The American University in Cairo Celebrates the Launch of the “Way to University” Program:
Fathi Al-Sayeh
The American University in Cairo celebrated the launch of The “Road to University” program, which provides free online English language learning opportunities for Egyptian middle and high school students from a variety of educational backgrounds. The program, consisting of 000 courses, provides an opportunity for students between the ages of 13 and 18 years to improve their English language skills. With this initiative, AUC is the first educational institution in Egypt and the region to prepare school students for admission to English-language universities in Egypt and abroad. University in New Cairo – Members of the AUC Board of Trustees, Dr. Ahmed Dallal, President of the American University in Cairo, Dr. Ehab Abdel-Rahman, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Dr. James Ketterer, Dean of the AUC’s School of Continuing Education, Dr. Hoda Mostafa, Director of the Center for Learning and Teaching, and Dr. Ghada El-Shimy, Dean of Undergraduate Affairs and Intellectual Studies at the University.
The President of the American University in Cairo, Dr. Ahmed Dallal, expressed his pride in launching this initiative and emphasized that community service is a fundamental pillar of the university. “Through this program, the university contributes to providing talented students with the opportunity to overcome obstacles resulting from lack of proficiency in the English language, in addition to making the program available for free due to the high cost of supplementary language programs. This program is part of our social responsibility towards society as a whole.”
The “Road to University” program allows middle and high school students all over Egypt to learn English for free, allowing them to develop their skills outside Semester. It is worth noting that the program does not require a minimum level of knowledge of the English language.
This program is designed to allow students to learn at their own pace through courses that take into account the academic and cultural dimension to match the experiences of high school students. This will give them a competitive edge when applying to universities that teach in English, including the American University in Cairo and other educational institutions in Egypt or abroad.
Explains Dr. Ehab Abdel Rahman, Undersecretary AUC Academic Affairs This initiative is presented by the university as part of its broader strategy to attract talented students to study at the university, regardless of their financial ability, and to allow them to enroll in institutions that provide distinguished educational quality such as the American University in Cairo. “Through these courses, participating students will have greater chances of being accepted into the universities they are applying to and better integrating into university life.”
This program was designed by AUC English professors, Each unit of course in the program takes an average of 3 to 4 hours per week, with the ability to learn at their own pace and time. Dr. Hoda Mustafa, Director of the Learning and Teaching Center at the university – who created the digital platform for the program in cooperation with the computer and information technology team at the university – says that if students find it difficult to finish the unit in 3 to 4 hours, they can return again to the scientific material and restart it according to their own pace. own. Learners can also access the courses multiple times anywhere and at any time.
The program helps improve students’ skills in writing, listening, reading and speaking, which are basic skills for studying in universities taught in English, by Through relevant topics and contexts. Ghada El-Shimy, Dean of Undergraduate Affairs and Intellectual Studies at the university – who participated in developing the program – says that the courses include articles, videos, audio materials, activities and peer discussions that provide students with a more effective and attractive learning experience. She added that new courses will always be added to provide better service to students and enable them to acquire the skills needed for the labor market.
According to Mustafa, the university made two experimental groups before the official launch of the program, as the program performed well in both groups. Students provided positive feedback, ranging from the well-organised course and engaging activities to the ease of use and flexibility. “We have exceeded the expected number of students in our pilot program, as 18,000 A learner by creating an account on the platform and more than 000, 500 a learner by registering for the program. We are seeing increased interest and will continue to benefit from students’ feedback in order to continuously improve the program.”
In the future, the program aims to expand to include speaking skills, writing skills, public speaking, communication, emotional intelligence, design thinking, and problem-solving in different ways. creative. “We want to introduce students to methods of teaching intellectual studies that will equip them with experiential, task-based, and transferable learning skills, as well as foster the independent learning capabilities and digital literacy necessary for success in the university,” Elshimy says.
