To offer an honours degree programme in the field of Political Science. At the end of the programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate enhanced critical and analytical skills, look for underlying principles, and identify and analyse key concepts;
• Demonstrate the skills of independent thinking, good writing, and independent learning and investigation;
• Present their own critical understanding of the issues studied to tutors and peers, and to engage in dialogue with them;
• Identify key theoretical and methodological issues involved in the study of regional and international politics, and to be able to distinguish between a variety of methods of enquiry;
• Analyse key topics related to the discipline on the basis of directed and independent reading, and to produce good quality essays while meeting deadlines;
• Understand and use the main concepts, approaches and theories of the discipline;
• Analyse, interpret and evaluate political events, ideas and institutions; and to relate the academic study of politics to questions of public concern which are transferable to a wide range of employment contexts;
• Place questions of political and international order and decision-making at the centre of analysis;
• Understand elements of continuity and change in the study of politics and to be able to apply knowledge to specific case studies;
• Work within a supportive and responsive learning environment that is enriched by research and in which the academic development and career opportunities of students are enhanced;
• Acquire key transferable skills including analysis of opinions, arguments and facts; evaluation of evidence and hypothesis; synthesis of debate; appropriate use of communication and information technology; and clear communication – all of which lead to students becoming productive and interactive members of society.

• University of Exeter – School of Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Politics – Undergraduate Study Programme Specifications.
• University of Oxford – Department of Politics and International Relations – Specifications for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Programme.
• The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education – The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland – Subject Benchmark Statements – Politics and International Relations.
• The National Authority for Quality and Accreditation of Education in Egypt (NAQAAE), NARS Statements.
  SEEC Credit Level Descriptors for Higher Education. Southern England Consortium for Credit Accumulation and Transfer.

 A. Knowledge and Understanding

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

1. Selected concepts and methods related to the academic discipline of Political Science;
2. Political Science as a comprehensive discipline that deals with international and regional relations, political economy, international law, foreign policy, political economy and political theory;
3. Political phenomena, which are explored using general theories and on which students should reflect both normatively and positively;
4. The workings of political institutions and actors, foreign policy, political processes and the policy outputs of governance and regulatory structures;
5. Different political systems operating at the national, Middle Eastern, and international level;
6. The interaction between national, regional, and international levels and the links between inputs, processes, and outcomes;
7. Middle Eastern and international politics framed in terms of political theory, national political systems, international relations, political economy, law,  ideology, state-society relations, and foreign policy analysis;
8. The nature and significance of politics as a human activity.

B. Subject-Specific Cognitive Skills

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

1. Use multiple sources and critically evaluate research strategies and methods;
2. Apply concepts and theories used in the study of politics to the analysis of political ideologies, institutions, and practices;

C.  Subject Specific Practical Skills

On successful completion of this programme students should be able to:

1. Compare, contrast, and evaluate different interpretations of political issues and events in a logical, systematic manner;
2. Identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems.

D.  Transferable Skills
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

1. Gather, organise and utilize evidence and information from a variety of secondary and some primary sources;
2. Think critically and analytically about the subject matter;
3. Construct reasoned arguments based on theoretical and empirical foundations;
4. Recognise the importance of explicit referencing and the ethical requirements of research requires, with special emphasis on critical and reflective use of information and communications technology in the learning process;
5. Communicate effectively and fluently in speech and writing;
6. Use communication and information technology, including audiovisual technology, for retrieval and presentation of information, including, where appropriate, statistical or numerical data;
7. Work independently, and demonstrate initiative, self-organisation and time management, progressing through the degree programme to become a mature, independent learner.

The Political Science programme is an honours programme studied over four years. It comprises a preparatory year and a three-year degree programme. Students are required to pass 120 credits in each of the four years of the programme. The programme is divided into units called modules. Each module studied successfully contributes by 10, 20, or 30 credits toward the degree. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload. One credit is nominally equivalent to 10 hours of student effort. The ‘level’ of a module indicates its position in the progressive development of academic abilities and/or practical skills. In addition to presenting students with introductory modules in their discipline, the preparatory year provides students with English, Research Methods, History, Economics, Information Technology and Statistics modules. The remaining three years in the degree programme contain compulsory and optional modules all focused on Political Science.

Preparatory Year; 120 credits at level P

Year 1 – 120 credits at Level 4 (Certificate); 

Year 2 – 120 credits at Level 5 (Intermediate);

Year 3 – 120 credits at Level 6 (Honours);

In accordance with the University’s regulations as defined in Section 1 of the General Academic Regulations. There is a minimum academic requirement in the high school degree, in addition to an English minimum level.

In accordance with the University’s regulations on assessment and progression, as defined in the General Academic Regulations (GAR) and the Examination and Assessment Regulations (EAR), with the following exceptions: General Academic Regulations, regulation 7.2 “Structure of University Awards”.

The three-year Honours Degree Programme shall be structured as follows:

• 120 credits in Certificate Level (Degree Year 1) with all 120 credits at Level C; and
• 120 credits in Intermediate Level (Degree Year 2) with all 120 credits at level I; and
• 120 credits in Honours Level (Degree Year 3) with all 120 credits at level H.

The BUE delivers its programmes based on a British philosophy of education. This results in programmes that are very much focused on the student rather than those who deliver the material. Graduates from UK programmes typically exhibit:

• the ability to think creatively and solve problems;
• high level key and transferable skill sets;
• the ability to maintain independently a high level of professional and subject specific competence;
• technical competence;
• the ability to conceptualise problems at a high level (i.e. to see the big picture);
• diligent and ethical working practices; and
• the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

Furthermore, this programme is delivered in both a local and UK context giving students the opportunity to gain an appreciation of national and international perspectives on many aspects of professional life.

In addition to these attributes, the BUE has obtained institutional re-validation (in line with QAA and professional body subject benchmark statements) from UK Partner. The continuous successful completion of this exercise will continue making the BUE the only university in Egypt whose entire internal structure is externally verified as being in line with UK standards. Built on top of institutional quality assurance will be subject level re-validation. That is, we seek for UK Partner to externally re-confirm that this particular degree programme is in line with UK standards.

Programme Rational

The major features of the programme are as follows:

First, providing unique programme components, the programme is designed to compete nationally as well as internationally.

Second, the dissertation module in the honours level in semester two is offered as a core module. In semester 1 all honours students are required to take the Final Year Project module which includes taking:

1. Research Methodology
2. Write a proposal in an academic research format

Dissertation is offered to students who wish to pursue an academic career, and have proven through their overall academic performance that they do have the potential research skills but need to be developed.

Third, enabling BUE graduates to meet the requirements of the current market

The BUE has its e-learning system which provides information and enables interactive communication between students and module teams.  It supports the learning process of the students and enriches their developmental experience.  It is accessed either directly through http://learn.bue.edu.eg/  or through   http://www.bue.edu.eg/ and choose e-Learning.

In accordance with the University’s Quality Assurance procedures, as defined in the Academic Quality and Standards Manual.

On Sunday 15^th of December 2019, the Political Science department hosted a roundtable discussion on the occasion of the 30^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  The roundtable was chaired by honorary department member, Prof. Aley El Din Hillah, who shared his own experience in travelling to East Berlin during the division of the city.  Each presentation tackled a different dimension of the wall. Themes, discussed during the discussion, included memories, the meaning and role of the wall as an object in society, media representation, energy, system structure, and the fall of Socialism. At the end of the roundtable, lunch was served, as courtesy of head of department, Prof. Amany Ismail. See the agenda below.

On Monday 10^th of December, the Political Science department hosted former Home Secretary of the United Kingdom H.E. Charles Clarke. He delivered a lecture titled “Is the populism of Donald Trump and BREXIT the best way to meet the global economic and security challenges of our time?”

Mr. Clarke discussed the polarity of international system, the rise of China, Iran, and the spread of nuclear weapons; in addition, he asserted that isolationism is not the solution. H.E Mr. Clarke argued that it is essential to get the international system to function again, which requires two main elements: clear policy measures and commitment from government officials. The three case studies H.E put forward were Catalonia, Scotland, and Palestine, arguing for more institutional cooperation at the international level.

The lecture was followed by a very engaging discussion between H.E, the faculty, and the students.

As a part of the Faculty Community Service plan to integrate the female support staff in serving community activities and cancer prevention awareness, the Political Science department, in collaboration with the Business Administration department, held a session on the 1st of December 2019 from 1:00 pm to 3: 00 pm aided by Baheya foundation for treatment of breast cancer in Lecture Hall 1 at the faculty of Mass Communication. The purpose of this session was to raise and spread awareness among the female support staff on the importance of early detection and diagnosis. The invitation was open to all administrative staff, students and whoever wished to attend.

It is an honour and pleasure for the Political Science department to announce that on the 25^th of November 2019, Omar Aboubaker, was awarded his MSc in International Relations of the Middle East from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. His journey began with the award of one of the most prestigious scholarships in academia, Chevening. Omar has always excelled in both academic and non-academic fields, and his achievements have brought the department great pride.

Below are photos from his graduation and Chevening award ceremonies.

On Monday 25^th of November, as part of the Political Science department’s staff development strategy, Dr. Rehab Bahy. from the DAAD, conducted a proposal writing session for MA and PhD students.

The session tackled the purpose of proposals, different scholarship entities, the six main techniques used to write a proposal. It was very informative especially for MA and PhD staff who are currently writing their proposals especially because methodology, plagiarism, and question formulation were examined.

On Sunday 24^th of November, Dr. Zoltan Egeresi from the National University of Public Service (Hungary) gave a public lecture on Turkish Foreign Policy in the Balkans during the AKP’s era.

Students and staff attended and showed much interest in the topic. Dr. Egeresi gave a comprehensive overview of the history, identity, and migration in the region, excellently showcased with maps.

Public lectures are part of the long-standing tradition of cooperation between the Political Science Department at the BUE and NUPS.

On Tuesday 19^th of November 2019, as a part of an established cooperation between the Staff Development team of the Political Science department and the DAAD in Cairo, the academic staff enjoyed a session on Self- Marketing.

The session, delivered by Dr. Heba Salama, extended over the whole day and taught academics various essential skills to the new emerging markets, including skills like: introducing oneself in an interview,  a speech, and/or a seminar besides the dos and don’ts of interviews and writing a motivation/cover letter and much more.

The Political Science department, in cooperation with the BUE Centre for Egypt and Middle East Studies, invited HE Sir Geoffrey Adams, British Ambassador to Egypt on Tuesday 19th of November. Sir Adams gave a talk to the Political Science students on his diplomatic journey. He presented the British role in Palestinian-Israeli relations as well as the British impact on South African democratization process. His Excellency also discussed the sanctions on Iran.

The talk was followed by a questions and answers session were students had the chance to interact with Sir. Adams.

The Political Science Department has held its first research seminar this year on Sunday 17th of November 2019. This event held three speakers; Dr. Ahmed Mahdi, Ms. Jasmin Makhlouf, and Serene Elhefnawi. Before commencing with the speakers’ presentations, Prof Wadouda presented the Research Competition Award to student Serene for her remarkable work in the competition. This was followed by the student’s presentation of her paper and the other two speakers’ presentations of their work in progress. The presentations covered various topics ranging from phenomenology, water security, and neo-mercantilist policies. The seminar ended with fruitful discussions between the participants and the respective speakers.

7-10th November

Dr. Nikolaos Nikolakakis presented a paper titled “The Party of the European Left and the Question of Popular Sovereignty within the EU” at the very prestigious conference hosted by SOAS “Claps of Thunder: Disaster Communism, Extinction Capitalism and How to Survive Tomorrow” on Friday 8th of November. He gave his presentation via video call. The abstract of the paper can be found below.

Abstract:

In the midst of the financial crisis, the party of the European left (EL) and its key member parties, in their attempt to counter-balance the dominant Europeanist discourse, constructed a narrative that revolved around the concept of the ‘domino effect’ that a ‘government of the left’ would bring about inside the EU. In January 2015 the electoral triumph of the Greek Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) presented with a significant opportunity to test this hypothesis. By the end of the summer of 2015, the SYRIZA-led government capitulated, despite having won a heated referendum with a very wide margin of votes just a week before. This presented the party members of the EL with a series of very significant dilemmas with regards to their stance towards the EU. On one hand, these parties have historically, ever since the Eurocommunist movement, critically supported the process of integration that presents an opportunity for transcending the national divisions of the working classes of Europe. On the other hand, the capitulation of SYRIZA, which was seen by the EL saw as a crude financial coup d’état, brought the question of the respect of popular sovereignty in the spotlight of the European radical left. Indeed, during the EL’s 6th Conference, held in the aftermath of SYRIZA’s capitulation the question of sovereignty was amongst the most debated ones. The present paper aims to shed light to the question of national sovereignty within the EL and its most important party members. The paper attempts, thus, to reconstruct the discourse that the EL attempted to construct that places national sovereignty in the centre of its alternative vision of a Europe of the peoples. The paper is based on empirical findings taken from a comparative study of the EL’s most important party members and the role of the EL in constructive a coherent discourse aimed at challenging the hegemony of mainstream Europeanism.

Dr. Bassant Hassib participated in the “2019 Conference on Cyber Norm: Dealing with Uncertainty”, which took place in The Hague, Netherlands from 5-6 November 2019. Dr. Hassib was invited as a panelist during this academic conference, which was organized by The Hague Program for Cyber Norms, a research program embedded within Leiden University’s Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs and fully funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Hassib presented her co-authored work on “Cybersecurity Uncertainties during Rapid Political Changes: The Case of Egypt” with Dr. James Shires (Institute of Security and Global Affairs, University of Leiden, and a non-resident research fellow with the Cyber Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School)

A link to the full conference programme: https://www.thehaguecybernorms.nl/news-and-events-posts/2019-conference-on-cyber-norms

The Political Science department is proud to announce that students Sarah Hisham, Haidy El Kasaby, and Moustafa Ghazy, year two after prep, have organised and participated in the Arab Sustainable Development Week 2019, as members of the Sustainable Development team.

They had the chance to intern at the League of Arab states (LAS) through the opportunities network offered by the department. During the internship period, their outstanding performance paved their way to take part in this very prestigious event.

The League of Arab States was the main organiser of the week in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Planning, World Bank, United Nations, and European Union.

The main themes of the event revolved around integration of partners in development, health, education, women empowerment and a look at the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Prof. Amany Masood visited the University of Technology in Liberec and delivered two lectures on the modernization of Egypt. The lectures covered many essential points such as; how Mohamed Ali built modern Egypt, how he and his successors made economic modernization possible. Prof. Masood also covered the citizens’ role during Nasser’s epoch in relation to the premises of social contract theory along with those of Sadat (social modernization) and Mubarak (with the demands of the people and the traps of the IMF) and finally Egypt’s perseverance to survive after the two revolutions.

Prof. Masood also delivered a third public lecture tackling Egypt and the security issues in the Red Sea more generally. In her lectures, she provided a critical and objective approach to the issues, breaking the typical stereotypes portrayed in the media.

In celebration of the Holy Prophet Mohammed’s birth anniversary “Al-Mawlid Al-nabawi Al-sharif”, the Political Science department has organised an initiative for the third year in a row to get oriental sweets packages for the workers across the faculty.

The initiative was a striking success thanks to the contributions made by both the Political Science and Business Administration department. The scope of distribution covered the faculty and beyond. With the help of political science teaching assistants, the community service team has been able to successfully distribute forty-two packs across the university.

On Sunday 3^rd November, Mr. Omar Aboubaker, BUE alumnus and teaching assistant at the Political Science department, gave a talk on his MSc experience at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) to political science students.

He shared his tips and tricks on how to land a scholarship to study abroad, as he was successfully awarded the Chevening Scholarship from the UK government. The session was followed by a Q&A session.

Dr. Gamal Selim and Dr. Maha GhaIwash, from the Political Science department, between the 27^th of October and the 2^nd of November 2019 ,visited LSBU and had the opportunity to meet with the faculty and staff belonging to the School of Law and Social Sciences.  They were required to complete six hours of academic work.

Dr. Selim delivered two classes, as a guest speaker, on the Foreign Policy Analysis and Diplomacy Conflict Resolutions modules. In the former delivered a lecture on ‘Egyptian Foreign Policy after the 2011 Revolution,’ with a focus on the patterns of continuity and change in Egypt’s post-revolution international and regional alliances and their main determinants. In the latter, he delivered a lecture on the “Role of Confidence and Security-Building Measures (CSBMs) in Conflict Resolution” with reference to the cases of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Moreover, Dr. Selim delivered a public lecture in the Department (Division) of Politics and International Relations on ‘The Arab Spring and the Return of the politics of the Great Powers to the Middle East’. In this lecture, he analyzed the re-emergence of great power rivalry in the Middle East after the Arab Spring uprisings and its implications for the regional and international balances of power

Dr. Ghalwash delivered classes in the following two modules Middle East Politics, where she delivered a lecture titled “The Post-Independence Middle East, 1950 – 1970.” on the post-independence Middle East, and thereby covered 1950-1970; and Political Theory where she focused on the concept of democracy, delivering a lecture titled: “Democracy: Definition, Values and Importance”. Each lecture covered a number of issues, and extended for three hours.  Students were extremely interested in the material and a constructive discussion was an essential part of both lectures.

The final major event on this trip was the tour of the Parliament that had been arranged by Dr. Adrian Budd.  It was a very enjoyable experience, as their guide provided interesting historical background as he led them around the various rooms of the parliament building.

Prof. Amany Ismail and Assoc. Prof. Mostafa Abo El Soud, delivered a session on the art of interviews. It covered how to prepare,what appropriate clothing, body language, and more tips and tricks to ace an interview. The workshop successfully engaged the students in a questions and answers session.

The Faculty of BAEPS and the Centre of Egyptian and Middle Eastern Studies at the British University in Egypt hosted the U.S. Charge d’Affairs, Mr. Thomas Goldberger on Tuesday the 8^th of October, 2019.

This was the last official visit conducted by Mr. Goldberger whose mission is to end in Egypt soon. The session was organised under the title “Reflections on U.S.-Egypt Relations” where staff members and students from the Political Science department had the chance to have a discussion with Mr. Goldberger on issues regarding joint military, economic and political collaboration between the two countries.

On the 29th of September, representatives from the University of Huddersfield visited the Political Science Department to discuss possible future academic cooperation.

The Political Science Department has held its Student Research Competition during semester 2 of the academic year 2018/19. The purpose of the competition was to recognize excellence in undergraduate research writing among students of political science. Accordingly, there were several themes presented for students to choose from such as Egypt’s Leadership of the African Union, Water Security, Refugees, Asylum Seekers and/or Migrants, Terrorism, and Youth Engagement in Politics.

Each student was then required to first submit an abstract detailing the intended nature of his/her research project, including the research statement, argument, methodology, and structure. Subsequently, participants who were chosen to continue in the competition would receive guidelines on the scoring rubrics that will be used to evaluate the full research essays.

Successful participants submitted their full research essays in the summer of 2019, and all submissions were reviewed and evaluated by a committee of three faculty members from the Department of Political Science. The winners were awarded certificates of recognition, with cash prize amounting to L.E. 5000 for the first winner; L.E. 3000 for the second; and L.E. 2000 for the third. Additionally, the winning essays as well as other notable submissions to the competition are to be published on the department’s website, and will be considered for inclusion in the Faculty’s Research Journal.

Degree Year Three after Prep student, Seren ElHefnawi, won the competition and had the chance to present her paper during the first 2019-2020 Academic Seminar, and was awarded the Research Competition Award, by Dean of BAEPS Faculty, Prof. Wadouda Badran.

On Saturday 23rd of March 2019, the Arab-Israeli Conflict teaching team was honored to have the Head of the Decision Support Center, at the Egyptian Cabinet, Mohamed Abdel Maksoud.

Mr. Abdel Maksoud gave a lecture to the Political Science department senior students, on the Egyptian efforts in the recent developments on the Palestinian – Israeli Conflict.

On Sunday 24^th of March 2019, as part of the cooperation between the BUE Political Science department, Dr. Aly Saleh, gave a public lecture on the League of Arab States, introducing its origins, structure, and role in the region.

The students had the privilege to ask questions in regards to the League approaches and decision-making processes during different crisis times in the Middle East.

This was made possible by the hard work of the political science students who established the Integrated model of League of Arab States at BUE.

As part of the Political Science Department’s environmental awareness plan, in collaboration with the Vice Dean for Community Service, International earth day was celebrated on April 22nd, 2019. The celebration included a photography competition, whereby students were encouraged to capture photos that highlight the importance of environmental concerns or highlight the human impact on the environment. The Vice Dean for Community Service, the Political Science Head of Department and the Programme Director, discussed each photo with the participants and awarded them a certificate of participation. The winner, Sarah Hisham Salah Ali Gad, degree year one student, was awarded a certificate of appreciation and a monetary prize of 1000 EGP.

As part of the Political Science department’s research tradition, on April 9th, the Third Academic Seminar was hosted. During this event, faculty can present their work in progress to peers and colleagues. Presenters’ list below:

1. The Anglican/Episcopal Church in Egypt – Archive Research in All Saints’ Cathedral, Zamalek by Prof. Richard Gauvin
2. Neo-mercantilism and Great Power Pipeline Competition Dr. Ahmed Mahdi

On Sunday April 7th 2019, the Political Science department hosted its second academic reading circle. Dr Lawrie Phillips presented an academic discussion and debate on The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir’s 1949 masterpiece on the philosophical and political condition of women.

On the 17th of March,the Political Science department, under the auspices of the British University in Egypt, organized a one-day seminar on the Belt and Road Initiative and its potential ramifications on the strategic partnership between Egypt and China, both at the economic and political levels. The seminar, moderated by His Excellency ambassador Dr. Mahmoud Karem, hosted a number of diplomats, academic and policy-oriented experts from Egypt and China. They presented their perspectives on the Chinese Initiative in terms of its origins, its motivations, its potential implications for Egypt with regard to opportunities and/or challenges, as well as its implications for an emerging Egyptian-Chinese strategic partnership.

On the 12th of March, the Secretary General of the Arab League, His Excellency Ahmed Abu ElGheit along with a delegation from the league visited the university. The purpose of this visit was to give a lecture on the historical development of Arab League in the Middle East in light of the fast developments taking place in the region.

During the lecture, His Excellency discussed the different challenges and obstacles faced by the organization as well as the active role it plays in conflict resolution, regional stability and peace realization. He also heavily emphasized on the importance of education and supporting youth which the Arab League is very keen on doing through the summer training opportunities offered to students annually which generations of former and current BUE students have been taking part of and participating in through Model Arab League (MAL) headed by students from the Political Science department.

As part of the political science departmental blended learning  strategy, the Arab- Israeli Conflict teaching team, organized a field trip to Panorama 6th October on Monday 11th of March. Mr. Michael Mulligan, Ms, Aida Yehia, and Ms. Gina Wael also joined the team and the students in the trip. It consisted of a guided tour of the place exploring and displaying the historical moment of the 1973 October War. The students had the chance to learn more about the military strategies, consequences, and aftermath of the Egyptian victory.

German Ambassador to Egypt, his Excellency Julius Georg Luy, during his visit to the British University in Egypt, on March 10th, 2019 discussed the goals and challenges of German-Egyptian cooperation in various developmental fields.  In his talk, he has given special attention to the importance of waste management, water security and irrigation in connection to ongoing economic and international relations issues as the new focus of cooperation with Egyptian government.  He also shed the light on the crucial role and commitment of Egypt in mediating conflicts in the region. After the discussion of the several new developmental and trade-related agreements between Germany and Egypt, the Political Science Department’s students were given the floor to share questions and comments.

On the 3rd of March, the Political Science department held a seminar in collaboration with Al Ahram’s International Relations Magazine (مجلة السياسة الدولية). The panel consisted of Mr. Nagi Kamha, Political Science Professor from Cairo University, Mr. Ezzat Ibrahim, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram Weekly and Former Washington Correspondent, His Excellency Ambassador Mohamed Anis Salem, Professor Amani Massoud, Associate Professor Gamal Selim, Dr. Nikolaos Nikolakakis, Dr. Nora Maher from the Political Science department at The British University in Egypt. The speakers discussed the impact of Donald Trump’s policies on domestic and international politics in light of the current developments inside and outside the United States.

On Sunday February 24th 2019, the Political Science department hosted its first academic reading circle. Dr. Ahmed Mahdi presented his book titled “Energy and U.S Foreign Policy: The Quest for Resource Security”. The presentation was followed by a rich and vibrant discussion, along with light refreshments.

Dr. James Shires discussed cyber-security policies and practices in the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on the 20th of February 2019. He demonstrated that the scope of cyber-security should not be defined a priori, but observed ‘in the wild’, to obtain a fuller picture of its variation in different regions. The lecture was followed by a questions and answers session.

On February 19th, Sir Geoffrey Adams, British Ambassador to Egypt, visited the Political Science Department, BUE. His excellency gave a lecture in the auditorium on Brexit and the future of Europe. All political science cohorts and members of academic staff were present. The lecture was followed by a questions and answers session, whereby the students had the chance to question his excellency on multiple relevant issues.

As part of the Political Science Community Service Team’s initiative to contribute to society and fulfill its communal responsibility towards education in Egypt. We have made a visit as a team to Ammar Ibn Yasser School, Alwayeli in Cairo to deliver school supplies (crayons and sketches). Moreover, the team has been able to provide winter jackets and sneakers for 50 students.

The Centre invited Prof. Sally Khalifa Isaac and Dr. Nikolaos Nikolakakis from the Political Science Department at BAEPS, BUE, for Political Research, Studies, and Intercultural Dialogue (CPRSID) at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University, to give a public lecture on Sunday, 16 December 2018. The lecture, which is entitled “The EU at a Cross-Roads? European Integration in the midst of Crises”, addressed the various challenges facing the EU integration model, ranging from the financial and debt crises, the refugee crisis, to the rise of the far right. Besides, the lecture focused on the 2016-Global Strategy and subsequent transformations in the EU defense policies.

NACE is a platform that enhances the diverse initiatives of Civic Education in the Arab Region. It provides spaces for exchanges on knowledge and tools in order to advocate Civic Education ethics in the Arab Region. NACE’s, third meeting was in Casablanca, Morocco and tackled civic education and social coherence. The conference was held from the 3rd to the 7th of December. The conference explored outreach, terminology, policies of stakeholders’ in the Arab Region and through its parallel plenaries; it discussed the following pillars: communication, contents and strategies of the civil education. Prof. Amany Masood’s presentation was mainly on civic education and social coherence in Egypt. One of the most significant points she discussed was how to embody ethics of civic education in education to create the social coherence in fragmented Arab societies.

As part of the Political Science department’s community service efforts, the Public Policy and Administration teaching team has invited an official from the Ministry of the Environment, Ms. Nesreen Baz, to give a talk to the student on Wednesday, November 21st, 2018. The lecture tackled the issue of how environmental public policy is made in Egypt. The guest speaker highlighted Egypt’s achievements in the area of environmental protection, as well as the obstacles it faces in formulating public policy. The floor was open for questions and comments, whereby students raised very important points and recommendations.

As part of the Political Science department’s research tradition, on November 18th, the Second Academic Seminar was hosted. During this event, faculty can present their work in progress to peers and colleagues. Presenters’ list below:

1. The Potential Effect of Israel’s Gas Exports on Tel Aviv’s Geopolitical Leverage by Dr. Ahmed Mahdi
2. Continuity and Change in Egyptian Foreign Policy after the January 25 Revolution by Dr. Gamal Selim and Ms. Fatimah Ayad
3. The Nexus between Migration and Development: Rational Debate by Dr. Nora Maher

As part of the community service plan to promote diversity, academic intercultural communication, research, and participation in international programs; the Political Science department held a lecture on Sunday November 11th, 2018 from 2:00-4:00 in G-LH-3 delivered by Soliya representative in Egypt. Ms. Asmaa gave the students an overview of the facilitated dialogue program “Connect Program” offered by Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange, a new initiative funded by the European Commission.

The department looks forward to a future fruitful partnership with Soliya.

On November 5th 2018, the Political Science department was honored to host  Prof. Ali el-din Hillal. He is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS), Cairo University. He is one of the most renowned Egyptian professors of political science in Egypt and the Arab area. Besides, he held various political positions, and was Egypt’s Minister of Youth from 1999 to 2004. He discussed the crisis of the contemporary Arab states by providing five different perspectives through which we can understand the crisis

Prof. Hillal was honored by the President of the BUE, as recognition of his important contributions to the field of Political Science.

As part of the community service plan to engage youth in serving their community and be aware of their role in politics and society, the Department of Political Science hosted a talk given by Dr. Youssef El Wardany, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports on Sunday, November 4th, 2018 from 2:00-4:00 in G-CR-9.  During the lecture, Dr. El Wardany discussed the importance of youth participation in policy-making, challenges faced by the ministry and the opportunities and resources the ministry is willing to offer to startup businesses by the youth. He also introduced the Ministry’s initiative to support youth’s proposals that aim to develop the agendas formulated by Egyptian Ministries. A call for applications will be open for students interested in public policy and development strategies to participate in a competition sponsored by the Ministry.

Dr. Bassant Hassib appeared on the Breakfast Show of Nile TV International, on Friday 2nd of November 2018. She commented on the World Youth Forum held in Sharm El Sheikh from the third till the 6th of November 2018. Dr. Hassib highlighted the many ways that the forum will benefit Egypt and the region.

For more information, visit this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvKccMaO9D4

The World’s Fastest Growing Economies: The Cases of Tajikistan, Portugal, Mexico, and Singapore was one of the most important workshops held by the BUE in the field of economics and political economy. On the 28th of October 2018 the university invited the ambassadors of the four countries, Tajikistan, Portugal, Mexico, and Singapore, to explain the secrets of their fast growing economies to an audience of students and faculty members.

The purpose of the workshop was to bring together senior diplomats, economic experts as well as academia, faculty and students alike to analyze the most important economic challenges, address opportunities and obstacles, showcase solutions and pinpoint the success stories of the countries which were able to achieve rapid economic growth.

On 25th of October 20918, in collaboration with the Economics department, the Political Science department hosted the vital and fruitful lecture titled “Secrets of International Publishing: Tips and Tricks for Authors “delivered by Dr. Mostafa AboElsoud.

The session answered the questions below:

1. Why do I need to publish internationally? Promotion: Current & Planned Guidelines
2. Do you have a manuscript? If not, how to turn your thesis into an article?
3. How to find professional and fast academic proofreading services?
4. Showing up your name on the top of Google search: How to create your digital identity online?
5. Ready for submission: How to avoid predatory Journals?
6. Getting too many rejections: Three different ways in how to select a suitable Journal?

It also discussed how to use and interact with the Egyptian Knowledge Bank and Clarivate Analytics as a researcher.

Year Two after Prep students went to Moukhtar Museum on October 20, 2018, where they inquired and discovered Egyptian political and cultural innovations. Mahmoud Moukhtar is the pioneer of Egyptian modern art. In his museum, they watched how Moukhtar sculpted the political Egyptian leaders, and the model of Egypt Awakening (Nahdat Misr) that is considered part of the Egyptian revival.

Nahdat Misr was the first status sculptured and funded by Egyptians. The students were also lectured by the grand-daughter of Moukhtar, and the professor of cultural studies at FEPS, Cairo University on the link between Art and Politics.

On the 18th of October 2018, Dr. Mohamed Fayez Farahat from Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS) gave a guest lecture titled “China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative and Its Implications for an Emerging Chinese-Egyptian Strategic Partnership”.

The lecture discussed China’s initiative on reinventing the old idea of the Silk Road, and turn it into a wide reaching economic network; with special focus on Egypt.

A questions and answers session followed the lecture.

On the 11th of October 2018, Dr. Bassant Hassib commented on the news headlines of various national issues and developments. These included; the President’s speech at the 29th Educational Seminar of the Armed Forces, the Egyptian-Jap