New Developments

  This fall has witnessed a number of developments for the university. The first batch of PhD students have entered AUC this semester (page 4), marking the beginning of a promising program in the sciences and engineering, supported by AUC alumnus Yousef Jameel ’68, that will inevitably grow and expand.
Many of the candidates are conducting impressive research that will have a direct impact on the way we live.

It is also the first time that AUC’s Sports Center, which include an Olympic-size swimming pool as well as indoor and outdoor facilities, is fully functional (page 20). Touring the center, it was very pleasing to see the courts and pool bustling with students at different times of day. The facilities include squash, tennis,
basketball, volleyball, handball and table tennis courts; a football stadium; a state-of-the-art gym and fitness areas, including space for aerobics; as well as a martial arts room, and sauna and steam rooms
for men and women. Some students are using the facilities for recreation, while others are training as professional team members, but all agree that having such facilities on campus is an asset and
privilege. The facilities are also open to alumni with an annual membership fee so they too can enjoy the amenities at their alma mater. We invite you all to visit AUC New Cairo and check out the new sports facilities at your disposal.

On another note, this semester marks the end of President David Arnold’s tenure at AUC (page 12). Over the past seven years, President Arnold has overseen the construction and move to the New Cairo campus, with all the challenges and hardships those have entailed. People working closely with him testify to his assertiveness, long-sighted vision and extraordinary management skills that have enabled the completion of such a tremendous undertaking. President Arnold and his wife Sherry, who has regularly accompanied him on
visits to alumni and friends in various parts of the world and was instrumental in the development and advancement of the daycare center at AUC, will be remembered for their warmth, humility and respect for different cultures. Most importantly, President Arnold will be remembered for making history at AUC.