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ELITE Vol.1, Issue 30, April 2021 Happy

Ramadan
graceful music.
Oh, how happy I am to see the persons I
previously worked with now in important positions
The period between 2011 and 2013 was extremely such as the vice deanship.
difficult for Egypt and for Cairo University. Anyone you
can think of entered the university: Erdogan, Morsi, Concerning health economics, I want to thank Dr
liberals, and Muslim Brotherhood members. We Ashraf because he is the one who started Health
performed our role in an impartial manner, as a and Research and used to take us with him
university of enlightenment. In 2013, protests were everywhere, even to Arab countries. We were in
underway at Nahda Square, across the University, and the early stages of PhD at that time and we were
we were working inside. After this period, I left my a shining group on an international level; we
administrative duties to seek some quiet time doing my accompanied Dr Ashraf to the World Health
academic job as a professor and supervisor of the Organization and the World Bank.
master’s degree in health economics, which is the first
interdisciplinary degree between the Faculty of We are proud of your selection as one of the
Medicine and FEPS, in addition to my work on the 50 most influential women in Egypt according
Faculty’s scientific journal, which we are hoping to to Amwal al-Ghad magazine. Tell us more
transform into an international journal.
about the background to this selection.
After this rich career, to whom is Dr Heba Nassar According to their statements, Amwal al-Ghad is
grateful?
a financial magazine that carries out annual
statistics to determine a list of women who are
On a family level, I’m so grateful to my mother who most influential in the field of corporations and
accompanied me throughout my journey after my father finance. The magazine then presents this list to
passed away when I was ten. She used to come to its members for them to determine the 50 most
school with me and help me write down my lessons, influential women in a certain year. I’m not the
even though she didn’t understand German. And she first to be chosen for this award; Dr Mona El-
was open-minded; she encouraged me to travel when I Baradei and Dr Hala were chosen before me. But
was in school and in my senior year as well. I also I was very happy with this selection because I
recall my father-in-law who helped me a lot in the found out that 45-year-old women had managed
beginning of my career, which was a difficult period of to reach remarkable positions such as executive
balancing travel, my master’s degree and my children.
director for a company like Microsoft. It was there
that I met Dr Hala Hatem Sadek who was a
On the academic level, I’d like to mention Professor student at FEPS and who now runs a renowned
Amr Mohy El-Deen who was my master’s and PhD bank. I’m so happy with the women I met and the
supervisor. He was called the Prince of Economics in fact that women have been able to reach such
the Arab World. And he was a confident person, keen remarkable positions. I’m also happy that I
on seeing his students develop and grow because he received this award at the same time as the
realized that this was his role that he had faithfully scientific publishing award from the University;
fulfilled. He didn’t only help me, but he also helped the latter is the third of its kind that I’ve received
everyone who reached out to him. There are many in around five years and I’m particularly happy
other professors who supported me such as Dr Hanaa considering that most people my age are less
and Dr Salwa. I’d also like to thank Dr Hanan Mohamed passionate about research and publication.
who was my assistant at AUC since she was a few
years younger than I was; she used to help me with my Aside from the important administrative
statistical projects and we had many conversations positions that you’ve occupied, your research
where she was always trying to patiently explain to me positions have been influential as well,
in spite of my many demands. Sometimes she would whether as director of the Social Research
have to ask me: “doctor, do you understand statistics?”
Center at AUC, or as editor-in-chief of the
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