President's Report
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President’s Report 2002.2003 In the heart of Cairo, AUC’s educational experience extends beyond the classroom. With its rich history, Khan El Khalili offers international students a unique cultural adventure President’s Letter Simultaneously, the university officially kicked off its comprehensive capital campaign, which will raise the funds for scholarships, fellowships and, of course, its new campus, needed to underpin the high-quality education AUC provides its students. Throughout the year, as we conducted our search for a new president, we added three endowed professorships, bringing leading faculty from around the world to teach at AUC in the fields of Coptic studies, comparative religion and While serving as interim president during the international business; and we continued to 2002-2003 academic year, I was often reminded provide a forum for the exchange of ideas of my tenure as president in the 1960s. When I through distinguished visiting professors and first arrived in 1963, the university was searching invited guest speakers that included Boutros for a way to expand its campus. Over the next Boutros-Ghali, the late Edward Said, James Wfew years, we doubled the size of the campus and Zogby, Mohamed Hassanein Heikal and Hanan its student body. Now, AUC is entering a new Ashrawi. Despite the war, and sometimes because phase of its growth, not so much in numbers of of it, the campus was a lively place, challenging students as in the quality of the facilities and students and faculty to face the enormous issues support each student and faculty member will confronting us on all sides. enjoy. With the move of the campus to New We were also successful in identifying a unique Cairo, AUC will undoubtedly be altered; yet, as I individual as our next president. David Arnold look back over the past 40 years, the essence of most recently served as executive vice president AUC remains unchanged — an international of the Institute of International Education, one of institution providing American-style education the world’s largest non-profit international tailored to, and inspired by, its location and the educational exchange organizations. He also has people it serves. In the realm of learning, it had more than a decade of experience with the brings together the East and the West in a Ford Foundation. Along with the other members common enterprise. of the Board of Trustees, I am confident that his Last year was a time of transition of leadership; able and mature leadership will guide a stronger nevertheless, progress went on for the university. AUC into its new state-of-the-art campus. In February, AUC’s late President Emeritus John Gerhart, an exceptional leader who has left behind a legacy of optimism and inspiration, laid the cornerstone of the new campus with Egypt’s Thomas A. Bartlett First Lady Suzanne Mubarak ’77, ’82. Interim President 2 Chairman’s Letter The challenges to AUC this year have been formidable. So have been its achievements. The world situation has put AUC under stress, with many of its supporters questioning certain US policies. Nevertheless, our students, faculty and the Tbroader Egyptian community recognize the importance of AUC’s role in Egypt. We remain committed to Egypt, to our liberal values and to playing a proactive part in the country’s continuing development. In February, Egypt’s First Lady Suzanne Mubarak ’77, ’82 laid the cornerstone at the site of our new Since my last report, we lost our long-time state-of-the-art campus. Fundraising for this trustee, Mimi Thorne Gilpatrick. Mimi was the wife project continues. We raised over $60 million and, of our former chairman, Landon Thorne. In days with your continuing generosity, will reach our when AUC was fragile, Landon held the university $100 million goal. together, laying the foundations for its greatness. After a diligent search involving more than 100 Mimi was always a dedicated supporter and her potential candidates, the trustees chose David effervescence will be missed. Arnold as AUC’s 10th president. Since taking office, We elected two new trustees: Ken Bacon and his whirlwind pace has been exemplary. I am Richard Bartlett. Both are sons of distinguished convinced that we made an inspired choice in advisory trustees, and both merit election in their David, not least because of his wife, Sherry, whose own right. Ken was a Wall Street Journal journalist for active support of his mission is crucial to its success. many years, before joining the US Department of David succeeded Tom Bartlett, who stood in as Defense during the Clinton years as press interim president for a year, assisted by his spokesman. He is now president of Refugees indispensable Molly, reprising with vigor his International in Washington. Richard is a New York previous stint as president from 1963 to 1969. We based venture capitalist, a Yale law school graduate are deeply grateful to Tom and Molly for their and former Supreme Court clerk. energetic and successful tour of duty. Events this year make even clearer AUC’s Presidential succession was made necessary by the importance as a cultural bridge between the United decision of John Gerhart, our great former States and Egypt. With your support, we will president, to step down from his position to fight continue to play that vital role. an ultimately losing battle with cancer. Until the last, as president emeritus, John worked in an advisory and fundraising capacity. Thanks in large part to his efforts, we will achieve his dream of a Paul B. Hannon world-class university. Board of Trustees Chairman 3 LEADING TOMORROW President David Arnold shares his vision of AUC’s future Why did you decide to join AUC? rom what I knew of AUC’s history and my Accreditation Board and the Accreditation Board Fown observations, I recognized its uniqueness of Engineering and Technology. AUC, with and the fact that it has an indispensable role in representatives from more than 90 different building US-Egyptian relations. Additionally, AUC countries, is also home to a blend of cultures that plays a pivotal role in providing graduates who go undoubtedly adds to the richness of each on to become leaders in their communities, the student’s experience. Many of our international country and the region. As we look to the future, it students select AUC as a top destination to study is clear that AUC’s mission and message are needed Arabic through the Arabic Language Institute or more urgently now than ever before. I view the the Center for Arabic Study Abroad, a consortium AUC presidency as an extraordinary opportunity to of US universities that provide advanced Arabic make a valuable contribution to an institution that I instruction for American students. Finally, the believe in. It is an honor to be part of AUC’s future, wide range of extracurricular activities, and I am confident that together with the AUC community service clubs and distinguished community we will achieve great things. speakers on campus help students develop a keener understanding of regional and global What are your top priorities issues, coupled with critical thinking skills. in moving forward? here are three main areas that I will focus on. What are the challenges ahead? TThe first is to get us to the new campus on ne of the most important challenges AUC time and within budget. The second is to Ofaces is raising the funds it needs to ensure complete the comprehensive capital campaign that the superior quality of education it delivers to the will not only raise funds for the new campus, but region. The most visible need for these funds is also for scholarships, fellowships, professorships, the new campus, which will give students library support and faculty development. My third educational facilities unparalleled in the region objective, which I like to think of as an agenda for and at par with some of the best institutions excellence, is an integrated set of goals that include around the world. The new campus, however, is the academic integrity initiative, providing a only one part of the equation. The quality of an community service component as a part of every AUC education will depend, like it always has, on student’s experience, as well as continuing to the strength of its academic programs, the merit strengthen the quality of faculty and the of its exceptional faculty and the wide range of university’s professional programs. activities it offers. Another important area where funds are needed is scholarships and fellowships, What do you see as AUC’s specific strengths? which help make an AUC education more e are the only American university in the accessible. The university also faces increased WMiddle East that is accredited in the competition locally and regionally. Competition, I United States by the Commission on Higher believe, will help us to concentrate on our Education of the Middle States Association of strengths and improve our weaknesses so that we Colleges and Schools. Additionally, several of our can make sure AUC reaches its full potential. To programs, including both computer science and that end, we have to look at the next few years as engineering, are the only ones accredited outside a window of opportunity to focus our energy on the United States by the Computer Science how to improve and excel. 5 BRIDGING MINDS Dialoguing initiative promotes cross-cultural understanding between East and West 6 Amid mounting international tensions, especially Last year, the initial seed planted by that first in the Middle East region, cultural exchange has videoconference began to bear fruit, with AUC’s increasingly become the window through which launch of a dialoguing initiative designed to create each side can understand the other, as a first step an opportunity for students on opposite sides of to resolving conflict.