From developing a biosensor that identifies plant pathogens to detecting and tracking  environmental pollutants, AUC’s Novel Diagnostics and Therapeutics research group is actively engaged in the field of plasmonic sensing, with applications in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring and food safety. 

“Plasmonic sensing is a technique used to detect very small changes in the vicinity of the sensor by shining light on a metal surface, like gold or silver,” said Hassan Azzazy, distinguished University professor of chemistry and head of the AUC research group. “Due to their high sensitivity, plasmonic sensors are favored for the detection of environmental toxins and disease biomarkers.”

Azzazy’s team is currently working on two main projects. The first seeks to develop a biosensor for the detection of plant pathogens, which affect plant productivity as well as threaten food security and global ecosystem sustainability, especially as plant disease outbreaks have become more frequent and widespread due to climate change. The second aims to detect and monitor environmental pollutants, which negatively impact living organisms and socioeconomic development.

“AUC students and researchers who pursue sensing projects will have access to expert knowledge and resources, in addition to training opportunities in sophisticated laboratories using the latest technology developed by partner institutions.”

Through the newly established Arab-German Plasmonic Sensing Network, AUC researchers are collaborating with a specialized group of scientists in the field from universities and research centers across the world, including Egypt, Germany, Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Italy and France. The network’s first meeting was hosted at AUC this fall and featured 14 international speakers. 

At the meeting, several cutting-edge strategies based on plasmonic nanostructures were presented and discussed, including applications in bioanalytics; detection of infectious agents in humans, animals and plants; biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases; photodynamic therapy that combines light and medicine to kill cancer cells; and nanotubes for use as broad-spectrum antibacterials.

Originally established to strengthen collaboration among German and Arab researchers, the network now aims to become an international expert group in the field of plasmonic sensing. Its current cohort of scientists plans to develop technologies to address global challenges in the fields of health, food and environmental monitoring.

One of the network’s goals is to develop a low-cost, universal plasmonic sensing platform for the detection of a variety of targets that can be easily reproduced in many countries, especially those with limited resources. This will serve multiple purposes set by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including good health, innovation and sustainable communities. 

“The network complements research activities at AUC due to its multidisciplinary nature,” said Azzazy, a founding member of the network. “AUC students and researchers who pursue sensing projects will have access to expert knowledge and resources, in addition to training opportunities in sophisticated laboratories using the latest technology developed by partner institutions.”

On December 3, AUC celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at its Tahrir Square campus through the AccessAUC initiative. The event included a panel discussion, hands-on activities and a bazaar featuring handicrafts made by people with disabilities.

AUC received the single largest philanthropic gift in the institution’s history to support excellence in business education, interdisciplinary research and exchange programs with leading American universities. In appreciation and recognition of this transformative gift from the Sawiris family, the University will name its business school the Onsi Sawiris School of Business in perpetuity. 

The name honors the exceptional personal and professional legacy of the late Onsi Sawiris, a titan of business in the Middle East, founder of the Orascom Group and patriarch of the family.  “With this visionary gift, AUC’s business school will continue to be at the forefront of global business education in the Middle East,” said AUC President Ahmad Dallal. “The Onsi Sawiris School of Business is another legacy of Sawiris family philanthropy that has done so much to promote education and development in Egypt for decades. Thanks to their generous support, our students will have an unparalleled, globally relevant educational experience.”

 This gift is made possible through the generosity of the NNS Foundation, the Naguib Sawiris Charitable Fund, Naguib Samih Sawiris, the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development and Orascom Construction. It will provide funding for scholarships, research and a professorship in artificial intelligence/data science, combined with visiting faculty and student exchange programs with leading U.S. universities, including the University of Chicago. The gift has an estimated value of more than $30 million.

“The Onsi Sawiris School of Business is another legacy of Sawiris family philanthropy that has done so much to promote education and development in Egypt for decades. Thanks to their generous support, our students will have an unparalleled, globally relevant educational experience.”

 “By supporting AUC and exchange programs with top universities in the United States, we are bringing exceptional students together to benefit from intellectually rigorous and truly global programs,” said Nassef Sawiris, executive chair of OCI Global. “Preparing future business leaders at AUC with the skills to adapt and innovate is the best way to honor our father’s work ethic, values and commitment to advancing Egypt.”

 “Our parents instilled in us the value of education and opening doors that create opportunities for youth to excel,” said Naguib Sawiris, executive chairman of Orascom Investment Holding. “Graduates of AUC play a key role in our companies, and many of them are in leadership positions. This school will build the capacity of future generations for our businesses, our communities and our country.”

 “Preparing future business leaders at AUC with the skills to adapt and innovate is the best way to honor our father’s work ethic, values and commitment to advancing Egypt.”

“Onsi Sawiris’s legacy will remain a lasting inspiration for us to continue to invest in Egypt’s most valuable resource: its human capital,” said Naguib Samih Sawiris, chairman of Orascom Development Holding AG.

In 1947, AUC began offering its first economics courses. Today, the School of Business is the only triple-crown-accredited in the region, placing it in the top 1% of business schools in the world. 

“This gift is one of the many examples of impactful philanthropy from the Sawiris family. It reinforces AUC’s position as an institution that produces global-ready graduates with the career and life skills to make a positive difference in their communities and around the world.” 

“This is a landmark development in the school’s history, and we look forward to a new chapter where we continue to raise the bar as a destination for business education,” said Sherif Kamel '88, '90, '13, dean of the School of Business. “I am confident that this gift, the academic exchanges and collaboration with faculty of leading American universities will ensure the Onsi Sawiris School of Business is at the forefront of global business education and on par with the best in the world.”

“Graduates of AUC play a key role in our companies, and many of them are in leadership positions. This school will build the capacity of future generations for our businesses, our communities and our country.” 

 Chairman of the AUC’s Board of Trustees Mark Turnage (ALU '82) said, “This gift is one of the many examples of impactful philanthropy from the Sawiris family. It reinforces AUC’s position as an institution that produces global-ready graduates with the career and life skills to make a positive difference in their communities and around the world.” 

“This is a landmark development in the school’s history, and we look forward to a new chapter where we continue to raise the bar as a destination for business education,” 

 The Sawiris family is a long-time friend of AUC. The wife of Onsi Sawiris, Yousriya Loza Sawiris, is an honorary doctor of AUC and an alumna (MBA ’82), former member of the Egyptian Parliament, businesswoman and philanthropist. Over the years, the family has supported scholarships for students from Upper Egypt, students with disabilities, women’s empowerment and the renovation of AUC’s historic Tahrir Square campus.