overplay the impact he could have on political affairs because of the limitations discussed above.

In the past, King Charles has said publicly that if he becomes monarch, he won’t act the same way he did as an heir. Even if this is true, do you think the public’s perception of him will create challenges regardless? 

Schouteden: His earlier opinions [on politics] were expressed in his own name and before his reign, not as part of the royal ideology. We can expect him to reign as Elizabeth II did. What will be demanded of him? To officiate in public ceremonies, to partake in public duties, to represent the UK abroad.

Charles is not held in such high esteem by the citizens of the UK. He is actually less popular than his son William, Prince of Wales (next in line for the throne) and his daughter-in-law Kate Middleton. But is there any reason to doubt the British peoples' sympathy for the Crown at large? I am not sure. We know of the dissatisfaction of young British people with the monarchy but this does not indicate a potential for sedition either. 

Barker: Charles is probably the most overexposed heir to any throne in history. The public has had seventy years to form their opinion – apparently, this is a Guinness world record for heirs-apparent. While he may never outgrow those judgments, the question is whether those old judgments will overbalance the public’s reverence for the institution. And, perhaps more important than what he did as heir, is what he will do to prepare his own heir, Prince William, to continue to embody the dignified part of the constitution.

What would the consequences be for King Charles if he is found to be misusing his position? Can you impeach a king?

Barker: You cannot impeach a king; at most, parliaments have used the impeachment power as a tool to act indirectly against a monarch by impeaching royal ministers. However, all the lesson you need about removal from office lies in a name: Charles III inevitably reminds us of Charles I, executed for treason in 1649.

Is there any other information about this topic you would like to share? 

Schouteden: I would conclude by saying that the only true justification for the British Crown (especially the hereditary nature of the title) today is in its impotence! In other words, should Charles III attempt to exert more power than Elizabeth II, he would not only hit an institutional/constitutional wall, he would also probably be the subject of much ire and criticism that could end the monarchy altogether.

As part of its continuous outreach efforts, AUC launched the Egyptian Migration Hub (EHUB) this summer to raise community awareness of the plight of refugees, implement effective policies to address this global issue, and protect refugees and asylum seekers.

A joint initiative between CMRS and the European Union,  the hub will be a platform for discussing strategies, centralizing data, and furthering policy on migration, as well as addressing gaps in the literature and research on migration in Egypt.

“The ultimate goal of EHUB is to initiate and implement better policies for Egyptian migrants abroad, and for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt," said Ibrahim Awad, professor of practice in global affairs and CMRS director. 

Egypt’s strategic position connecting the Middle East to Africa acts as a crossroads for migration patterns, thereby serving as a transit country for migration. Many Egyptian immigrants are working in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. Egypt is also home to many refugees and asylum seekers from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, there were over 263,000 refugees in Egypt in 2021. The overwhelmingly largest country of origin for Egypt’s refugees is Syria, accounting for over half of the total registered refugee population. 

“EHUB is an open, inclusive, multidisciplinary partnership that draws on government donors, experts, practitioners and civil society to create and synthesize knowledge for the use by policymakers,” said Ambassador Christian Berger, head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, at the hub’s launch event. 

As one of the first few academic institutions on migration and refugee studies in the MENA region, CMRS is "the only academic institution in Egypt that offers postgraduate degrees in migration and refugee studies, in addition to carrying out research, training and outreach activities in the field,” said Maysa Ayoub, associate director of CMRS. The hub will contribute to the research on push and pull factors of migration patterns – “push” being the factors that cause emigration and “pull” referring to the aspects of a location attracting migrants – greatly benefiting the policymaking process.

Discussing the implementation and initiation of effective policies for Egyptian migrants abroad as well as migrants, refugees and asylum seekers within Egypt are a few of the major focus points within the field. As such, some of the challenges the hub seeks to address include the evolving demand for migrant labor in Arab countries and in Europe, expanding channels for regular labor migration in order to curb irregular migration, enhancing the protection of Egyptian migrants, and preventing and dealing with the smuggling of migrants and human trafficking. 

At home, the hub also seeks to assist in meeting the demands of the Egyptian labor market by developing the capacities and skills of workers. This in turn will aid in the protection of refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt, easing their immersion into the country’s labor market and ultimately guiding them toward a self-sustaining lifestyle.

EHUB’s upcoming sectoral forums will include three planned meetings on migration data, external employment and combating human trafficking. Within each meeting, relevant stakeholders — such as government officials, international organizations, academics, experts and media representatives — will collectively tackle these issues. In addition, media training will bring together journalists and other media professionals to discuss topics such as the migration narrative and the prevention of xenophobia through media narratives.

By gathering all relevant stakeholders regarding migration in the context of Egypt together, the hub will effectively contribute to research on migration and refugees and facilitate discussions to serve policymakers, Ayoub explained. 

Learn more about EHUB here.

A new study co-authored by Salima Ikram (YAB '86) suggests that ancient Egyptians were capable of treating and rehabilitating patients who suffered from strokes.

An international team of Egyptologists from the United States, Spain and Egypt, including AUC’s own Salima Ikram (YAB ’86), has discovered an ancient Egyptian female mummy who suffered a stroke — the oldest documented stroke case in the scientific medical literature.

Studied macroscopically and radiographically on site, the mummy was found to be aged 25-40 (probably closer to 40), belonging to a woman of the 25^thDynasty who died some 2,700 years ago. She appears to have suffered a right cerebral stroke, causing brain damage, and left hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the body). Radiological examination shows that the paralysis occurred once bone growth was completed, when the woman was 23 to 25 years old, but significantly before her death — which means that she lived with the disease for a long period of time while receiving care and support from those around her.

“This tells us that strokes have a long history and that even in antiquity, people survived them, especially as others cared for them to ensure their survival,” said Ikram.

The study, titled “A Possible Stroke Victim from Pharaonic Egypt,” records that the mummy was found in a position not reported before, with one arm extended and the other crossing over the chest with a contracted hand — a key clue to the diagnosis. Mummies during that period had their hands typically either lying alongside their bodies or in a crossed position on the chest. The mummy’s head was angled down, dramatically, with contracted shoulders, which is common with children’s mummies but not with adults. The position of the shoulders, head and flexed arm suggests that the woman was suffering from damage to the right hemisphere of the brain, and the face looking down is typical of strokes, the co-authors explain in the study.

An attempt was made during the mummification process to fix the position of the woman’s head and chest by including two sticks at her back, which gave her a permanent erect posture. She was also provided with a stick or a crutch, which she seemed to have used during her lifetime as a walking aid. The presence of a rare red linen fabric — found in only a few burials — covering the mummy’s head to knees, suggests a higher social status for this mummy.

The team is currently working on other mummies from the Dra Abu el-Naga area near Luxor to see if they suffered from diseases as well. 

“We are learning about different diseases that ancient Egyptians suffered from and how they dealt with this both medically as well as in a sociocultural context,” said Ikram.

In their award-winning book, AUC faculty chart the evolution of Arab graphic design.

Some of the more than 600 visuals featured in A History of Arab Graphic Design: the anatomy of a horse in crimson and azure, labeled in elegant Arabic calligraphy and preserved on paper for six centuries; tiles in shades of cerulean, turquoise and ultramarine adorning the half-moon entryway of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan, Iran; an illustrated mermaid hugging a bouquet of paintbrushes on the first-ever Alexandria Biennale poster.

The first-of-its-kind textbook reminds us that for as long as humans have taken up space, we have insisted on decorating it. In doing so, Arab and Islamic artists have drawn, painted and etched a visual record of their history, whether they meant to or not. “Graphic design is part of a visual language that is itself the by-product and reflection of a culture and its society,” co-authors and Department of the Arts faculty Bahia Shehab (MA ’09), professor of practice, and Haytham Nawar, associate professor and chair, write. “We cannot discuss modern Arab graphic design and visual culture without understanding the region’s visual heritage.”

To read the full article, click here.