I am writing in response to your article in your latest issue, “Modeling Success.” I am the secretary-general of Cairo International Model United Nations (CIMUN) for the year 2010 - 2011. Your article came to us as a truly pleasant surprise. If you are interested in detailing your published article, I would love the opportunity to further illustrate many aspects of CIMUN 23 years later. CIMUN has now expanded to seven councils and an organizing committee of more than 100 members. Other than CIMUN, we also organize Junior CIMUN for high school students, and this year, it was the largest junior conference on campus and in CIMUN history.

Finally, I would like to thank you once again for placing our organization in the spotlight the way you did. It was a needed reminder of how much we have accomplished and how far we have come.

Noureen Ramzy, Egypt
Secretary-General of the Cairo International Model United Nations

In your recent article on CIMUN in the recent edition of your magazine, there is an omission. In the section on the Nadia Younes Memorial Fund, you mention all the guest lecturers that have spoken at this event save one. The 2008 guest lecturer was Sir Jeremy Greenstock.

Nahed (Younes) Fouad, Egypt

Ed – Apologies for this oversight. Sir Jeremy Greenstock is former British ambassador to the United Nations and special envoy for Iraq from 2003 to 2004. His lecture, titled “Lessons from Iraq,” coincided with the official inauguration of the Nadia Younes Conference Room at AUC New Cairo.

President David Arnold is a leader of excellence in every sense of the word. He is a presidential leader who will always be remembered by alumni at AUC, and in many parts of the world, for his determination, for being the know-how communicator, and for his intelligence in understanding the culture and needs of the region, thus creating an important world educational institution. How can we forget the following?
1) The president’s exceptional ability in the transition of AUC to the new campus
2) The president’s efforts in uniting and involving alumni with their alma mater, creating a big AUCian family all over the world. Being an alumna living in Geneva with my husband, who represents his country at the United Nations, I will never forget the president’s sincerity, impressive personality and kindness in our alumni gatherings. Many of us felt like crying aloud, “I am an AUCian.”
3) Last, but by no means least, the president’s wife, Sherry, the adorable and warm partner who shared all the responsibility, silently and successfully. Her warmth and commitment crowned her the queen of our hearts.

I would say au revoir to our dear President Arnold and Sherry.You are leaving us physically, but you are always with us with millions of memories. And we will meet again.

Samira Husseini Dabbagh, Switzerland

I opened the Summer 2010 issue of AUCToday and read with amazement one of the claims made in AUsCenes. You mention that for the first time in AUC history, a visually impaired student was granted an MA degree in TEFL [Teaching English as a Foreign Language] from AUC. This is not the case at all.

I taught in the MA TEFL program from 1977 to 1979 and proudly taught a completely visually impaired student who graduated in 1979 with an MA, completing his thesis. This was before the days of computers. He had to struggle mightily to grasp the visual nature of the linguistic aspects of the course work. He also had to navigate the busy streets of downtown Cairo to walk to campus from his residence. Proudly, he went on to Stanford University in California, where I believe he earned a PhD. Unfortunately, I don’t remember his name, but I do remember he was from Palestine.

Please correct this oversight and grant him the honor he is due.

Georgette Ioup, United States
AUC faculty 1977 - 1979, 1990 - 1992, 2000 – 2001

Ed –– Apologies for this mistake. AUCToday checked with the University’s TEFL program. The student’s name is Azim Sidky Abdel Khalek (MA ’80).