Cross-Cultural Blog

Going Green

2009-11-08T17:08:55Z

Hi AUC students!

I have a question for you guys. I'm researching the impact of the "green" (environmental) fashion trend across cultures, and I'm wondering if you could help me by telling me a bit about what you have experienced in Cairo. In America, being "green" is currently somewhat of a fashion trend: lots of people wear shirts that promote recycling or "going green," and many celebrities have begun to endorse environmentalism. This has led me to wonder, however, if the trend has to do more with fashion than actual environmental function.

What do you think? What is the "green" trend like in Cairo? Do you feel that it is important to appear environmentally-conscious? If so, does this pressure influence your choices as a consumer? And what is your perspective on the "green" trend in the U.S.?

I would love to read your comments. Thanks for your help!!

-Kelly

How ads function in your society

2009-11-06T18:58:15Z

Hey guys! I'm writing a paper on how advertisements for food function in the Middle East versus in the US. I was wondering if you could help me out by answering a few questions? It would be really cool to get a perspective from people who actually live in the region.

1. To what extent do ads in your society portray ideals to be attained?
2. If so, do you feel that in your society sexual undertones in advertising make the product more appealing?
3. To what degree do you feel women’s appearances are venerated in your society (specifically in ads)?
4. Is sexuality considered a strong component/reason for pride?
5. To what extent are traditional religious values esteemed & do you think they play a role in advertising? Do they reinforce or shape your values?

Thanks so much I really appreciate it!!
-Rachel

AUC- Egypt Bread Shortages

2009-11-01T21:37:11Z

Aya Aboul Fotouh
Dania Ghoniem
Jailan Al-Sharif
Samantha Devinck
RHET201
Stanford blog project

How much processed food does the population eat?
How much processed food do you have access to?

When I conducted some internet research on the amount of processed foods that the Egyptian population ate, I found out that the results varied depending on the item consumed. For example, the percentage of Egyptians that consume processed vegetables witnesses an increase of 20% each year. Despite this increase, there are still many people struggling to obtain vegetables due to government regulations and policies that affect vegetable prices, which are in many cases for the disadvantage of the Egyptian citizens. In terms of tomatoes, Egypt primarily relies on its domestic production of fresh tomatoes. However, the harvesting of tomatoes has been affected due to poor handling and packaging, which reduced the available amount of tomatoes for Egyptians. Despite there still being prolific amounts of tomato, yet Egypt imports tomato sauce. As for milk, the majority of Egyptians receive fresh milk, yet the few Egyptian businesses that are involved in dairy processing import dried, skimmed milk. Researching about these facts made me consider how much processed foods I eat on a daily basis. I'd say that I eat some processed foods such as baked chicken. However, I consume fresh vegetables, such as broccoli, which I preserve in a refrigerator and not a freezer. I also consume fresh fruits, depending on the season such as oranges, apples, bananas, and watermelon. I am very grateful for the fact that I am capable of affording fresh fruits and protein foods such as meat, in addition to fish and chicken. In Egypt, many of its citizens cannot say that are as fortunate. Many poor families sleep at night worrying whether they will have enough money in order to buy some vegetables the next day. Thus, many families end up only affording to buy rice and macaroni as inflation continues to progress and affects all food areas, primarily meat and chicken. Since the poor cannot afford to pay for these "luxurious" foods, their diets consist of sources of fat, which leads to many of them becoming victim to diabetes. Furthermore, it is the custom of many families during Islamic religious holidays such as Ramadan (month of fasting till sunset each day), Eid el Fitr (celebration after Ramadan), and Eid el Adha to provide food for those in need. Those in need look forward to receiving the foods that they cannot afford and do not eat during most of the year. Finally, one point I would like to note and I think is interesting to consider is that since the wealthy class can afford foods that the poor cannot afford, many from the former group are constantly dieting. The profession of dieticians is widely popular in Egypt, and many of those who can afford a vast variety of different foods visit these dieticians in order to lose weight. Recently, during the past couple of years, many from the middle class can be found at different diet clinics. However, the same cannot be said for those of the poor class. All in all, Egypt over the past 6-8 years has gained awareness of the dangers of unhealthy food and how they affect one's health. Thus, more citizens are being cautious when it comes to what they eat.

What is going on now with the bread shortage?

Half of the population lives on less than 1 dollar a day; prices have been constantly increasing while salaries are still constant. While poverty increase and difficulties to buy food are increasing, more and more people are turning to subsidized bread. The government then struggles to meet this increase demand and it becomes the target of extreme anger and incomprehension from the population. The problem is that Egypt cannot afford to subsidize bread as this is more costly to them then the national budget of health and educational system! Approximately 50 million Egyptians rely on subsidize bread every day. Bakeries cannot provide enough bread to the increasing population who needs it. Therefore, people begin to queue for bread at 3am. As people wait for such a long time, frustration and stress come along leading to fights and even death. In February, a man was shot dead in a quarrel over a place in a bread queue. Another lady was deathly stabbed outside a different bakery. Moreover, witnessing people dying of heart attacks while waiting in the queue under terribly high temperatures happens very often. Also, due to high food prices many families eat a meal a day and this meal is mainly composed of bread. If bread is not available then what is left for those people to live on? As things are going bad, Egyptian president Mubarak ordered police and army to bake bread for the starving population but it is not enough as they fulfill only 1% of the population needs. Moreover, the government enlarged the list of bakeries or stores who could receive subsidized bread which helped in the availability of bread to the poor. The bread queues have decreased but the prices of all other food are still very high so the problem is actually very far from being solved.

History of bread subsidization:
Subsidized bread today represents a huge problem in Egypt. Its shortage has led people to queue for it at 3:00 am. 45% of the population lives under the poverty line and hence survives on subsidized bread. The government started subsidizing staples, mainly bread and rice, right after World War II. Then when Abd EL-Nasser's government overthrew the monarchy, subsidies where heavily relied on in maintaining social order and promoting a socialist economic model. In 1977, there was an attempt to cease bread subsidy; one which was highly faced by riots. Consequently, the bread subsidy persisted. More reserves are being spent today on bread subsidy than on health or education. However, acquiring bread remains a brutal affair because of the highly inflated prices of food that accompanied the rise in oil price. This increase in prices of staples forced more people to rely on subsidized bread and drove the demand up. While 50 millions loaves of subsidized bread are needed to cover the demand, only 2.5 million loaves are produced daily.

Halloween Celebration in Class!

2009-10-29T00:54:21Z

Hey everyone,

Today in class, we had a special Halloween party! We were encouraged to come to class in costume, and we had food (a whole variety- bananas, candy, granola bars, cupcakes, apples, pumpkin bread, and apple cider). It was great to be able to hang out, talk with each other, and generally relax during an otherwise stressful time. This is definitely just one more reason why we love Stanford!

Urban Literature Reseach Proposal

2009-10-25T21:15:32Z

This assignment was created by students at The City College of New York for the Freshman Inquiry Writing Seminar, Web Discourse. Students are researching a social issue in one of four large topics: Urban Life, Public Health, Immigration, and Education. This will result in a final research paper that explores both how the conversations surrounding the issue are enacted and how a CCNY student may enter that conversation in a meaningful way.

The topic I chose for my paper is urban literature. I have always been interested in urban literature because of the number of African American people that praise the genre. This is an interesting topic to talk about because it deals with a whole bunch of issues that is not written about in other books and if it is mentioned in other books, it is not done so explicitly as in urban fiction novels. I have no clue what I want my thesis to be. There are so many aspects and issues involved in this one subject and I have not the slightest idea of how I will narrow it down and come up with my own thesis. I am focusing towards how black women are represented in urban fiction novels. In this paper I want to explore both sides of the controversy that exist within this topic. I want to figure out the true nature of this genre and see how it has change the world of literature whether it being for the better or worst.

]]> I have already started to do my research for this paper. I found many articles that either praised or bashed the topic. With the scholarly resources that I have found they went into details about the emergence of urban literature and all the elements and characteristics that it consist of. I will research books, encyclopedias and also internet resources to explore this topic to its fullest potential. I found a few great articles but now I need to find some other resources to get some more information and different points of view.
I believe that the most difficult part of this paper would be finding relatable sources and structuring the paper. I am not very good with outlining and since the paper is going to be pretty lengthy that is a fear of mine that I would lose track of my thesis and just go off my topic completely.

The AUCian Trends!

2009-10-23T14:58:30Z

Having the AUC located in the heart of the Middle East, “Egypt”, means that its students will be following an Arab style of clothing since Egypt is a purely Arab country. Despite such fact, AUCians are well acknowledged with ongoing worldwide fashion trends and that what makes the AUC one of the most distinguishable universities in Egypt; its amazing mixture of Arab and non-Arab fashion styles. Below are some of the popular fashion trends followed by the differently cultured students and which are as follows:

Here, we have the eye-catching Gladiator sandals. Why are they on the top-of the AUCian fashion list? Well, they have their unique styles which as you can see can reach the ankle line and therefore be hidden under the trousers as well as be wrapped around them. Not only are they found in various colours that range from astonishing pinks, explosive purples, electric blues, calming whites to classical blacks, but also, they are surprisingly comfortable since they are usually made from comfortable materials such as leather. In addition to the sandals, we have the head bands which are seen an important accessory to the diverse AUCian outfits. What makes them that famous is the “hippy” look they provide as seen in the photo above (right figure).

Speaking of accessories that are related to one’s profile face, are the Ray-Ban sunglasses. Whether they are in their classical shapes or modern ones, they definitely suit both sexes as seen in the above left picture. Nevertheless, when it comes to skinny trousers either cotton or jeans, they are worn by males, yes, males and not just females unlike what is usually perceived by many.

Leggings”, a word that indeed can’t escape an AUCian female closet. Why? Because it goes well with all seasons; summer, winter, spring and fall. They are called leggings since they actually customize the leg’s shape. Despite the fact that they might be of a thin textile, they are astonishingly warming during cold days. Although in the above pictures the leggings’ colour is black, you can find them in cheerful colours like red, purple and even yellow. Oh! Here we find again the Gladiator sandals spicing up the leggings and the skinny jeans as well.

We just can’t forget about the books and that’s where the cross bags come to take an essential part in our clothing. It all started simply as laptop bags and with their enormous spread over the AUC campus, they became a desirable trendy look. They can be plain casual like Vans or with classical designs such as Louis Vuittons. Speaking of classical style of clothing, the classical shoes come along as seen in the above pictures with Kareem wearing the brown and Youssef wearing the black.

Those were just few of the AUCian trends that largely depend on the ongoing global changes in the fashion industry. However, being an AUCian, means you just have to be yourself whether you follow these looks or not. In both cases, you are still going be an AUCian...

Mirna Awad and Amr El Abd

Employment Fair Event in AUC BY: Farah Omar &Nourhan Wael

2009-10-23T13:50:53Z

The employment fair event has been taking place since the year 1986. The American university in Cairo was the first university that introduced the employment fair event in the Middle East. The caps office which is the Career Advising and Placement Services is responsible to organize this twice a year one day event. This Caps office spreads out information booklets that include the names of all the participating companies with their vacant job positions before the event’s initiation. The event’s aim is to acquaint graduate students with the possible career life they are tending to take. It also builds up relationships between those students and the corporate world. Furthermore, it’s about presenting our graduate students’ skills and qualifications to the participating companies which are recruiting for certain employees. Thus we can say it’s a mutual event where both parties are satisfied. From the companies’ side, they can find their employer’s needs in our students. While from the students’ side, they are offered unexpected great highly paid jobs, and this of course is also beneficial for the university as it reflects its image on its well qualified students.

]]> Companies are encouraged to participate in the employment fair event to observe the highly qualified graduates and maybe they would find their needs in one of them. Companies represent themselves through conducting booths where one of their representatives is responsible to introduce the companies’ vision on campus. This booth opens a way towards marketing the company’s name and establishes a productive relationship among our AUC community. For instance, this direct contact with the students would allow them to represent their image more clearly than through advertisements. They also get to spread their presence through handing out flyers and descriptive brochures. Diversified companies from all career fields join our event to open wide opportunities for all our students of different majors, such as architects, economists, accountants, physicians…etc. Some examples of the companies who have shared in the last couple of years are: Credit Agricole Egypt S.A.E, Halliburton, HSBC bank of Egypt, Henkel, Amid East, Vodafone, Bavarian Auto Group (BAG), and Unilever Mashreq.

As companies are profited from this fair, students as well gain advantages. Students get to know and perceive the companies’ various offers and maybe they would relief some uncertainties and establish particular concepts about their type of work. In addition, since companies specify their unoccupied job positions, students would be able to plan ahead and choose the most suitable company they feel emotionally and logically inclined to. Usually undergraduate students are not very familiar with the future job they will be facing; hence through this fair students become acquainted with the kind of work awaited for them in the future. Eventually, interested students in the alumni would present themselves to the companies’ representatives and hopefully some of them get the chance to be hired.
Furthermore, benefits come along this event to the university as well as to students and participating companies. As students are hired in brand named companies, this markets for the university’s figure, and enhances its reputation as well. That’s why AUC is thoughtful for this event in particular as it’s proud to show and display its most qualified graduate students to the best international and local companies in Egypt. And remember that the main objectives for every university including ours are to raise highly qualified and distinctive graduates that would strongly compete in the actual working life. So what do you think of our event?!

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=employment+fair+event+in+AUC&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

Here you can see the high spirit and motivation the company’s representatives give.

http://www.caps.aucegypt.edu/employmentfair/photos/Fair.html

These pictures emphasize exactly what the event is trying to conduct by allowing students and companies to interact greatly with one another.

"Fall 09 Employment Fair." The American University in Cairo, Career Advising and
Placement Services. 19 Oct 2009
http://www.caps.aucegypt.edu/employmentfair/employmentfair_history.html.

Diversity of groups in AUC

2009-10-23T08:42:10Z

Hey peeps, this is Osman and Hamza and we're talking about some different groups in AUC. AUC is one of the places in the region where you can find a collection of various groups having different beliefs. The existence of students from different cultures allows the campus life to be enjoyable. However, every student tries to find the group that supplements his beliefs. Therefore, students that share the same beliefs create their own group. That is how diversity shows up. Examples of these groups are the Gucci corner group, the theatre majors, the science majors, the “G-spot” and the Goth cave group. The variety of groups around the campus is extremely wide and they are all very different, yet share similar aims.

]]> First of all, there is the infamous Gucci Corner. It is basically a passage between two buildings and probably the most well known hangout area in the whole university. This is the richer part of college, where everyone that hangs out there has to be wearing some kind of very expensive brand, from shoes to watches to shirts and jackets to hats and shades. Thus the name Gucci; they do not wear only Gucci but they definitely own some kind of Gucci wear and wear it at some point. It was a corner before at the old campus but after moving to the new campus the same group chose this as their hang out place and they’ve been there since last fall. While most of you would think that this group is populated with girls, they are composed of a near equal divide of both genders, with the numbers leaning in favor of the guys.

The move to the new campus also brought about new groups as well. The most famous would probably be the “G-Spot”. Obviously, from the name, the group is composed of free willed liberal thinkers who do not care what everyone around them thinks. They chose this name because they think its funny how corny it is. It is located outside of the library, where students hang out on the structure that was meant to be an aesthetic part of campus. These students are very loud and are often scolded by campus security for being too rambunctious. Music is something that this group finds common ground with. Students will blast music from their I-Pods, laptops, or from impromptu jam sessions with the many musical members of this group. This is a group that may not fit the social norms of popularity, however, it seems to be gaining ground with members joining daily. This group started with around four or five students, but has swelled to boast more than twenty members gracing the outside of the library throughout the day.

Some people from the "G-spot" chilling.

On the way to the language section of campus, there is a gathering that is locally known as “Goth Cave”. Hidden underneath a staircase and away from the Cairo sunlight is a hangout for students of the anti-social persuasion. These students are not well received on campus and have conflicts with other groups such as the Gucci Corner students. While these students may seem anti-social and angry with the rest of campus, within their social circle, they are quite outgoing. While it may seem unexpected, this group is like all other students on campus, going to parties on weekends, hanging out with friends at cafes, and doing normal young adult activities.
These groups may seem very distinct from an outsider’s view but once people communicate with them they all seem to have very similar interests. Talking to anyone from any group would show you how they are all very interested in music and of course their aim in AUC is to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible. Even though their taste in music for example is not similar but their love of it is almost the same. This applies to all aspects of their everyday life and not only music; they are all differently similar.

(We've only been able to capture pictures of one group because the other groups refused to let us. The "G-spot" obviously not caring let us take pictures of them.)

KEEP THEM COMMENTS COMING! :)

Community Service

2009-10-22T21:11:04Z

One of the most interesting things about AUC is its clubs and organizations. It has a wide variety of clubs such as community service, entertainment and educating clubs. One of these clubs is called AYB, Alashanek Ya Balady. It is an Arabic word which means “for you my country”. It is a student-led community service club which mainly aims to achieve sustainable development at Ein Elsera which is a poor district in old Cairo where people have some problems like low income, computer illiteracy and language problems. This club has started at AUC since 2002, but now it has four chapters in other governmental Egyptian universities. AYB consists of two main bodies. The first one is OC, stands for organizing committees which mainly works on campus. They are divided into smaller committees which are responsible for AYB’s public relations in campus, raising fund and making documentaries about AYB. They also design flyers, posters, banners and booths. This picture shows AYB booth which was for “Be Positive” campaign which urges students to be positive and do their best to improve their country.

]]> The second body of AYB is Programs. It consists of many programs which work on Ein Elsera. These programs are committed to computer learning, micro projects funding, youth development, English development, charity and eliminating illiteracy. All this is done by students who go to Ein Elsera to teach people computer so that they may enter ICDL exam for free, teach them English and Arabic for illiterate people and also developing youth by teaching them noble values. They also give loans to people at Ein Elsera so that they may embark on projects to raise their income. There are also donations which are organized by charity program. This photo is taken from Ein Elsera where some of AUC students are celebrating with people at Ein Elsera in the end of the year.

Another aim of AYB rather than developing people in Ein Elsera is to develop students at AUC like any other club or organization on campus. A lot of trainings are provided for members and also for other students to teach them computer programs that they shall use through the year like Photoshop and Sony Vegas. It also gives members the opportunity to gain experience through dealing with people outside campus. It also teaches them other skills like tutoring skills for people at Ein Elsera. All these activities which students practice are aiming to prepare students for the real. That’s why students are encouraged to be engaged in such activities. This photo shows a trainer giving AYB lecture about self awareness and leaving a legacy.

Last year, AYB won the third place for MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship and it was awarded 1000$. Although this prize provides AYB members with happiness and confidence that they are on the right track, I think that their real prize was the smile on people’s face at Ein Elsera. There are also other community service clubs at AUC rather than AYB like Help Club or Glow. You can benefit your country through working in such organization and that is your role as a good citizen who cares about others and about his country.

Ahmed Kenawy
Andrew Youssef

AUC Sports Complex

2009-10-22T20:28:28Z

Aucians have been waiting for a long time for the opening of the sports center in the new campus in Katameya. They endured a lot in the old campus due to the limited facilities that were provided. For this reason they were waiting for the new sports center to fill up their expectations and cover their needs. In fact, the new sports center provides a lot of facilities to AUC society, both students and staff. There is an outdoor zone containing two basketball courts and two handball courts.

]]> There are four tennis courts where our colleagues who are members of the AUC team practice at. Two soccer pitches are also built on a very high standard so that the university could host important matches and championships.
Moreover, the new AUC sports center has a big gym containing 3 rooms of different equipments of the latest edition which persuade students to exercise regularly during their spare time. We usually go there to jog or lift some weights! An enormous indoor court is available for practicing sports such as basketball, handball & volleyball. It also has a track in its upper floor to be used by athletes.

The sports center should also include a swimming pool. However, it did not function till the moment due to some technical problems. In fact, this is causing some problems to the members of the swimming and water polo teams as they are not able to train within the entire campus. As a result, they are forced to exercise outside the campus which makes them fatigue and uncomfortable. Lockers are also available in the new sports center to be used by any exerciser. In addition, the AUC teams compete in different competitions either national or international ones. Trainers are very experienced and they schedule daily practices for the teams. Most of the AUC teams such as football, handball, basketball and volleyball had travelled to different countries such as Turkey and Malaysia in order to play against universities of these countries. Furthermore, the AUC sports center gives a lot of rewards for students who accomplish great sport achievments. In fact, the new sports center had met the Aucians expectations to a big extent. In addition, the sports center now has many new sports which weren't there such as boxing and rowing. To enhance the sports complex GoGo juice and Cilantro Café are also present for athletes to grab a drink after their exercising. AUCians do not use the sports complex as much; we're always busy eating at the food court or just chillin' anywhere..
Cheers
Aly El-Deeb
Ahmed Maged

AUC

2009-10-22T19:40:07Z

New AUC Campus Helps Egypt

2009-10-22T19:25:54Z

AUC was first established in 1919 in downtown Cairo, this part of the busy city was known for its ancient artifacts and beautiful environment surrounding the campus but due to the rapidly growing population and the narrow streets and since most of the population concentration is located in central Cairo and Giza it was very difficult to maintain a smooth flow of traffic around the university campus, this caused many problems to the students, professors and even to the public, it was impossible to sustain proper class timing. Also the pollution became intense in this area due to the very large number of vehicles. Also the fact that many of the government's headquarters are located in this area caused even further complications. All these difficulties made the university board consider moving to a new campus in a place more suitable not only to make it easier for the students and the professors but also to help decrease the over crowded streets in this part of Cairo. After long discussions and debates the board reached the conclusion that they should move to a more suitable, newer area. The decision was reached to build a new, bigger more advanced campus in new Cairo which is a city newly formed and considered as an extension to the capital. It is located south east of Cairo, with the new city’s vast areas and facilities it was able to attract a very large number of business and schools to re-open there. With AUC leading by taking this huge step of moving out, not only did it serve the public in this crowded part of Cairo by decreasing the pressure on this area but it also leaded other universities to do the same and encouraged many businesses to open in this new area and also investors were stimulated and started building huge resorts, houses and living areas. This all was a great step in helping diverse the Egyptian population in new areas. The new AUC campus also was a great positive to the university's capabilities and facilities. The larger space of the new campus enabled a lot more, now AUC has enough space to build more labs and better classes and larger lecture halls and conference rooms; this opened a door of opportunities to the university to expand its teaching programs, and research programs now not only will it now be able to accept more student but AUC is now able to introduce medical school and pharmaceutical school, and in the very near future these schools will be established. AUC’s new campus is also environmentally friendly this is a great positive in helping our country decrease its greenhouse gas emissions. The over all view is that AUC's step towards moving into new Cairo created life in an area once people knew as the desert and transformed it into a new place full of life for the good of our country.
By:
Beshoy Tarek Malaty and Hussein Mohamed

Egyptology in AUC

2009-10-22T19:13:21Z

Written by: Aya Salama and Silvana Philip

(http://egyptclub.whwebsolutions.com/wp-content/themes/Ancient%20Egypt/images/Header.jpg)

In the minds of many, Egypt has always been the land of the pyramids, Cleopatra, king Tut, "the mummy "and " the mummy returns". The mystical appeal of the ancient Egyptian civilization has lured many to try and know better about it and study it more closely. And where closer can one ever study it that in the land of the pharaohs itself! The American university in Egypt is one of a selected few (probably one of two) of American affiliated universities that offer an Egyptology major world wide. Among the different departments of AUC, Egyptology is considered one of the most unique and interesting departments. The department presents a wide variety of courses concerned with the dawn and development of the Egyptian civilization. Students study different topics such as construction, hieroglyphic language, medicine, religion and many other aspects of this great civilization. For its uniqueness, the department attracts Egyptian and foreign students alike who share the passion of studying ancient Egyptian culture and history.

]]> Students at AUC are lucky because they have a privilege studying this course in Egypt. The department organizes weekly field trips to sites all over Egypt including Luxor, Aswan, Giza, Sakkara, middle Egypt and others (all great archeological sites). Field trips and work related to Egyptology courses are very interesting. With Students having access to museums and different cities in Egypt, they could readily see all sorts of artifacts and remains they are studying in their original environment. Giving them a richer and more enjoyable learning experience than any they could ever get merely by studying about them in books. The above image was taken in a field trip to Minya city in Egypt in 2008 where Students traveled to examine a site.

(Courtesy of AUC Egyptology department)

In another course offered by the department, students study a very interesting and mysterious part of Ancient Egyptian rituals which is mummification. In a recent field trip students practiced ancient Egyptian rituals for mummification… on animals; nevertheless, it was just as exciting as the real thing! In the process, some students even read sacred funerary text and burned incense as to mimic the original rituals as accurately and genuinely as possible.

(Courtesy of AUC Egyptology department)

This is a group photo of students and professors in the Minya city field trip. The photo expresses their interest and excitement about the field trip. The field trips help students discover how the Egyptian civilization was advanced in all sorts of disciplines and about the secrets and we are trying to discover up till today. In effort to strengthen the bond students have with their history and thus society, AUC offers Egyptology courses as part of the core requirement courses mandatory for all students. The AUC press publishes great books and spectacular photo albums about Ancient Egyptian civilization so as to support the great enthusiasm of all who like studying Egyptology. This way the AUC helps students build a sense of appreciation of to their country and their ancestors who passed on a great civilization that their descendants are proud of to this day. It also helps foreign students discover the magnificent civilization of Egypt.

Our Environmentally Friendly Campus

2009-10-22T18:02:20Z

Greetings from across the Atlantique! If any of you guys ever came to Cairo, you probably noticed that it’s a polluted city. Where else would you see a bus blowing more smoke than a big fire? In order to avoid polluting our city even more, the American University in Cairo developed an environmentally friendly campus. Other than classrooms, meeting halls and buildings our campus also has a lot of greenery. There are 1,216 date palms such as the ones shown in the photo and a lot of grass areas. Being surrounded by this kind of environment is a pleasant experience when you live in a crowded and polluted city such as Cairo.

]]> Also, the AUC campus is a pedestrian area. This allows us to take a break from the very crowded streets all over the city even if we have to walk around all day in the sun. The only other way of getting around on campus is the golf carts which are not pollutant. But unfortunately they are reserved for faculty members.

The AUC also encourages recycling. More than 75 percent of the stone in the wall that circles the campus “was recycled from stone that would otherwise have been discarded as waste”. Other than that example, as you can see in the picture, our university also tries to sort garbage. This will later help recycle some of the things thrown away such as paper that will otherwise be a problem to the environment.

These are some aspects of our environmentally friendly campus. I hope I didn’t scare you away with the bus story. Cairo is still a great place to visit, after all it is the land of the great pharaohs. Talk to you soon!

YOUSSEF Youssef (This is actually my first and last name, I didn’t write my name twice)

Source: http://www.aucegypt.edu/newcairocampus/Pages/default.aspx

Our Environmentally Friendly Campus

2009-10-22T17:50:58Z

Greetings from across the Atlantic! If any of you guys ever came to Cairo, you probably noticed that it’s a polluted city. Where else would you see a bus blowing more smoke than a big fire? In order to avoid polluting our city even more, the American University in Cairo developed an environmentally friendly campus. Other than classrooms, meeting halls and buildings our campus also has a lot of greenery. There are 1,216 date palms such as the ones shown in the photo and a lot of grass areas. Being surrounded by this kind of environment is a pleasant experience when you live in a crowded and polluted city such as Cairo.
Also, the AUC campus is a pedestrian area. This allows us to take a break from the very crowded streets all over the city even if we have to walk around all day in the sun. The only other way of getting around on campus is the golf carts which are not pollutant. But unfortunately they are reserved for faculty members.
The AUC also encourages recycling. More than 75 percent of the stone in the wall that circles the campus “was recycled from stone that would otherwise have been discarded as waste”. Other than that example, as you can see in the picture, our university also tries to sort garbage. This will later help recycle some of the things thrown away such as paper that will otherwise be a problem to the environment.
These are some aspects of our environmentally friendly campus. I hope I didn’t scare you away with the bus story. Cairo is still a great place to visit, after all it is the land of the great pharaohs. Talk to you soon!

YOUSSEF Youssef (This is actually my first and last name, I didn’t write my name twice)

Source: http://www.aucegypt.edu/newcairocampus/Pages/default.aspx