INTERVIEW - Egypt, Greece have inherent ties, whether ancient or contemporary: Cameron Bell

Eman Youssef, Wednesday 25 Dec 2024

Ahram Online spoke to Cameron Bell, director of civic engagement and teaching faculty in social sciences and business at the Hellenic American University in Athens, about Egypt-Greece historical relations and their unique educational cooperation.

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Ahram Online: Can you share your academic journey? What initiatives have been implemented to encourage student involvement in local communities?

Cameron Bell: Let me begin by saying how much of a pleasure it is to speak to Ahram Online and you. I hold great respect for the Al-Ahram paper for its history in Egypt and the value it adds to society and global citizens who care about this part of the world and Egypt.

I have pursued my academic studies along a dual path — both as an engineer and a social scientist — with an interest in delivering transformational projects and their impacts on people. So, I describe myself as an engineer by training and an international relations consultant by practice. I have a BA and MS from Stanford University and an MPP from Oxford University.

I lived in Egypt for a year while working on Arabic language and research at the American University in Cairo. Most recently, I had the joy of bringing a cohort of students from Athens to Egypt, visiting both Cairo and Alexandria.

Hellenic American University, where I teach, is committed to developing global citizens. A global citizen is someone who, of course, thinks outside of these silos and challenges stereotypes with a nuanced understanding. They are intellectually curious and internationally engaged.

Our Politis programme (the Greek word for citizen) embeds the spirit of developing the global citizen. As a director, I help create a diverse set of learning experiences through service. It is quite fun to further the university’s mission in this regard. Essentially, this involves connecting the dots between student interests and real opportunities to apply those interests in service and engagement with others.

AO: How has the historical relationship between Greece and Egypt shaped their respective cultures, and what lessons can contemporary society learn from this interaction? How would you describe the current relations?

CB: I would describe Greek-Egyptian relations optimistically, as full of future potential and deeply intertwined historically. They are inherent ties, whether ancient or contemporary.

These Greek communities were multi-dimensional. Some of the biggest names in Greece are those originating from the Aegyptiotes—the Greeks of Egypt: philanthropists like Benakis and Averoff, musicians like Demis Roussos and Alkistis Protopsalti, and, of course, great literary figures like Constantine Cavafy.

So, as Greek culture continues to be celebrated today in Greece and around the world, it is, in many ways, a harvesting of Greek culture that existed well beyond the modern Greek state's borders, including, of course, within the Greeks of Egypt. That is the contemporary connection.

AO: Can you tell us about the recent visit of Greek students to Cairo? What were the primary objectives of this trip, and what was the feedback?

CB: Hellenic American University was proud to be the educational partner of Art d’Egypte 2024. It also would not have happened without the generous patronage of Greeks who love Egypt, particularly the Athanasios and Marina Martinos Foundation.

The students visited the Forever is Now IV exhibition on the Giza Plateau, which featured many Greek artists, including Nassia Inglessis, Micha Cattaui, Costas Varotsos, and Danae Stratou. The noted historian of modern Greece and the Greek diaspora, Alexander Kitroeff, joined polymath, poet, and literary scholar Ginger Zaimis in bespoke academic contributions. This delegation helped our students explore questions about Hellenism in Egypt in all its forms — both classical and contemporary.

Their reaction was one of wonder and generally joyous surprise. That sense of awe comes from a country with a civilizational history and heritage taught worldwide from an early age.

People worldwide learn about ancient Egyptian civilization before they learn about Paris, Tokyo, Germany, or Latin America. This reality is shared with the Greeks.

Americans learn about the Greek Gods, the myths, and the Parthenon while learning about the pharaohs. That, in and of itself, pedagogically, is a very interesting connection between Greece and Egypt. Seeing Greeks appreciate that link during their first experience in Egypt was quite moving.

I made sure to lead the students through an array of Greek sites in Cairo and Alexandria. They had the opportunity to observe their national holiday, Oxi Day (28 October), at the Church of St. Constantine and St. Helen in downtown Cairo. The church was filled with members of the Greek community, including diplomatic representatives, cultural figures, the Greek scouts, and celebrations with Greek food, music, and dance. That was eye-opening.

They also saw Greek sculpture and language displayed in world-class museums in Cairo and Alexandria, alongside Egyptian antiquities. We enjoyed the hospitality of the Greek Club in Cairo and Alexandria at Soter's and a warm reception from His Excellency Nikolaos Papageorgiou, the Greek ambassador to Egypt, at his residence, a historic property on the island of Zamalek.

AO: What advice would you give students, particularly in contexts that involve cross-cultural dialogue and understanding?

CB: Understanding other people is a humbling journey. That journey can have different components and happen in a different sequence based on individual interests and experiences. However, there are a few necessary components.

One is to take a class outside of your major, outside your comfort zone, or familiar geography. The second is to work on a foreign language, which will help you peel back the layers of the onion. As your language skills deepen, your understanding becomes richer and more nuanced. The third is to go and visit.

AO: Based on your experience, which areas of study and scholarships should be prioritized and are more promising?

CB: This is an excellent question because there are many promising fields. To take a classic example, based on the trope of grave-digging, there is ongoing discussion in Alexandria about potentially identifying Alexander the Great's final resting place. This is a long-sought-after goal with great scientific importance.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is an ongoing transformation in the Eastern Mediterranean's energy and utility infrastructure, connecting Egypt digitally and in energy to Europe via Greece. Electricity cables, traditional hydrocarbons, renewables, and the underlying cyberinfrastructure between East and West will profoundly connect the region in new ways. Further research into these developments is urgently needed in the engineering sciences.

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