Outreach and Activities

May 2024:
• Hybrid lecture (AUC community only): 'Why men need to step up for the education of women’s body autonomy in Egypt and North America'. This event is part of the course AMST 1099 “Exploring Feminist Perspectives in Egypt and the US” taught by CASAR Assistant to Director and Adjunct Faculty Yasmeen El Ghazaly. This event was a collaboration between Tadwein NGO representing Egypt, and Women’s Advocates NGO representing the United states and finally representing Canada was the London Abused Women's Centre in London, Ontario – classroom CP55 - AUC New Cairo -  May 15, 2024.

April 2024:
• AUC community only lecture: 'Gender-based violence (GBV), Women and the Law in Egypt and the US' featuring Counselor Mohamed Samir – This lecture is part of course AMST 1099 where the impact of specific Egyptian articles from the constitution & the legal penal code on women was discussed in addition to a brief comparison was given regarding the US. This lecture was a collaboration with the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program at AUC -  El-Mansour lecture Hall - AUC New Cairo - April 24, 2024.

March 2024:
• Public lecture: ‘Women and STEM Education in Egypt & the US : Stepping into a man's world of science & technology ’. This event honored the International Women’s Day (March 8th). This public lecture was a collaboration with: The Tomorrow's Leaders Gender Scholars Program, School of Science and Engineering at AUC, Fulbright Commission in Egypt and the Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. The esteemed panelists for this event were Dr. Hanadi Salem, Professor and Chairperson, AUC’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Chair of the University Senate, Ana Lichtenberger, US Fulbright Scholar and Mai Salama Adjunct Professor and Engineer, CEO of ‘Mai the Mechanic’- A pioneer female mechanic in Egypt. The panel was moderated by Yasmeen El-Ghazaly, Adjunct Faculty and Assistant to Director at the Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies & Research (CASAR) - Thursday March 28, 2024 – Conference and Visitor Center, Mary Cross Hall - AUC New Cairo.

February 2024:
• Public lecture: ‘The U.S. Civil Rights Experience and the Freedom Riders’ featuring Joan Trumpauer Mulholland. The lecture honored Black History Month and was a collaboration with the Public Diplomacy section at the United States Embassy in Egypt.- GAPP Executive Room P090 – AUC New Cairo - February 7, 2024.

• Public lecture: ‘The Free Speech Exception to Palestine’ which was a collaboration between Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR), School of GAPP and the English & Comparative Literature Department (ECLT) at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The lecture was delivered by Steven Salita. Thursday February 15, 2024 – Tim Sullivan Lounge – AUC New Cairo

December 2023:
• Hybrid lecture (AUC community only): 'Body Autonomy, Culture & Empowering Women in Egypt, US & Canada: The Differences That Unite Us' – part of the AMST 1099 Special Topics lecture – classroom CP57 - AUC New Campus -  Dec. 3rd 

November 2023:
• Public lecture: 'How far have women come in the past 120 years in Egypt and the US?' featuring Dr.Hoda Elsadda  & Dr.Jillian Campana. The event was moderated by CASAR Assistant to Director and Adjunct Faculty Yasmeen El Ghazaly. This panel discussion was hosted to honor the global 16 days of activism set by the UN campaigning for eliminating violence against women – Alwaleed P071 - AUC New Campus - Nov. 26th

• Public lecture: ‘The Gaza War: Implications for the United States and Egypt’ - Featuring AUC Professors David Dumke and Karim Haggag moderated by CASAR Director Mark Deets –GAPP Executive room P090 - Aljameel building -  Nov. 20th

 • Public lecture: 'How Different Are We? Sexual Harassment Education in the US and Egypt' featuring Dr. Jillian Campana – Tim Sullivan Lounge - AUC New Campus - Nov. 19

• AUC community only lecture: 'Gender-based violence (GBV), Women & the Law in Egypt' featuring Counselor Mohamed Samir – This lecture is part of course AMST 1099 where the impact of specific Egyptian articles from the constitution & the legal penal code on women was discussed -  classroom CP57 - AUC New Campus - Nov. 15th

October 2023:
• Public lecture titled: "Mapping the Journeys of Enslaved People From Zanzibar to the Gulf " featuring Dr. John Thabiti from the Africa Institute, Sharjah – Tim Sullivan Lounge - AUC New Campus – Oct. 15th

• Public Panel Discussion: "Global and Regional Repercussions of the 6th of October War: Arab and American Perspectives" A tribute to 50 years of peace after the 6th of October /Yum Kippur War with David Dumke, Mouannes Hojairi, and Mike Reimer, moderated by CASAR Director Mark Deets - History Dept. meeting room 2144 - AUC New Cairo Campus – Oct. 4th

September 2023:
• Public lecture titled: 'October Surprise? Iran and Jimmy Carter's Electoral Defeat, 1980' featuring Dr. Michael Reimer - The talk engaged in discussions about the US relations with Iran, and how the prolongation of the "hostage crisis" was a major cause of Jimmy Carter's defeat in the 1980 presidential contest – Tim Sullivan Lounge - AUC New Campus – Sept. 10th

• Livestreamed Public Webinar: 'Women in Solidarity: The cultural constructs affecting strategies used to empower abused women in Egypt, USA & Canada' - May 17, 2023

• This engaging virtual public lecture discussed the challenges women-empowering institutes face in Egypt, USA & Canada as they work with abused women each within their own domains and how cultural differences affect the strategies used to end abuse against women & spread awareness about violence against women in Egypt & North America. This event will featured the following speakers each representing their own countries in this discussion (names in alphabetical order): Mary Beth Becker-Lauth, Community Education and Outreach Manager at Women's Advocates, Minnesota, USA as well as Mozn Hassan,Founder of Nazra for Feminist Studies, Egypt, Wendy Goldsmith, Advocate and Counsellor Coordinator of Anti-Human Trafficking, London Abused Women’s Centre, Ontario, Canada.

• The event was moderated by Yasmeen El Ghazaly, Assistant to Director and Adjunct Faculty at the Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR), The American University in Cairo. This event was also live-streamed via the CASAR social media page.

• This special lecture was part of the Spring 23 course AMST 1099 - 'Exploring Feminist Perspectives in Egypt and the US ' at CASAR, AUC. For event agenda and more information click here

• Public lecture: Fulbright Scholar Dr. Thomas Dolan, Assistant Professor teaching in the History Department at American University in Cairo gave a lecture titled, 'But They Can Represent Themselves: MENA Representation and Activism in American Culture', March 23rd. AUC New Cairo Campus.

• About the lecture: Although Orientalist depictions of the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region are nothing new, the last few years have seen increased interest in the MENA region, particularly on the part of streaming services looking to exploit the growing MENA market. At the same time, performer-activists have had unprecedented success in advocating for a “MENA” category to be recognized by the acting unions, production companies, casting societies and even the Oscars. This talk examined US race-making, organizing and entertainment to offer an overview of new possibilities and challenges facing MENA representation, as MENA performers move from the margins to the mainstream and claim the right to represent themselves on their own terms.

Online webinar - March 16, 2021: featuring  guest speaker Dr. Jon Alterman, Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and Director, Middle East Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) ,  Ambassador Karim Haggag Professor of Practice at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and Director of the Middle East Studies Center at the American University in Cairo and  Dr. Mohamed Kamal Professor of Political Science at Cairo University and the American University in Cairo, and Director of the Institute of Arab Research and Studies, titled: " The Future of U.S.-Egypt Relations” . This event featured many debates from the panelists.

Given the ongoing impacts of the worldwide pandemic COVID-19, CASAR’s lecture series were resumed online in the form of public webinars:

• Online webinar - October 27, 2020: Featuring guest speaker Dr. James Thurber, Distinguished Professor of Government, The American University in Washington D.C. titled: "The 2020 U.S. Elections”. This timely event was organized prior to the U.S. elections of 2020. 

• Online webinar - November 17, 2020: Featuring guest speaker Dr. Soner Cagaptay, Beyer Family fellow and  director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute and Ms. Jasmine El-Gamal Senior Fellow Atlantic Council and former Middle East Advisor at the U.S. Department of Defense, titled: " How will U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East change under President-elect Joe Biden?” The event discussed the many anticipated changed impacting the region under the new U.S. president Joe Biden compared to Donald Trump’s preceding policies. - 

• CASAR in collaboration with The US Embassy  in Cairo hosted Dr. Joshua Eisenman on October 16, 2019 to give a lecture to Dr.Karim’s PPAD undergraduate class “Introduction to Diplomacy”  
  Dr. Eisenman is specialized in Chinese affairs and foreign policy and he will be talking about China’s trade, foreign direct investment strategies, and economic relationships in Africa. Joshua Eisenman is an assistant professor of public affairs at the University of Texas’ Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, and a senior fellow for China studies at the American Foreign Policy Council.
   
• AUC Community only lecture: Presidential collaboration hosting the controversial lecture titled: 'Off-the-record conversation on the US-Egyptian Relations' with Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer and Ambassador Frank Wisner - Moataz Alfi Hall– December 2, 2019 - AUC Community only discussion.
   
• Closed roundtable discussion: Meeting with delegates from China Institute of International Studies (CIIS):
  On December 4 2019, CASAR hosted a delegation from the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), a foreign policy think tank based in Beijing. In the closed meeting, the participants discussed with regional experts as well as a selection of AUC professors issues regarding Egypt-China relations, Egypt-US relations in the areas of politics and security against the background of Sino-US strategic competition.
   
• Closed roundtable discussion:  December 8 2019, CASAR hosted a closed roundtable discussion in honor of Dr.David Dumke from the University of Central Florida titled  “Turkey’s Shifting Foreign Policy: Regional Intervention and Great Power Alignments” which featured rich  discussions about Turkey’s political role in the region amidst the ongoing dynamic foreign policy changes in the Middle East
   
• Closed Roundtable Discussion: A roundtable discussion with Mr. David Makovsky, January 14, 2020  at AUC Tahrir Campus CASAR.

Mr. David Makovsky Ziegler is a distinguished fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and director of the Project on Arab-Israel Relations and former advisor to the US Department of State on Israel-Palestine affairs. Mr. Makovsky discussed future prospects for diplomacy on the Israel-Palestine front, and the broader context of electoral politics in Israel and the US, and Washington’s foreign policy towards regional crises. The roundtable discussion included a select group of participants from the diplomatic community, journalists and parliamentarians, and was off-the-record.

• Johnathan Wolf on "U.S Economic Tends Entrepreneurialism: Risks VS. Passion’, - a collaboration with the School of Business , 10 February 2019, Mary Cross Hall, AUC New Campus. 
• Daniel Levy, President of the U.S./Middle East Project and the founding editor of the Middle East Channel at foreignpolicy.com lecturing on : "Palestine-Israel: Where are we now? Where are we headed?” March 12, Oriental Hall - AUC Tahrir Campus
• Daniel Levy, President of the U.S./Middle East Project and the founding editor of the Middle East Channel at foreignpolicy.com lecturing in a closed roundtable discussion - March 13, Thebes Salon • Marriot Zamalek Hotel 
   
• Fulbright Scholar Thomas DeLuca,Professor of Political Science, Director of the International Studies Program at Fordham University, USA delivered a lecture titled "Donald Trump Meets Xi Jinping: Great Power Exceptionalism and the World”,  March 18, GAPP Executive room P085- Al Jameel Building,  AUC New Cairo Campus
• Distinguished Visiting Professor Karen Jacobsen  to deliver a lecture titled "Comparing the US and Egyptian Refugee Policy" Dr. Jacobsen is a Professor in Global Migration, The Fletcher School, Tufts University, this lecture was in collaboration with  the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies - March 24,  AUC New Cairo Campus
   
• Distinguished Visiting Professor Karen Jacobsen  to deliver a lecture titled "US Immigration Policy in the Trump Era - What’s New for Refugees" This lecture was in collaboration with the Center for Migration and Refugee Studies - March 27, AUC Tahrir Campus 
   
• Fulbright Scholar Dr. Frances Oneal, Professor of Political Science, Director, International Honors Program, and Associate Director, University Honors Program, University of Alabama, USA lectured on, "The Future of American Foreign Policy: An Unprecedented Path”, April 11  - GAPP Executive room P085- Al Jameel Building, AUC New Cairo Campus

• American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) Delegation on "A Conversation with Young American Political Leaders" November 12, 2018. AUC New Cairo.
   
• Martin Indyke, the Executive Vice President of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. on US-Egypt Foreign Politics - November 8, 2018. Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Cairo Review and CASAR host Ambassador Martin Indyk

PoP Aly Erfan (PPAD) and PoP Karim Haggag (CASAR) hosted Ambassador Martin Indyk, former US Special Envoy for ME Peace Process (2013-2014), in a roundtable discussion with prominent policymakers, scholars and journalists.

Ambassador Indyk addressed current US policy in the Middle East and its implications for regional peace.

The event was held jointly by CASAR and the Cairo Review and was chaired by Professor Bahgat Korany, Director of the AUC Forum.

• CASAR-GAPP Tahrir Dialogue no. 74 with Dr. Paul Salem, President of the Middle East Institute in Washington on "US Foreign Policy Turbulence: The Repercussions on the Arab Region" October 29, 2018. Sofitel El-Gezira Hotel. Watch the lecture here. View Report here.
• David Dumke on"Political Madness in Washington: Understanding the American Political Landscape" September 26, 2018. AUC New Cairo. Watch the lecture here. 
   
• CASAR-GAPP Tahrir Dialogue no. 71 with Dr. Shibley Telhami, Professor of Government and Politics, University of Maryland on "What is happening in America?" September 20, 2018. Sofitel El-Gezira Hotel. Watch the lecture here.

Agnieszka Domańska on"Imbalances in the globalized world – causes, mechanisms and consequences” - Economic Policy responses in view of the theory April 12, 2018. AUC New Cairo.

• CASAR collaborated with Fiker Institute in the UAE to co-host a Policy Roundtable on 2024 US Elections discussing the implications for the Middle East in June 2024. CASAR was represented by CASAR Adjunct Faculty Alaa El-Hadidi at the event. With less than five months till the US chooses its next President, the closed session gathered academics, fellows and researchers to debate the political, economic and strategic dimensions of a new American administration, be it a Republican or Democratic one.

• CASAR Adjunct Faculty & Assistant to Director Yasmeen El-Ghazaly served as a panel discussant with AUC's Tomorrow's Leaders Graduate program's annual conference held at the Lebanese American University in Beirut in June 2024. The TLG Conference, with this year's theme "Bridging Horizons - Shaping the Future of the MENA Region through Interdisciplinary Research," is an annual event organized by the TLG program between the three partner universities (AUC, AUB and LAU).

• On the 29th of April, CASAR Director Professor Mark Deets attended the ACN Management Board Meeting at Exeter College, University of Oxford, UK representing CASAR AUC at the Alwaleed Cultural Network Board meeting to reflect on the current projects with the ACN, promote CASAR AUC’s Cultural Heritage project and discuss future plans and possible collaborations with the other ACN partners and affiliates.

• This year CASAR also submitted much needed catalog changes intended to attract more students to join our American Studies Minor. The changes were all accepted & will be implemented in the upcoming 2024-2025 AUC catalog.

• CASAR Director Professor Deets was featured on the online show Global Perspectives | WUCF (wucftv.org), hosted by CASAR’s DVS this academic year David Dumke to discuss his latest book, titled ‘A Country of Defiance; Mapping the Casamance in Senegal’ on January 10th, 2024.

• CASAR Director Professor Deets chaired a panel of AUC undergraduates to present their work in our AUC Undergraduate Research Conference (EURECA) in April 2024.

• In Fall 2023, CASAR hosted Distinguished Visiting Scholar Professor David Dumke from the University of Central Florida to teach the F23 course AMST ‘Is America Still a Superpower?’.

• CASAR Director Professor Deets served as a panelist at the 66th 2023 African Studies Association Annual meeting held in San Francisco  in November 2023. Professor Deets served in two panels titled: Senegalese History Wars: Marguerite Verdat’s Unpublished Document on the Alleged Destruction of the Casamance Archives and Roundtable discussion: Publishing in the Journal of West African History.

• New book was published by CASAR Director Professor Mark W. Deets, titled ‘A Country of Defiance; Mapping the Casamance in Senegal’ -  August 22, 2023.
This book provides a historiographical analysis of human geography and a social history of nationalist separatism and cultural identity in southern Senegal. This book represents a spatial history of the conflict in Casamance, the portion of Senegal located south of The Gambia. Mark W. Deets, Assistant Professor and Director of Prince AlWaleed Bin Talal Bin AbdulAziz AlSaud Center for American Studies, traces the origins of the conflict back to the start of the colonial period in a select group of contested spaces and places where the seeds of nationalism and separatism took root.

• Movie Night – Two documentaries were shown shedding light on GBV, abuse & the role of NGOs and Abused Women's Shelters in Egypt ’Those Girls’ and ‘Keep your head held high’- May 16, 2024. This event is part of course AMST 1099 “Exploring Feminist Perspectives in Egypt and the US” taught by CASAR Assistant to Director and Adjunct Faculty Yasmeen El Ghazaly. Both movies resonate with theme 6 of the course titled: Global feminist perspectives in our communities and the world (feminist aspects from a selection of countries, Women studies/empowerment NGOs and women shelters in Egypt and North America) and the academic field trip the students go on every semester as part of their submitted written coursework. For this event, students were asked to watch both documentaries and carefully reflect on them linking the course content throughout the semester to their submitted work.

• Academic field trip to Egyptian NGO Banati Foundation - مؤسسة بناتي, this trip was part of course AMST 1099 'Exploring Feminist Perspectives in Egypt & the US'  which discusses the role of NGOs in empowering girls & women in Egypt – May.

The Center of American Studies and Research (CASAR) launched a Student Discussion Series in Fall 2023 semester, it is a student-led debate on a plethora of current hot topics. In this student discussion series, students play the role of delving into topics together to understand one another. This event was broadcasted on facebook live via the CASAR Facebook Page, where the entire record is still available to watch. Students passionately presented their arguments in an organized manner, going back and forth between the two sides, and often students became excited about leading their side of the class with their perspectives. The winner presenting the best argument to support their opinion is awarded a certificate of appreciation, a special feature (and photo) on the CASAR website, Facebook and Instagram pages as well as an honorary special feature on the 'Speaker of the month' board at the center

• AUC Student debate for the CASAR Student Discussion Series: ‘Does Social media bring more harm than good?’ – Classroom CP74 - AUC New Cairo -  September, 2023 - The Winner of this debate was Yomna Hisham Othman.

• AUC Student debate for the CASAR Student Discussion Series: ‘Should cultural artifacts be returned to their country of origin?’ - Classroom CP74 - AUC New Cairo - October, 2023 - The winner of this debate was  Mohanad Fouda

• AUC Student debate for the CASAR Student Discussion Series: ‘"Can solidarity produce mutual benefits for the African Diaspora and Palestine social movements?"’ – Classroom CP74 - AUC New Cairo -  February, 2024 - The winners of this debate were Noor Al-Qaimari AND Aly Abdelrehim. The debate honored Black History Month.

• AUC Student debate for the CASAR Student Discussion Series: ‘‘Should men be allowed to vote on abortion legislation?’’ - Classroom CP74 - AUC New Cairo - March, 2024 - The winner of this debate was Yasmine Rizk - This debate honored International women’s day.

• Academic field trip to Egyptian NGO Banati Foundation - مؤسسة بناتي, this trip was part of course AMST 1099 'Exploring Feminist Perspectives in Egypt & the US'  which discusses the role of NGOs in empowering girls & women in Egypt – Nov. 28th

On the occasion of celebrating 50 years of hip hop, the CASAR American Studies Film club showed the PBS Foundation episode of: Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World'- The show is an incredible narrative of struggle, triumph and resistance that will be brought to life through the lens of an art form that has chronicled the emotions, experiences and expressions of Black and Brown communities: Hip Hop. In the aftermath of America's racial and political reckoning in 2020, the perspectives and stories shared in Hip Hop are key to understanding injustice in the U.S. over the last half-century. The featured foundation episode unleashed the factors that led to the birth of Hip Hop and its first socially conscious hit "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 1982.
The event took place on  Wednesday, March 1, 2023. After the screening, a short discussion took place over a small reception with Kim Fox, Professor of Practice at the JRMC Department and Mark Deets, Assistant Professor and Director of Prince AlWaleed Bin Talal Bin AbdulAziz AlSaud Center for American Studies (CASAR) and Jacquelyn H. Berry, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and the event was moderated by Yasmeen El-Ghazaly, Assistant to Director and Adjunct Faculty at the Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR).

• On Tuesday, May 9, 2023, Yasmeen El-Ghazaly, Adjunct Professor at (CASAR) escorted the undergraduate class taking a course under the Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies & Research (CASAR) to the Banati Foundation - a shelter and rehabilitation facility for mainly girls that are homeless.

• The entire facility is fully established through the enormous generous efforts of a large family under the leadership of Hanna Abulghar the Chairperson & Founder of Banati, united by the same passion to provide protection for children within Banati and beyond.

• Child protection and empowerment with education, health, social and psychological support are probably the best investment in Egypt’s and the world’s future. This responsibility goes beyond parents and state to include all members of our society joined by common values of humanity. The visit concludes an integral theme in the taught course AMST 1099 ‘Exploring Feminist Perspectives in Egypt & the US’ which discusses the global role of NGOs in raising awareness about all aspects of feminism and how the different NGOs in Egypt particularly work to help end violence against women.

• The students was taken on an exclusive tour of the entire facility to witness the services given to the children, meet the teachers responsible as well as other amazingly dedicated staff members who explained the full rehabilitation process offered to the children. The students were highly impressed by the cleanliness and high standard of this facility as well as the dedication of the team working there to aid these children to the best of their ability.

• The Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies and Research at the School of GAPP is immensely grateful to Hanna Abulghar for this exclusive unique educational opportunity that certainly raised the awareness of the students to the efforts made by the Egyptian civil society and Egyptian NGOs in this regard.

Alwaleed Cultural Network, a newly established global network, that will promote tolerance and understanding between different cultures, religions and beliefs.

The ACN (Alwaleed Cultural Network) is a website where all six Alwaleed Centers will broadcast a selection of work to a broad spectrum of audiences ranging from students, professors, researchers and the general public around the world. It is also meant to provide a means of collaboration (virtual or physical) within all siz centers and all get a deeper look into the work each center runs within different scopes and mandates. MOUs between the Alwaleed Philanthropy and all six centers around the world have been successfully established for the ACN to take flight.

Alwaleed Philanthropies has built a unique network of academic centers based at six of the world’s most respected universities. Each Centre has its own particular structure and vision, but all work towards the common goal of enhancing cross-cultural understanding through innovative research, dynamic teaching and creative public engagement.
Although the individual success of each Centre is clear, the global visibility and impact of the network as a whole is yet to be fully realized.

The Alwaleed Cultural Network (ACN) has the potential to evolve into a globally-recognized brand, engaging and influencing a wide variety of audiences and stakeholders across the world. Exploring stories of cultural connections, Alwaleed Cultural Network is built on a series of projects and online workshops, whereby current partners unanimously recognize the significant value of working more closely together to increase collective global impact. Pioneering academic and cultural institutions across North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia, all supported by Alwaleed Philanthropies, have come together under one umbrella to promote education, awareness, and Islamic knowledge – recognizing that diverse cultures have remarkable histories and exchanges in common.

These institutions are Alwaleed Islamic Studies Programme, Harvard University (USA), Center for American Studies and Research, American University of Beirut (Lebanon), Center For American Studies, American University in Cairo (Egypt), Centre for Islamic Studies, University of Cambridge (UK), Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University (USA), Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World, University of Edinburgh (UK), History of Science Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford University Museums (UK), and Museum of Islamic Art, Pergamon Museum, Berlin (Germany).

To view the newly established global platform click here

• On Tuesday, December 6, 2022, Yasmeen El-Ghazaly Adjunct Professor at (CASAR) escorted her undergraduate class taking a course under the Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR) at the School of GAPP to the Asmarat Women’s Shelter and Counseling Center which is part of the Asmarat Center for Integrated Services.

• This entire facility is fully established under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity. The visit concludes an integral theme in the taught course AMST 1099 ‘Exploring Feminist Perspectives in Egypt and the US’ which discusses the global role of NGOs in raising awareness about all aspects of feminism and how the different NGOs in Egypt particularly work to help end violence against women. More importantly, it significantly highlighted the immense efforts made by H.E. Nivin El Qabbaj the Minister of Social Solidary to combat the various forms of abuse against women in Egypt with the unprecedented support of the government under the leadership of his Excellency President El Sisi in empowering women at all levels, especially noting that these shelters and service centers are 100% funded by the government, unlike some similar facilities in North America by comparison.

• This trip provided essential much-needed insights to the experiences of other Egyptian women struggling to simply protect themselves and their children and see how the government is fully supporting them throughout several channels as very kindly explained by Jacquline Mamdouh, the General Manager of the Women’s Affairs Unit at the Ministry of Social Solidarity in the discussion panel conducted prior to the tour the class was given of the entire facility. The Integrated Services Center not only provides basic living conditions to the women who need shelter, it's also part of a complete rehabilitation cycle teaching women a certain craft or help in starting up a small business, finish their education, help with illiteracy, help with medical assistance needed even so they can attempt to move on independently after they leave the shelter.

• This timely visit was strategically scheduled within the 16 global days designated by the UN Secretary General in 2008 (campaign titled UNiTE) to spread global awareness on eliminating violence against women. It also coincides with the initiative launched by the Ministry of Social Solidarity under the title ‘Hold the beginning of the thread and be a part of the decision – امسكوا طرف الخيط وشاركوا في القرار’ which raises awareness about the different forms of violence against women and how to be a part in deciding how to change this culture in Egypt.

• The panel discussion and PowerPoint presentation was given to the students to disclose full details on the services offered at the facility and the admission process as well as the exit procedure. Furthermore, Jacquline explained the various campaigns launched by the Ministry in efforts to positively impact our culture and society like ‘The Positive Parenting’ campaign aimed at educating parents to adopt a violence free approach to raising and educating children as well as ‘Mawadda’ which targets educating young men and women who are approaching marriage about how to manage violence-free households.

• Many unique cases admitted to the shelter were discussed and students were intrigued and impressed by this entire experience as they compared it with the North American counterparts they have studied.

• After the QandA session, the class was taken on an exclusive tour of the facility to witness the rehabilitation process and counseling services offered to women who seek refuge at the center and the two shelters. The class was highly impressed by the cleanliness and high standard of this governmental facility as well as the dedication of the team working there to aid abused women to the best of their ability.

• The Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies and Research at the School of GAPP is immensely grateful to H.E. Minister Nivin El Qabbaj for this exclusive unique educational opportunity that certainly raised the awareness of the students to the efforts made by the Egyptian government in this regard. While this visit represents the first of its kind between AUC, CASAR and the Ministry of Social Solidarity, we sincerely hope that this unique collaboration expands further to encompass more units at GAPP and ultimately AUC at large.

• Online movie night showing - January 17, 2021: “The Namesake” (directed by Mira Nair). The Namesake depicts the struggles of Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli, first-generation immigrants from the East Indian state of West Bengal to the United States, and their American-born children Gogoland Sonia. The film takes place primarily in Kolkata, New York City, and suburbs of New York City. American-born Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants, wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers, despite his family's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways.
• Online movie night showing - February 7, 2021: “Coming to America” (directed by John Landis). Coming to America is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed by John Landis and based on a story originally created by Eddie Murphy, who also starred in the lead role. The film also co-stars Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Shari Headley, and John Amos. The first installment in the Coming to America film series, it was released in the United States on June 29, 1988. Eddie Murphy plays Akeem Joffer, the crown prince of the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who travels to the United States in the hopes of finding a woman he can marry.
• Online movie night showing - February 28, 2021: “3.5 bullets, 10 minutes” (directed by Marc Silver). 3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets, also known as 3 1/2 Minutes, is a 2015 documentary film written and directed by Marc Silver. The film is based on the events surrounding the 2012 shooting of Jordan Russell Davis and examines the incident itself, as well as the subsequent trial, media coverage and protests that resulted from the shooting. The film premiered under its original title 3 1/2 Minutes at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2015, later winning the Special Jury Prize for Social Impact.[2] The film was then bought by HBO Documentary Films, and premiered on HBO on November 23, 2015. On December 1, it was one of 15 films shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for the 2016 89th Academy Awards.
• Online movie night showing - March 21, 2021: “Sabah” (directed by Ruba Nadda). One day, when Sabah least expects it, she falls in love with the wrong man. She's Muslim, he's not. Unbeknownst to her family, she goes on a whirlwind affair before both culture and love collide.
• Online movie night showing - March 28, 2021: “The Half of It” (directed by Alice Wu). When smart but cash-strapped teen Ellie Chu agrees to write a love letter for a jock, she doesn't expect to become his friend - or fall for his crush. The Half of It is a 2020 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Alice Wu. It stars Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, and Collin Chou. Netflix released the film on May 1, 2020 to positive reviews. The film received the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. The film is a modern loose retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac in which teenage Ellie Chu begins writing love letters on behalf of the inarticulate Paul Munsky to his crush, Aster Flores.
• Online movie night showing - April 11, 2021: “Hidden Figures” (directed by Theodore Melfi), featuring our guest speaker Professor Rebecca Hankins from Texas A&M. The film is based on the 2016 non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly about African American female mathematicians who worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the Space Race. The film stars Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who calculated flight trajectories for Project Mercury and other missions. The film also features Octavia Spencer as NASA supervisor and mathematician Dorothy Vaughan and Janelle Monáe as NASA engineer Mary Jackson, with Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, and Glen Powell in supporting roles. Hidden Figures displays the many struggles of women of color face in the 1950s, who despite all the difficulties faced, served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program
• Online movie night showing - May 16, 2021: “Nomadland” (directed by  Chloé Zhao) A woman in her sixties who, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.

Given the ongoing impacts of the worldwide pandemic COVID-19, CASAR in collaboration with the ECLT dept. resumed the American Studies Film series online in the following events:

• Online movie night showing - October 7, 2020: “Beatriz at Dinner” (directed by Miguel Arteta). Beatriz is a Los Angeles massage therapist and holistic healer who drives to the seaside mansion of her client Cathy. When her old Volkswagen breaks down, she receives a friendly invitation from Cathy to stay for a seemingly innocent business dinner. As the guests arrive and the wine starts to flow, Beatriz finds herself in an escalating war of words with Doug Strutt, a ruthless real estate mogul who cares more about money than people.
• Online movie night showing - November 1, 2020: “The Social Dilemma” (directed by Jeff Orlowski). This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations.
• Online movie night showing - December 6, 2020: “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” (directed by Joe Talbot). The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a 2019 American drama film. Its plot centers on the efforts of a young Black man to reclaim his childhood home, a now-expensive Victorian house in a gentrified neighborhood of San Francisco.

This workshop was organized by CASAR jointly with the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) at the American University in Cairo, the Department of War Studies at King's College, London, and the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. The workshop’s goal was to connect recent academic research in re-examining the evolution of nuclear diplomacy with current nuclear policy questions facing the Middle East and Egypt.

The workshop featured presentations and analysis by international and regional academics, policymakers, and NGO experts focusing on nuclear research and policy. This workshop reflected on the status of nuclear studies capturing the evolving research agenda in the field, the opening up of new primary sources, and the incorporation of new perspectives on the politics of the nuclear age among other topics that frame the current academic debate on nuclear weapons. The workshop participants also discussed the history of multilateral and regional nuclear diplomacy. The workshop examined some of the key historical and diplomatic milestones and reflected on prior regional efforts to address the nuclear question including in the Arms Control and Regional Security (ACRS) working group under the Madrid Peace process.

In conclusion, the workshop addressed the current debates about nuclear policy in the region and focuses on on-going efforts to establish a zone free from weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.

CASAR and the Cairo Review have established a partnership with Northeastern University in order to benefit from their Cooperative Education Program (Co-op) in 2019-2020. The Co-op Program offered by Northwestern University provides a unique opportunity for their students for employment overseas in other universities under a fully paid program whereby students have the opportunity to work from four to six months in their field of study at the hosting university.

Under this program, Northwestern University pays for airfare - visa application/fees - accommodation in the hosting country - food and transportation allowance for the visiting students. This semester we hosted the Northwestern student Sydney Wise to provide support to both units until June 2020 under this program and we are expecting to host two to three more students to start working with us in Fall 2020 as well. This opportunity presents added value not only for CASAR and the Cairo Review enhancing exposure to both units but also for the University as a whole in raising AUC's profile as a favorable destination for foreign students.

CASAR successfully managed to revive the American Studies Film Club in collaboration with the ECLT Dept. in Nov 2019. To date, we have had 3 successful well-attended movie nights with AUC Faculty and students. Following each movie, there would be lively discussions about the movie in relevance to the contemporary social and cultural issues we deal with in our daily lives. This activity provides a much-needed cultural insight into our outreach program especially with the post-screening discussions conducted with the audience at the event.

• CASAR Film Club movie night with the ECLT dept. featuring the movie "Fahrenheit 11/9" by Michael Moore. November 11, 2019
• CASAR Film Club movie night with the ECLT dept. featuring the movie "Amreeka"-  December 1, 2019
• CASAR Film Club movie night with the ECLT dept. featuring the movie "Blind-spotting" – February 19, 2020
• CASAR Film Club movie night with the ECLT dept. featuring the movie "The Namesake" – March 18, 2020
• CASAR Film Club movie night with the ECLT dept. featuring the movie "Dinner at Beatriz" – April 5, 2020

In 2018 CASAR Director had met with Dr.David Dumke, an experienced Middle East Studies expert, and the Director, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies to discuss upcoming collaboration plans between the University of Central Florida (UCF) and CASAR from 2019 onward including focusing on a number of public speaking events, roundtable discussions as well as organizing a promotional event to engage students about AUC/GAPP programs.

Furthermore, this initiative would be a useful opportunity to show momentum in implementing the program funded by a grant provided by Mr. and Mrs. Wolf. On December 8, 2019, CASAR hosted a private roundtable discussion in honor of Dr.Dumke titled  “Turkey’s Shifting Foreign Policy: Regional Intervention and Great Power Alignments” which featured rich discussions about Turkey’s political role in the region amidst the ongoing dynamic foreign policy changes in the Middle East. 

One of the major accomplishments of the center in AY 2018-2019 was the revival of the Fulbright program after a halt since 2012. CASAR had the pleasure and honor of first hosting Dr.Thomas De Luca, a Professor of Political Science, Director of the International Studies Program at Fordham University as the American Studies Specialist from March 16th to April 3rd. CASAR then had the pleasure and honor of hosting Dr. Frances Oneal, a Professor of Political Science, Director, International Honors Program, and Associate Director, University Honors Program, University of Alabama from April 8th to April 23rd as the Political Science Specialist. During the two weeks allotted for each specialist, both professors conducted a series of meetings as well as both graduate and undergraduate lectures along with a public lecture conducted in the AUC New campus during the students’ assembly hour.

CASAR Director Ambassador Karim Haggag participated in the Annual MESA Conference as part of a delegation from AUC headed by AUC President Ambassador Ricciardone. The delegation led and participated in several panels, among them are:

• How Can We Continue To Do Research in the Arab World? - Organized by Rabab El-Mahdi - POLS Dept.
• Cross-National Research on Contemporary Middle East Politics. Chaired by James H. Sunday - POLS Dept.

GAPP and Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR) at the American University in Cairo (AUC) collaborated with the Institute for International Relations, Panteion University, and the Center for Energy Policy at the University of Nicosia to host an international workshop.

The workshop, entitled “The Emerging Strategic Co-operation between Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece,” was held on September 25, 2017, in Cairo. In light of the 2016 tripartite summit between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus, the workshop addressed avenues for cooperation and modalities for turning innovation and research into partnership and synergies.

The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR) at The American University in Cairo, in collaboration with the American University in Beirut and the Department of English and Comparative Literature, hosted an international conference on May 13 and14 on the historical Tahrir campus. Titled Rumpus: America and the Age of Trump, the conference aimed to launch a discussion of the factors and coalitions which led to Trump’s election and the global political and cultural ramifications of his elections. Click here for the conference video.

CASAR Director Magda Shahin participated in the Second Delphi Economic Forum 2017, addressing a session titled “Perimeter Security Threats for Europe and Terrorism” on March 3-5, 2017. 

The Essam Fares Institute for Public Policy at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon hosted a conference in affiliation with Princeton University titled Social Justice in the Arab World since 2010: Changing Conditions, Mobilizations, and Policies from February 1 to 4, 2017. 

CASAR Director, Ambassador Magda Shahin and assistant director Yasmeen El-Ghazaly, an MA graduate of the Cynthia Nelson Institute for Women and Gender Studies at AUC, presented a jointly written paper titled "Notions of Nationalism, Public Spaces and Women in Egypt, Contemplating Between Constitutions After 2011."  Click here for the presentation at (40:39).

CASAR hosted a fourth round table discussion titled Arab-US Relations in Perspective on January 29 and 3, 2017 at the Cairo Marriott Hotel. This workshop was done in collaboration with the School of GAPP and the Middle East Institute in Washington. A carefully selected high-caliber group of politicians, academics and think tanks attended this event, bringing enlightening prospects to the issue at hand with interesting deliberations, recommendations and findings. Check out the links below for more media coverage of the event:

·For the Middle East Institute's findings and recommendations concerning the round table, click here. 

·To watch the conference proceedings, click here.