American University in Cairo
New Cairo Campus, Room 2175, Tel 02 2615 2694
History Department Conference Room 2144
Wed 8, 1pm – 2pm: Join Assistant Director and Adjunct Faculty member Yasmeen El-Ghazaly for a talk that explores the disturbing beauty trends practiced throughout history and across cultures. From arsenic complexion tonics and foot binding to neck rings, lip plates, nose plugs and even practices like female genital mutilation, this talk examines the dangerous extremes people have endured in pursuit of beauty. Let’s explore the shifting boundaries of beauty and question how far any of us might go to meet society’s ideals. El-Ghazaly holds an MA from the Cynthia Nelson Institute for Gender and Women’s Studies at AUC. Her research focuses on global feminist perspectives and the implications of non-secular social discourses on women’s lives in Egypt. She has published widely, including in journals by Wiley-Blackwell.
The Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo (NVIC)
1 Dr. Mahmoud Azmi St, Zamalek, Tel 02 2738 2522
Wed 8, 6-7pm: “A City Suspended Between Ashes and the Sea” poetry evening presents a dialogue between Mariam Mohammed Al Khateeb and Nour Elborno. Al Khateeb is a Palestinian dentistry student, poet, writer, translator, and community activist. A survivor of genocide from Gaza, she is currently continuing her studies in Egypt. Her work has been published in This Week in Palestine, Avery Review, We Are Not Numbers, TRT World, and Palestine Deep Dive. She represented Palestinian civil society as a Youth Ambassador in Japan and participated in the global Hult Prize competition. Her writing focuses on poetry and essays exploring memory, survival, and the body as forms of resistance. Elborno is a published author, English literature lecturer and sworn legal translator. (It is not allowed to take photos, make videos, or record during this talk. The poetry night starts at 6pm. We work on a first-come, first-served basis as the number of seats is limited. Doors open at 5:30pm and close them at 6:15pm or earlier when the lecture room reaches its full capacity).
Tahrir Cultural Centre (TCC)
AUC’s Tahrir Campus, Al-Sheikh Rihan St, off Tahrir Square, Tel 02 2615 2694/01280009077
Oriental Hall
Wed 8, 6:30pm – 8pm (The event is open to the public): Amid ongoing economic and fiscal reform efforts, the Alternative Policy Solutions is hosting Egypt’s Minister of Finance, Ahmed Kouchouk '99, in a talk entitled “Public Finance Challenges: Debt, Public Spending, and the Budget Deficit”. The International Monetary Fund recently released its report on the Egyptian economy, highlighting the importance of continuing fiscal consolidation efforts through broadening the tax base, improving the efficiency of public spending and adopting more sustainable debt management policies. The report also emphasized the need to preserve, and possibly increase, social spending, as well as to expand programmes supporting healthcare, education and social safety nets.
The event will discuss Egypt’s ongoing fiscal and budget reforms, and whether they support macroeconomic stability and foster growth. How can social justice be achieved while ensuring the sustainability of state finances under the burden of debt?
The discussion will be moderated by Rabab El-Mahdi, Associate Professor of Political Science at the American University in Cairo and Director of Alternative Policy Solutions.
(Registration at 5:30pm, doors will be closed at 6pm,
Simultaneous translation into English will be available).
* A version of this article appears in print in the 2 October, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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