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Vol.1 Issue 24, October 2020
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Authority and I became the director of the actuarial Science program at the
work and how they devote all their time for their students. On the other
American University in Cairo. After several years, a new Dean was appointed
hand, I wasn ’ t involved in the student activities greatly where my
for the faculty ofs cience and Engineering and he needed to appoint a new
participation was limited to some sport activities like participating in
vice Dean for the faculty. After asking various people, people started
basketball games and some art activities mainly some art exhibitions. My
describing some of my qualities to him which Igained at the Faculty of
small participation in the activities was due to the difficulty of the major of
Economics and Political Science, he eventually appointed me. In addition that
Statistics which required complete dedication.
last year, I became the vice president of the affairs of evaluation and
accreditation at the American University in Cairo. The department of
Statistics truly affected me since I entered the Faculty till now and I owe this
Personally, The Faculty of Economics and Political Science was and will
credit to everyone who has taught me something.
always be a family, a home and a role model. My work at the Faculty
continued 20 years, starting from being appointed as a teaching assistant in
4. You have important expertise in the field of managing the risks related
1986 till 2006 when I went to The American University in Cairo.Even after
to companies. In your opinion, how did the Corona crisis affect our lives?
going to The American University for 5 years, I had no doubt that I would
return to the Faculty of Economics and Political Science after a year or two.
Certainly, our lives will not be the same after this crisis. Nevertheless, I see
In 2011, I was asked to be permanently appointed in The American
that although this pandemic has negative effects, it also has some positive
University in Cairo and I can describe this decision to be one of the hardest
ones.If we take a look at the education before the pandemic, it had to be done
face to face and the teachers had to explain in classes. However, in a blink of
decisions I made since I had to choose between my family and an extremely
an eye, all our traditional ways had to be changed in order to adapt to what
promising and challenging job. The decision of being permanently
happened. In 48 hours, we, as professors,were required to changequickly, to
appointed at The American University was not an easy choice, because of
teach remotely and to be technology educated. From the things that I have
the very lengthy process, almost a year for the appointment to be approved.
learned from this crisis is that the person has to develop and enhance himself
More specifically, your department, the Faculty and the University had to be
all the time, otherwise he will fall behind. Definitely, this pandemic has
rated and your papers had to be sent to evaluators in The United States Of
affected the lives of a lot of people, especially the ones who have to go out to
America and it had to get good references, so that your employment could
earn their living. This is where the society ’ s role take place, where we have to
help those who are incapable of keeping up with technology and evolution. To
be approved. Despite of the difficulty of the decision I had to make, I finally
conclude, it is extremely difficult not to learn from this pandemic. Personally,
accepted the offer of the permanent employment at the American University
I would love to see my students and teach them face to face, but I can
in Cairo and I had to resign from my job at the Faculty of Economics and
probably send them a video pre-lecture with a simplified explanation of the
Political Science, however my relation with the faculty never ended and I
lesson and I can leave the lecture for discussion and problem solving.
stayed in touch with my colleagues and students.
5. Finally, what advice do you have for our students at the Faculty?
3. How did the Major of Statistics shape your personality?
Firstly, I advise them to strive hard in any small endeavor they pursue, to not
look for short term success and to not wait for the immediate return of
My personality is a unique blendthat resulted from my family and from the
anything they do. In addition, I want them to not pursue and run after things
department of Statistics.The department was sort of an extension to my
but to work hard and the right things will come to them. Secondly, I advise
home, this is because of the special nature the Statistics department had
them to not compare themselves to others as I often hear that people want to
which was consistent with mine. More precisely, my father always
be like someone else or to live a life like his/her; however, this is neither
encouraged me to enter debates from a young age and express my opinion
correct nor healthy. I am not saying that the individual shouldn ’t learn from
on issues since I was 8, which gave me confidence to talk, express my
others, but they don ’ t necessarily have to be an exact copy of them. This is
because every person has his own good and unique characteristics that he has
opinion and to never be afraid of the older people. I also learned the
to preserve and others that need to be improved. That ’ s why each individual
diligence in everything I do whether it ’ s a huge and important thing or a
should understand himself, understand what he needs to change in himself
small thing, to give everything its right and do everything with conscience.
and should improve himself every day.
After enrolling in the department of Statistics in the Faculty of Economics
and Political Science, I found the ethics and the virtues of the people there
Thirdly, they should look around themselves with an open heart and mind.
close to mine, and that ’ s why I never felt alienated.
From the things I have noticed while studying my PHD in England, is that
there are 3 types of Egyptians that travel abroad, two of them are extremely
common. First type, is the type that ’ s afraid of facing the change, so they
Definitely,the ethics and knowledge that I learned in the faculty was a base
isolatethemselves in fear of being affected by the foreign society; this
to all I have achieved afterwards. Going to the American University in
particular type learns nothing from their travelling. The second type, which is
Cairo,the program of Actuarial Science was still new as it had only started 2
the type that ’ s impressed by everything abroad, thinking that everything that
years before. I didn ’ t know anything about Actuarial Science; however, I
they have left in Egypt is bad and this type learns nothing too. The third type,
was excited to learn more about it. At the beginning, I started teaching the
which is extremely rare, is the one that looks around with an open heart and
course of probabilities at the American University in Cairo, then I found
mind. By this I mean, they see the good things that they can learn from the
that the core of the Actuarial Science was probabilities and the theories of
European society and they add it to themselves and see what good things they
have inside of them that they have learned back home and they keep and
statistics that I studied, this is a result of measuring and evaluating the
preserve it. By this, they truly will have a unique personality.
financial dangers that encounters companies in Actuarial Science. I truly
Lastly, I urge them to not focus on what they will benefit from their work but
loved this new science and I started seeing what I can do with it. On learning
to focus on how they can benefit and add to their work. Most of this
about the fellowship system at the American Actuarial society, I found that I
generation are really keen on seeing immediate returns from anything they do
had to take a number of exams to be a member. Indeed, I started studying all
and by this they miss various opportunities. Moreover, I advise them to give
the time similar to the students despite teaching at the American University
their work enough time and effort. Finally, I advise them to not be arrogant, as
in Cairo at the same time. Maybe this was a result of what I was taught at
till now there are lots of things that I do myself although I could have given
them to any secretary in the department to do. As I like to do things myself so
Cairo University, that learning never ends and that something new must be
that I can see them in a certainway where it doesn ’ t matter who gets the credit
learned every day. The exams lasted for 5 years, afterwards I became a
but what matters is the growth of the work place.
member at the American Actuarial Society which gave me the right to be
registered as an Actuarial expert at the Egyptian Financial Regulatory
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Vol.1 Issue 24, October 2020