Summary of Experience
The trip to Egypt was an incredible experience, full of sight-seeing and cultural immersion. It was my first time traveling to abroad to a different country other than Russia, where I was born. I didn’t know what to expect, but kept an open mind and was full of excitement. The AUC International Student Office was so welcoming and packed a full semester worth of trips into just three weeks, so we would still get to experience everything Egypt had to offer despite our short time there. Incredible trips to the Giza pyramids, Luxor, Alexandria, Al Fayyum, the Egyptian Museum and the grand bazaar gave the MIIS students a great understanding of Egyptian history and culture. We were able to experience the traditional Egyptian cuisine, including delicious fava bean falafels, kosheri, kofta, and stuffed pigeon. While we explored Egypt during the day, every evening we had a three-hour lecture on sustainable development in which we were able to work and collaborate with our fellow AUC students. I really appreciated the fact that the two schools were able to bring the DPMI Cairo program back. While I feel like I learned a lot about sustainable development within the Egyptian context, I feel I gained even more on a personal level and learned to appreciate the unique aspects of the country.
Our first week in Cairo, the AUC International Student Office organized a guided tour for us to see the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx!