SCZONE showcases investment opportunities to eight Japanese companies    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    Egypt's PM meets Tokyo governor, witnesses signing of education agreements    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Egypt's Sisi, France's Macron discuss Gaza ceasefire efforts in phone call    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egypt to tighten waste rules, cut rice straw fees to curb pollution    Indian tourist arrivals to Egypt jump 18.8% in H1-2025: ministry data    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Unrest causes drop in AUC's international students
Published in Daily News Egypt on 11 - 07 - 2011

CAIRO: When the protests erupted here in January, the American University in Cairo — traditionally a hub for international students looking to study in the Middle East — saw the number of international students in its spring class dwindle by 86 percent.
Among a class of approximately 250 international students, all but 35 left Cairo for the semester on security concerns. At the time, the United States Department of State recommended US citizens, who make up a large portion of AUC's international students, avoid travel to Egypt and warned that citizens in Egypt “should consider leaving as soon as they can safely do so.”
Nearly six months since the onset of the protests, the university is still facing an international student community that is reluctant to commit to Cairo. A total of 30 international students are at AUC this summer, fewer than half the usual number of students AUC draws for its popular Arabic language classes and other summer courses.
“We are trying to encourage more students to come,” said Randa Effat, director of international advising at AUC.
The university expects about half the number of international students in the fall compared with previous years.
“Mostly I think the case is that students have already made up their positions of what they're going to do in the fall and it's too late to change,” Effat said. “We're more hopeful that things will normalize in the spring.”
The State Department reduced its warning to a lesser “travel alert” in late April. But in addition to remnant unease among students and parents about traveling to the region, safety and liability concerns have left universities hesitant to fund or offer credit to students traveling to Egypt.
“Even though it's a travel alert, a lot of universities are not comfortable sending their students yet,” Effat said.
Not all international programs in Cairo are facing the same dearth of students. The Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA), a highly competitive language program based in Cairo and Damascus, canceled courses at its campus in Damscus. But CASA is hosting 47 full-time students at its AUC-affiliated Cairo program for one year of intensive Arabic that began last month.
“For the coming 12 months, CASA is witnessing the second to the highest enrollment in its history,” Zeinab Taha, assistant professor at AUC and co-director of the CASA program, wrote in an email.
Taha, who is also the director of AUC's Arabic Language Institute, wrote that due “to our extra care for our students who were here during the revolution,” AUC has managed to draw a substantial number of students to ALI. This summer, 67 students are studying intensive Arabic at ALI, which is considered separately from AUC's general course offerings to international students.
For those international students who are studying at AUC this summer, their programs remain relatively unchanged, Effat said. Most AUC summer courses are attended by local and international students, so attendance numbers in classes are not drastically different.
Effat said the university is offering fewer levels in Arabic-language studies given the drop in demand, but it is also making exceptions to provide classes with as few as two students.
She said that supervisors have advised students to take added precautions and stay away from crowds.
“We advise them to be cautious,” she said. But the school has not placed restrictions on international students' mobility. “They're adults. They have to act responsibly,” Effat said.
“I personally encourage students to come to Cairo at this point in time because there is so much to experience and so much on the political front. It is for any student a real lifetime chance to come and experience it,” she said.
“This is the best time to come and study Egyptian politics,” said AUC summer student Ellen Duthoy, who is in Cairo this summer from the University of Virginia.
She said she has felt safe living in Zamalek and that she has also been willing to travel the city.
Even after the violent protests that erupted in Tahrir Square last month, she said she and her friends felt comfortable going to an Ahly soccer match.
“Everyone told us not to go, but we went anyway,” said Tabina Chuk, a student from the University of Arizona who is studying Arabic and economics this summer and will continue at AUC in the fall.
“It was a great game,” Duthoy added.


Clic here to read the story from its source.