Students in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Texas A&M University embarked upon an adventure to Egypt during the winter break as part of the college of engineering’s study abroad program. The trip was the first during the winter semester that included all departments from the college of engineering.
Led by Dr. Alaa Elwany, assistant professor in the department, 14 Aggies spent 18 days hosted by the industrial and management engineering department at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, located in Alexandria, Egypt.
In addition to studying the ISEN 370 – Production Systems Engineering course, the Aggies interacted with local students from the institute and visited multiple historical sites in Alexandria (the second largest city) and Cairo (the capital). Students met with the president of the host institute, the dean of the engineering school, the department head of industrial engineering and the director of international programs.
Highlights of the trip included visiting the Great Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, the Library of Alexandria, Egypt’s Antiquities Museum hosting King Tut’s treasures and 180,000 ancient Egyptian artifacts, the Royal Gardens of Montazah and the Royal Jewelry museum. Students also had a unique opportunity to visit old Cairo, which hosts the intersection of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The visits have been featured in five daily newspapers, including Al-Ahram Newspaper, the oldest daily newspaper in the Middle East, which was established in 1875. They will also be featured in Al Youm Al-Sabe, the daily newspaper ranked by Forbes as the best media outlet in the Middle East for three years in a row.