Students from 32 countries at the American University in Cairo (AUC) paraded this week their countries’ flags and showcased their cultures in different booths on campus in celebration of International Day.

Participants included students from Japan, the USA, Canada, Palestine, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Madagascar, Kenya, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon.

The celebration included live music, singing, dancing, eating and games.

Erick Edward Dokalahi, who studies food chemistry as part of the African Graduate Fellowship programme at AUC, said, “I am the first person from Madagascar to study at AUC and I am always happy to tell people how we live, our culture and the different ethnicities in my country.”

“Whenever there is an event like the International Day, Egyptian students and others of different nationalities are always eager to know details about my country, that is why I am always enthusiastic about International Day,” Dokalahi said.

AUC President Francis Ricciardone explained that “we are celebrating International Day this year in a very special way as AUC celebrates 100 years in Egypt.” 

“It made me feel very proud and happy to hear all these different national anthems and see the students in their national costumes. It was really spectacular.”

The Office of Student Life and the Cairo International Model of the United Nations (CIMUN) helped in organising the event, which also featured booths selling merchandise by different NGOs as part of AUC’s Neighbourhood Initiative.

A folk dance performance by the AUC students Photo courtesy of the AUC Office of Communications