At the 5th Forum for Women in Research (QUWA 2025), AUC faculty and alumnae are raising the bar with their work, tackling issues ranging from AI-generated news imagery in journalism and Arabic natural language processing in computer science to the removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewater in environmental engineering. 

Held at the University of Sharjah and the University of Khorfakkan, this year's forum included 890 research submissions from 260 universities in 57 countries, with 297 shortlisted. Less than 5% of all submitted projects across multiple disciplines were awarded grants.

Assistant Professor Alia El Bolock
Department of Computer Science and Engineering

El Bolock's co-authored research on “Advancing Zero-Shot and Few-Shot Learning for Arabic and Code-Switched NLP Tasks” won a prestigious research grant at the forum.

 "The forum fostered collaboration and engagement with experts in the field, making it an enriching experience for all participants."

The project aims to enhance understanding of daily-life interactions and address data scarcity in Arabic natural language processing through advanced learning methods. El-Bolock's work ranked among the top 2% of select computing and engineering projects at the forum.

"QUWA 2025 provided a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, bringing together leading researchers to discuss groundbreaking advancements," said El Bolock. "The forum fostered collaboration and engagement with experts in the field, making it an enriching experience for all participants."
 

A group of undergraduate students from AUC’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication as well as AUCTV and graduate students from the Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism received several awards at media and film festivals in Egypt. The students received the awards in recognition of their excellence, creativity and talent through coursework they conducted at AUC. 

First-Place Win at Al Shorouk Film Festival

Undergraduate students Jana Darwish, Dunia Abouelezz and Farida Ragaey won first place at Al-Shorouk Film Festival for Media Students’ Creativity for their film, El Sanad (The Supporter). The short documentary focuses on the story of Rahim, a child diagnosed with the rare condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and his mother's struggle to gain treatment despite financial and bureaucratic obstacles. 

"They traveled a grueling four hours each way to Behira, endured a long day of filming, and poured countless hours into post-production. "

The student film was part of the Camera and Editing course taught by Mohammad Badawi, adjunct faculty in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication. "What truly stood out was the team’s incredible dedication,” said Badawi. “They were ambitious, passionate and deeply committed to telling Rahim's story. They traveled a grueling four hours each way to Behira, endured a long day of filming, and poured countless hours into post-production. Their willingness to go the extra mile, combined with their thoughtful approach to the subject matter, is what made El Sanad such a powerful film.”

This year's festival included more than 250 participants from 44 public and private universities in Egypt as well as nine universities from Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Algeria. This is the second year for AUC students to win first place in this festival. Read about last year’s win. 

Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Festival of Media Arts

Five journalism and mass communication undergraduates, in addition to two graduate students and AUCTV from the Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism, scored several wins at the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts, competing among  2,285 entries. Here are snapshots of the winners and their work:

Undergraduate Students

• Farida Yassin 
  • Second place, Multimedia Storytelling, Challenging Traditions in Egyptian Sports, produced as part of the Multimedia Reporting Capstone project
  • Third place, Radio Feature, A Tale of Two Egypts
  • Award of Excellence, Narrative Audio, Aquatic Allegro
• Farah Samy
  • Third place, Educational Program, Curse or Construct? How Media Brought the Pharaoh’s Curse to Life
• Zeina Hafez
  • Award of Excellence, Educational Program, From Afar and Within: Reflections on the Egyptian Revolution
• Hadia Rashwan
  • Award of Excellence, Micro-documentary, Between Threads
• Tia Khalil
  • Award of Excellence, Radio Feature, Buried by the Headlines: Al-Ahram and the Fall of Egyptian Journalism

“The fact that I won an international competition for producing a piece based on a fascination I had when I was 9 years old is surreal, and I’m so grateful that Professor Kim believed in me even when I didn’t,” student winner Farah Samy said.

“Winning the award feels unreal. I never thought normal coursework could compete and win a hard competition like BEA."

Three-time student winner Farida Yassin said, “Winning the award feels unreal, I didn’t expect to win an award let alone three. I never thought normal coursework could compete and win a hard competition like BEA. I never expected my work to be heard and seen nationally or internationally. I’m so grateful and thankful to those who helped me through the process and saw potential in my work. Turns out hard work really does pay off.”

"There are so many layers needed to craft a good audio story."

Kim Fox, professor of practice and the instructor for the Audio Production course, where some of the students submitted their winning projects, explained how the students learn to bring their narratives to life through their coursework, gaining both technical expertise and storytelling skills. 

"I’m proud of my ability to coach my students to consistently produce high-level audio content that is recognized internationally," Fox said. "It takes a lot of effort from me, them and our teaching assistant. It’s certainly exciting to see their efforts pay off in this way. There are so many layers needed to craft a good audio story. The fact that many of my students grasp those concepts over the course of a semester is a testament to our commitment to the task at hand: learning audio production."

Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism

• Sara Huweedi (MA ’25)
  • Second place, Graduate News Competition, Descendants of Olive Trees. This TV long feature showcases a nonprofit initiative to provide displaced children from Gaza with education, support and a safe space to heal. 
• Amira Ahmed (MA ’25)
  • Award of Excellence, Graduate Documentary Competition, Ladies of the Nile, highlighting how Egyptian women, supported by a government initiative, have transformed water hyacinths in the Nile into beautiful handicrafts, creating a sustainable source of income for themselves.
• AUCTV
  • Third place, Television National Signature Station Awards for the best student-run, faculty-advised university radio and television station, competing against hundreds of university television channels from inside and outside the United States

“They are considered among the top award recipients in media and journalism competitions and festivals."

The graduate student submissions were produced as part of the TV Digital Journalism Capstone, taught by Hussein Amin, professor and director of the Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism, which runs AUCTV. 

“Graduate students at the Kamal Adham Center have received more than 42 international and prestigious awards, in addition to national and regional awards over the past seven years,” said Amin. “They are considered among the top award recipients in media and journalism competitions and festivals. This year, for the first time, AUCTV received the third-place award as a student-run university television channel. These achievements highlight the excellence of AUC’s education in media and communication, reinforcing the Kamal Adham Center’s status as a center of excellence.”

"The visuals are beautiful. The story is compelling. The use of audio and music and captions are excellent."

For Sara Huweedi, children from Gaza emerged as a clear and natural choice for her documentary. "The Palestinian cause has always been a wellspring of inspiration for me, a constant force urging me to strive for excellence," said Huweedi. "Working in the media field, I believe it is my calling to amplify their voices, to shed light on the hardships they endure, and to share their stories with the world."

Huweedi was happy to be recognized: "Winning the award was an overwhelming honor, a validation that I am treading the right path, all thanks to the guidance of my professors and the immense wealth of knowledge I’ve acquired during my time at the Kamal Adham Center."

 "Working in the media field, I believe it is my calling to amplify their voices, to shed light on the hardships they endure, and to share their stories with the world."

Amira Ahmed was gratified by the comments from the judges, "I received this comment from the judges and felt really over the moon: 'This is one of the best student documentaries I have ever seen. The visuals are beautiful. The story is compelling. The use of audio, music and captions is excellent. This is outstanding."

Ahmed added, "I won the award in one of the most competitive categories, namely the documentary category. It's fulfilling to know that my efforts in documentary filmmaking have been recognized. This motivates me to create more stories. The best is yet to come."

Advisory Trustee Ambassador Frank G. Wisner, who served AUC for almost three decades, has passed away.

Wisner joined AUC’s Board of Trustees in 1997 when he retired from the U.S. foreign service after a diplomatic career spanning 40 years under the leadership of eight U.S. presidents. With a strong belief in the impact of education, Wisner generously supported the University in many ways. He contributed to the AUC Centennial Endowed Scholarship Fund, AUC Fund, Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA@AUC) Endowed Fellowship and Nadia Younes Endowed Scholarship. He supported the benefit dinners held in New York, and named a research center and tree on the New Cairo campus. From 1991 to 2011, the annual Frank G. Wisner Award for Scholarly Excellence recognized the best graduate thesis on a topic related to modern Egypt. The award was endowed by Wisner’s friends and colleagues as a farewell gift when he left Egypt after serving as ambassador for five years.

Wisner was a prominent figure in U.S. foreign policy. He acquired the rank of career ambassador, the highest position in the U.S. Senior Foreign Service “in recognition of especially distinguished service over a sustained period,” as stipulated by the U.S. Department of State. 

“In the history of American diplomacy, Frank deserves his own chapter, and he brought to his AUC board service a unique skill set from his extraordinary career,” said Richard Bartlett, AUC trustee and chair emeritus of AUC’s Board of Trustees. “An old-style diplomat, Frank had a deep understanding and compassion for Egypt and an abiding belief in the benefits that an American-style education could offer. His access to the halls of power in both Cairo and Washington made his advice invaluable. And his skills as a colorful raconteur both charmed and disarmed those fortunate enough to enjoy private time with him.” 

A New York native and graduate of Princeton University, where he studied Arabic, Wisner was U.S. ambassador to Zambia, Egypt, the Philippines and India. In 1996, as ambassador to India, he presented Mother Teresa of Calcutta with an honorary U.S. citizenship award. 

“In the history of American diplomacy, Frank deserves his own chapter, and he brought to his AUC board service a unique skill set from his extraordinary career."

“He relished jokes and could tell them in several languages that included Arabic; but when he addressed the AUC board, he spoke in complete paragraphs with an eloquence that conveyed comprehension and gravitas,” said Bartlett. 

Wisner held various roles in the U.S. government, including undersecretary of defense for policy, undersecretary of state for international security affairs, senior deputy assistant secretary for African affairs and deputy executive secretary of the Department of State. He was a respected adviser and expert on global affairs, managing intricate international issues, including Cold War diplomacy, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Arab Spring, apartheid in South Africa, regional conflicts in the Balkans, transition in post-independence Algeria, in addition to settling almost 1 million refugees in Indochina and negotiating Kosovo’s independence. 

“Frank was one of the ‘legends’ of the Foreign Service — accomplished, talented, energetic, warm."

In acknowledgment of his distinguished contributions and achievements, Wisner received several prestigious awards. These include the inaugural Bridgebuilder Award in 2023 from the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington for his “illustrious diplomatic career and his crucial role in founding the institute and serving as its inaugural chair of the board” as well as the Asia Society Washington D.C.’s 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Frank was one of the ‘legends’ of the Foreign Service — accomplished, talented, energetic, warm,” said Gretchen Welch (ALU ’02), AUC trustee and a retired diplomat. “He had an incredible ability to connect with people and was an amazing mentor and friend. He loved Egypt and Egyptians, and felt strongly the importance of institutions like AUC and AUB to the region.”

“I am honored to have known Frank, and I will deeply miss his wise counsel, as well as his larger-than-life persona."

Following his diplomatic career, Wisner served as a board member of EOG Resources for oil and gas services, international affairs adviser at Patton Boggs law firm and vice chairman of external affairs at the American International Group finance and insurance corporation. He was affiliated with several nonprofit boards, such as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The American University in Cairo, American University of Beirut, American School of Tangier, Refugees International, United Service Organizations, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Georgetown’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Princeton’s Middle Eastern Affairs Advisory Board, Partnership for a Secure America, International House, National Security Network, Ergo, the American Hospital of Paris and the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

Obituaries by friends and colleagues described Wisner as a “dedicated champion” and “the most admired American diplomat of his era,” with “expert analysis and unmatched historical perspectives.” 

Wisner is survived by his wife Judy C. Cormier, brother Ellis, six children and stepchildren, and 12 grandchildren.

“I am honored to have known Frank, and I will deeply miss his wise counsel, as well as his larger-than-life persona,” said Bartlett.