Biology senior Laila Khalifa represented AUC and Egypt at the Athens Democracy Forum, an international conference where the brightest minds in politics, business, academia and civil society discuss global issues in modern democracy. She was the only representative from AUC among a cohort of international student delegates. 

Organized by the Democracy and Culture Foundation in association with The New York Times, the Athens Democracy Forum was founded to innovate new ways of addressing global challenges to democracy. The forum invites dignitaries and thought leaders, including former presidents, European members of parliament and influential members of civil society. Participants networked together, engaging in constructive dialogue on democracy, the ethics of AI, climate change and more. 

“The discussions were particularly stimulating because each group comprised participants from diverse cultural and national backgrounds," said Khalifa, who was nominated by AUC's Core Curriculum program. "It encouraged a rich exchange of perspectives and helped us reflect on how democratic values manifest differently across societies.”

“It was an honor to carry AUC’s name in such a prestigious global setting.”

The forum is co-organized by the Global Liberal Arts Alliance, of which AUC is a member. "The Athens Democracy Forum is one of various experiential learning opportunities organized by AUC's Core Curriculum program to extend liberal arts learning beyond courses and classrooms, and practice deep critical engagement with the issues that plague our world in authentic settings," said Ghada Elshimi, dean of undergraduate students and the Academy of Liberal Arts as well as director of the Core Curriculum. "Selection of students is a highly competitive process, both within AUC and among partnering universities."

In a roundtable covering research by two German students, Khalifa took part in discussions on how to engage younger audiences in democracy using AI and social media. She also had the opportunity to meet pioneers in the field, including Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, who spoke at the forum. Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 “for [her] efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

“It was an honor to carry AUC’s name in such a prestigious global setting.”

For Khalifa, the experience was transformative. “Throughout the forum, I had the privilege of meeting and engaging in conversations with an extraordinary range of individuals, including former presidents, policymakers, politicians, NGO leaders and professors from Ivy League universities, such as Yale and Stanford,” said Khalifa. 

Though at first skeptical about how her major in biology and minors in business administration and chemistry would fit into the conference, Khalifa credits AUC’s liberal arts education with giving her the tools to engage with a high-level multidisciplinary forum. For example, Khalifa explored Plato’s views on democracy through AUC's Core Curriculum class on Philosophical Thinking, which she says, “laid the foundation for my understanding of many of the debates that took place.” 

Working with international students as a resident adviser in the University’s Office of Residential Life also gave her a competitive edge when communicating across cultures. In addition, she was an active participant in the 2024 Times Higher Education Digital Universities Arab World Conference and the 2025 Student Leaders Global Summit (SLGS) in Cork, Ireland.

“I had the privilege of meeting and engaging in conversations with an extraordinary range of individuals, including former presidents, policymakers, politicians, NGO leaders and professors from Ivy League universities.” 

“My interdisciplinary academic background, combined with my experience as a student leader and resident adviser, has contributed to shaping my perspective at the intersection of science, leadership and societal development. This has allowed me to bring a multidisciplinary perspective to the Athens Democracy Forum.” 

Participating students start preparing for the forum during the summer, through cross-cultural workgroups to work on activities that familiarize them with the themes of the event. Students take part in decision making and policy discussions, and collaborate with peers from around the world.

In the summer leading up to the forum, Khalifa met biweekly with other student delegates from Oberlin College, the American College of Greece, the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and more to discuss the forum's key topics. A video Khalifa created as a final assignment of the summer program was selected to open a panel on planetary environmental governance at the Athens Democracy Forum. She called the opportunity to have her video viewed by panelists who included a Yale professor and London’s deputy mayor for environment and energy “an absolute highlight.” She also got the chance to explore Greece’s historic sites, including the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, and the Pnyx. 

“My interdisciplinary academic background, combined with my experience as a student leader and resident adviser, has contributed to shaping my perspective at the intersection of science, leadership and societal development.”

Khalifa plans to bring the experience back to AUC, sharing her knowledge with classes and starting new initiatives through student organizations. 

“As a student leader, I am very much eager to implement what I have learned by starting initiatives that promote civic engagement and sustainability with the guidance of my inspiring professors and mentors. I also hope to expand this impact beyond AUC by working with peers I met during the ADF to bring similar initiatives around the world.”

AUC is paving the way forward in the cosmetics industry with the launch of the new Advanced Cosmetics Entrepreneurship Professional Diploma, a first-of-its-kind program in partnership with the Egyptian Cosmetics Company (ECC). 

“The cosmetics industry is flourishing in Egypt, and the Advanced Cosmetics Entrepreneurship Professional Diploma is here to teach the future leaders of the industry the science behind safe, reliable and revolutionary products,” stated Wael Mamdouh, the chemistry professor who is spearheading the program. 

Offered by AUC’s Engineering and Science Services, the new diploma will take the foundation of what participants learned in the Cosmetics Formulation Entrepreneurship Professional Diploma (COZM) and add further technical education in laboratory and manufacturing management, as well as increase project-based and experiential learning with ECC’s support and sponsorship. COZM launched in 2023 as a first-of-its-kind cosmetics program partnered with the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA). 

“AUC is here to ensure that entrepreneurs entering the market are prepared with technical and business knowledge, and have the tools to reach success,” said Mamdouh. “The advanced diploma will give participants unique industry insight to their own path within the field.” 

 “The advanced diploma will give participants unique industry insight to their own path within the field.” 

The COZM professional diploma, which was also started by Mamdouh, teaches participants the essentials of the cosmetics industry across three modules. Firstly, participants take classes in skin anatomy, physiology and formulations, studying the basics behind the science of cosmetics. Secondly, they take business classes and learn what it means to be a cosmetic entrepreneur through a series of lectures and group projects. Lastly, participants work with the EDA to understand how to get their products tested, registered and approved by the government to ensure they’re safe for the public.

The Advanced Cosmetics Entrepreneurship Professional Diploma will have the same three-module structure as COZM, but with more hands-on opportunities through increased interactive chemistry learning and participant-led product design. The science module will be all hands-on labs, and the business module will be based on individual project development. The advanced professional diploma is open for participants who have already completed the COZM diploma and will begin in 2026. “We’re looking for participants who are passionate about entering the cosmetics industry,” said Mamdouh. “At the end of the program, they will be experienced entrepreneurs ready to share their unique perspectives.”

“At the end of the program, they will be experienced entrepreneurs ready to share their unique perspectives.”

Participants will be given lectures on market standards, useful ingredients and potential niches. ECC’s manufacturing branch will produce prototypes of formulations developed by participants as well as take them on a tour of the factory, showing them the realities of product fabrication in the cosmetics industry. At the end of the program, ECC will sponsor the top three participant projects by supporting product creation, registering a number of cosmetic product files at EDA, producing batches for free and providing advertising assistance. Participants will present their prototypes to a panel of judges from ECC and AUC, with three chosen to receive the sponsorship award. 

While the winners will have a huge leg up in the cosmetics industry, everyone who participates in the Advanced Cosmetics Entrepreneurship Professional Diploma will walk away with invaluable knowledge and experience. As Mamdouh explained, “The program will not only recognize the winners because everyone is a winner. We will keep supporting participants through other means, such as guidance and mentorship. Nobody will be left alone.”

With the success of participants who graduated from the COZM professional diploma — including two participant startups that are now on the market — Mamdouh is confident that the advanced diploma will only increase success in the cosmetics field. “It’s a booming industry, and we’re here to help the AUC community take the lead,” he said.