AUC students join forces with public and private universities to promote a culture of reading
AUC students, in collaboration with public and private university students, are organizing a one-month campaign to promote a cultural dialogue between Americans and Egyptians through the Big Read Egypt (BRE) program. BRE was established this year at AUC as part of the Big Read Egypt/U.S. program aiming, according to the BRE to “expand a cultural understanding and dialogue between Egyptians and Americans through shared reading of each nation’s great literary treasures.”
The Big Read is a collaborative global cultural initiative project of the U.S. Department of State and the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In Egypt, students will be required to read three American masterpieces; The Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mocking Bird and Fahrenheit 451. In the U.S., students are getting familiarized with Egypt’s culture through reading Naguib Mahfouz’s masterpiece Thief and the Dogs.
“Through Big Read, we are encouraging people to read more and to read everything, not just novels,” says Elissa Stankiwich, Big Read’s faculty advisor. “The outreach part of the program encourages young university students to bond and encourage each other to speak out and voice their opinions to defend their argument in a logical manner.”
Through its collaboration with Better World NGO for youth development, students get to visit the outskirts of Cairo and small villages and share what they have learned. “This helps AUC students get in contact with students from different backgrounds to find out more about Egypt’s culture,” Stankiwich adds, “I would like to see this club growing and students continuing to read more, learn more and share their experiences.”
In addition to Better World NGO, BRE joined forces with student-run clubs from the German University in Cairo (GUC) and Cairo University in order to create change in the society through arts. In the past few months, they have been creating awareness campaigns to recruit members and organize weekly sessions and workshops.
"I believe that the Big Read Program offers an invaluable experience for both public university students as well as for the AUC students. I think this is a great opportunity for cultural exchange and for students to get a deeper insight on the American culture as well as their own,” says Dalia Issa, associate director for cultural programs.
Besides reading, BRE adds a little bit of entertainment as well. “We create games, debates, discussions and competitions from the material we read in books to make it more interesting and entertaining and to help students think beyond what they are reading,” says Omneya Sultan, president of BRE. There are currently 100 participants from various universities throughout Egypt and from Better World NGO. “Students are very excited about this opportunity. They see it as a chance for them to improve their English, become more culturally aware of other cultures and get introduced to the American culture.”
“My aim is to make students appreciate the beauty of literature, of other cultures and to open up more to the world,” Sultan adds.
The American University in Cairo (AUC) was founded 90 years ago and is major contributor to the social, political and cultural life of the Arab Region. It is a vital bridge between East and West, linking Egypt and the region to the world through scholarly research, partnerships with academic and research institutions, and study abroad programs. An independent, nonprofit, apolitical, non-sectarian and equal opportunity institution, AUC is fully accredited in Egypt and the United States.
