Issue No. 606
People
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3 - 9 October 2002 Issue No. 606 People |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
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Traditionally, Egyptians who chose to study abroad traveled to the US, Great Britain or France. Now, my dears, Egyptian parents who wish to send their children to study abroad have a good alternative: Canada. In an interview with Al- Ahram, the Canadian Embassy press officer, Jean-Philippe Tachdjian stated: "With programmes in both English and French languages, and one of the highest standards of living in the world, Canada offers an attractive and economical alternative to Egyptian students interested in a better future." With the recent opening of the first Canadian International School in Egypt, there is strong interest in the Canadian education system; especially given its recognition as one of the best in the world; the third best worldwide, in fact.
To capitalise on this interest, the Embassy of Canada is organising "EDUC-Canada 2002"-- the first ever Canadian Education Fair held in Egypt from 12 to 14 October, at the Nile Hilton Hotel. This prestigious event will be inaugurated by Egyptian Prime Minister Atef Ebeid. Guests of honour will include Minister of Higher Education Moufid Shehab, Canadian Ambassador to Egypt Michel de Salaberry and Editor-in-Chief and Chairman of the Board of Al-Ahram Establishment Ibrahim Nafie. It is worth mentioning that the Al-Ahram Establishment is EDUC-Canada's main sponsor. Education professionals from 25 different Canadian universities, colleges and technical institutes will come to Egypt to recruit promising Egyptian students for Canadian educational institutions. Embassy representatives will also be available throughout the fair to answer questions related to obtaining student permits and living in Canada.
Commemorating two years since the uprising of Al-Aqsa Intifada, the Cairo Opera House -- headed by Samir Farag -- hosted 15 Palestinian girls and boys from Aida Camp, Bethlehem. The youngsters shared the struggles of their daily suffering at the hands of the Israeli aggressions that devastated their homes and deprived them of their loved ones. The event was organised in collaboration with Al- Akhbar newspaper and the charitable Foundation of Refugees in Bethlehem, Palestine.
My colleague Reham El- Adawi and I witnessed the opera's celebration, which included a seminar on the event led by veteran writer Ne'ma El-Baz. Attendees included the permanent representative of Palestine at the Arab League, Mohamed Sobieh, and director of the Cairo International Film Festival and First Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Culture for Foreign Relations Cherif El-Choubashi. A group of authors and journalists -- including Editor-in- Chief of Al-Usbou' newspaper Mustafa Bakri, chairman of the board of the East Languages School, Awatef Serageddin, and actress Soheir El-Murshedi -- listened to the tragic stories of Asmaa, who spoke about her school life with her colleagues and how they witness death everyday as they are threatened by the bullets of the Israeli occupiers. Rawan expressed her feelings after losing her father at the hands of an Israeli soldier. Young Liyan could not share; without uttering a word, emotion took the better of her and she burst into tears.
The tales were followed by a display by the children themselves: a folk dance and singing show that included several Palestinian songs such as Al- 'Aouda (The Return). The event culminated with the Palestinian children being awarded shields by their Egyptian peers at several Egyptian schools -- such as Nawal El-Degoui's Dar Al-Tarbia and American schools, Misr 2000 and East Languages Schools, as well as the National Council for Children's Culture represented by its head Fatma El-Ma'doul.
I discovered, my dears, that Gamal Nkrumah, editor of the Weekly's International Page, was right when, in his profile of our colleague Mursi Saad El- Din, he wrote that there is something boyish about him. I'd go even further and say childish is a better description. You should have seen Mursi's face when he talked to the kids of the Future American School. It was not so much as a lecture or a talk, it was a two-way chatter with the little imps trying to corner him with some sharp questions. Mursi is raving about the school, its beautiful buildings, spacious facilities, highly qualified staff and beautifully alert and disciplined pupils. He is so enthusiastic that he agreed to sit on a jury to judge a competition among the youngsters!
My lovely friend, and a cherished member of the Weekly's layout team, Nesmahar Sayed Ali tied the knot last Thursday, saying her vows to Ayman Farahat, a salesman working in Kuwait. The wedding party took place on the breezy terrace of the Republican Guards Club. The kosha, my dears, was a delightful swing.
Most of Nesma's colleagues at the Weekly attended the wedding, including the so-called leaders of the pack: Editor-in- chief Hosny Guindy, Layout Editor Samir Sobhi, and Assistant Editor Mona Anis. Nesma and Ayman danced to the DJ's popular Arabic music and songs all night. Their friends, and Nesma's brothers, Mohamed and Sherif, and sisters, Nesreen and Shereen, danced right by their sides.
Nesma and Ayman spent part of their honeymoon in Hurghada, and will then go on to Alexandria for a few days. The whole Weekly family wishes them a fabulous future.
In accordance with their continuous endeavors to build a powerful and modernised Arab nation, members of the Arab Youth Union at the American University in Cairo (AUC) will organise the Second Arab Youth Development Congress from 1 to 5 April 2003. Among other activities organised by the congress was last week's night of music and lyrics that featured the Iraqi oud player Nassir Shamma at the AUC's Ewart Hall. The congress activities will take place at the AUC and will be in Arabic. One hundred and fifty students from other Egyptian universities will participate, in addition to students from various Arab countries. Through its four councils, the conference will discuss the areas of civil society, economy, scientific research and historical revision, and what the Arab youth can offer the world and what are the obstacles that could potentially hinder them.
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