Amr Moussa and Ezzat Ibrahim
American University in Cairo
PO19, AUC New Cairo Campus
Wed 11 and Thurs 12, 9.30am – 5.30pm: “The Middle East in Transition: Regional Realignments and the Future of Post-Conflict Reconstruction, with Particular Reference to the Palestinian Cause” 8th Annual Political Science Conference is hosted by AUC's Department of Political Science. This two-day interdisciplinary conference examines key political, legal, and socio-economic dynamics shaping the contemporary Middle East amid ongoing conflicts and shifting regional alliances. The programme addresses a range of topics, including the politics of intervention, sovereignty, and the emergence of a new regional order in the MENA region; stability, security, and social media discourse in contemporary Gaza. The conference brings together leading political science scholars from Egypt and around the world, representing institutions including the University of Alberta in Canada, The American University in Cairo, Cairo University, the University of St Andrews in Scotland, Al-Azhar University, New Giza University, the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, the University of London, and the University of Edinburgh, among others. The keynote address is delivered by Amr Moussa, former minister of foreign affairs and former secretary general of the League of Arab States. Ezzat Ibrahim, editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram Weekly and Ahram Online, will give the concluding remarks on Thursday 12 February, 5.30pm. Sessions will be chaired by Ali El-Din Hilal, professor of political science and former Egyptian minister of youth; Mustafa El-Sayyed, professor of political science, Cairo University; Javed Maswood, chair of the Political Science Department, AUC; Bahgat Korany, professor of political science, AUC and Charles Tripp, former professor and chair of Middle East Politics, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. The Conference organizer is Dr Maye Kassem, Political science department, AUC.
GAPP Executive Room P085, Abdul Latif Jameel Hall
Sun 15, 1pm – 2pm: “A History of American Hubris” Ever wondered if Donald Trump's wild foreign policy was a total game-changer, or just the latest chapter in American bold (sometimes over-the-top) world adventures? Join "A History of American Hubris" lecture with guest speaker Michael Reimer, professor of history, AUC to unpack more than 250 years of United States global moves, where his ally-shaking style spotlights deep-rooted patterns.
Diwan Bookstore
105, Abu Bakr El-Seddiq St, Heliopolis, Misr Algedida, Tel 02 2690 8184/85/ 0122 6000168
Mon 16, 7pm: Basem Khundakji Monthly Book Club discusses The Tantoura novel.
Tahrir Cultural Centre (TCC)
AUC Tahrir Square Campus, Downtown, 24 Falaki St, Downtown Cairo, Tel 012 88721446
Main Building - Room 344
Sun 15, 6.30pm – 7.30pm: “Giza After the Pyramids: The Case of the Fifth Dynasty Mastaba of Akhmerutnisut (G 2184)” is an illuminating lecture as Egyptologist Inês Torres unveils new insights from the previously unpublished Fifth Dynasty mastaba of Akhmerutnisut (G 2184) in Giza’s Western Cemetery. Through a close analysis of the tomb’s architecture and decoration, and by presenting MAD-P’s most recent on-site findings, the lecture highlights the critical importance of revisiting privately owned tombs excavated in earlier periods.
ALEXANDRIA
Goethe Institute
10 Ptolemaic St, Azarita, Alexandria, Tel (03) 4841037
Thurs 12, 7pm: A discussion and book signing of Nisf Leqaa (Half a Meeting) novel by Nabil Bahaa El-Din, published by Al-Raqim Publishing and Distribution. The novel offers a profound psychological narrative exploration of incomplete human relationships, redefining the encounter as a mental and emotional state rather than a direct physical event. The novel unfolds in a gray area between presence and absence, revealing the impact of postponed moments and undecided choices on the characters' destinies. The discussion will be moderated by Professor Mustafa Zeinhom, Director of Dar Al-Raqim Publishing and Distribution. (Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended).
* A version of this article appears in print in the 12 February, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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