Apparently, my style of teaching is not the norm here in Egypt. I have always relied on a mixture of humor, pop culture, familiar concept examples (ex. How is a billion dollar dam project related to your kitchen sink?) and occasionally sneak in a little Calculus when the classes’ guard is down. However, the students are really responding and have begun to accept the possibility that they can improve their environment through “Sustainable Construction” practices. They are surfing the internet at night, and challenging me with a variety of related concepts the next day! I have never had a class so eager to learn, and while exciting it is exhausting (but, it is a “good” kind of tired ☺).

What trip to Egypt is complete without a trip to the “Pyramids” or a ride on a camel? So today, (while I was in class!) Ms. Barnett snuck off campus to complete a childhood dream. Now admittedly, her trip was planned a week in advance and I am going next week but… HEY, that looks like fun!!!

Fifteen hours of lecture later and I am ready for the weekend, TGIW (Thank God It’s Wednesday??). In the Middle East, the weekend is on Wednesday and Thursday. So Dr. Salama, Ms. Sabra Barnett (our Legal Course Instructor), and I headed to the Mediterranean Sea. We stayed in Marina, as guest of Dr. Omaima (friend of mine) and were treated like Royalty. We swam in the sea, ate till we popped and slept till “9” (That is like noon to a professor!!).

Our Construction Engineering Management students are performing exceptionally well this summer. Their technical comprehension and collaborative spirit is much appreciated as we still attempt to overcome language and cultural barriers. The following photo was taken during a campus field trip, in which we explored the “Sustainability” of traditional Egyptian construction. Students are very eager to apply new knowledge to their work and improve the residential, commercial, and industrial building infrastructure.

I am teaching a brand new course this summer “CE 600 Sustainable Construction”. What makes this a particularly interesting offering is that it is an environmental based course being offered in a country with limited environmental laws or governmental oversight. Whatsmore, it is being presented to a class of 18 Middle-eastern students / professionals who speak English as a secondary language. Yea, I was a little nervous about this one ☺
To my relief the first session went amazingly well. Students were eager to learn and asked a variety of insightful questions. It is my sincere hope that by completing the CEM program these students will be able to take environmental protection to new heights here in Egypt and throughout the region.

Hotels in Egypt range the gambit from hostels to 5 Star Luxury Resorts. Participants in the 2008 CEM Certificate Program will be staying in a very nice Novatel (French origin) approximately 0.5 miles from Misr University of Science and Technology (MUST). It has all the amenities that westerns have become accustom to: private bath, queen size bed, couch, room service and of course cable TV (with Showtime in English, French and Arabic). You have not lived until you watch Toy Story 2 and hear Woody the cowboy lecture the other toys in Arabic!

So let’s assume you have your bags neatly packed and are ready for the airport. International travel sounds friendly enough, but in my opinion going to Egypt should be a new Olympic event in endurance. When you include layovers (Atlanta, Paris or London, etc.), you are looking at over 24 hours travel time. The key is distractions! My carry-on has the usual: books, magazines, I-Pod, Game-boy, snacks but you need to also pack earplugs, an eyemask, neck pillow and whatever else you can think of to occupy your time. Once you arrive in Cairo, things are pretty easy. You pick up your “Travel Visa” in one of the kiosks and move through customs. Pick up your bags, which is undoubtedly 10 times faster than Birmingham’s baggage service, catch a driver and you are off to the races.
Here is where most foreigners will lose their minds. Traffic in Cairo is like a Nascar race on steroids! You mix one part modern cars, 2 parts antique Fiat cabs, throw in some horse drawn carts and a few crazy pedestrians for good measure and Wha-la! Did I mention no traffic lights in a city of 17 million people?
Now for all that trouble, the trip better be worth it right? I can say without a doubt Egypt is one of the most unique and beautiful places that I have had the privilege to visit. The people are warm and inviting and the landscapes are truly breathtaking.

Traveling to Egypt is not like taking a weekend to go see grandma…it takes serious planning and even more serious luggage. The CEM summer program will require me to stay a little over three weeks. So when you start to think “How do I get 21 pairs of pants into a suitcase?” you quickly come to the realization that you don’t. This is where a woman’s touch came in hand for me (Thanks Ellen ☺ ). Engineering professors are notorious for wearing whatever is clean and available: matching is nice but seldom a true requirement. Therefore, my wife patiently explained how I could mix and match the 13 shirts and 8 pair of slacks that I brought (and never wear the same thing twice…who knew!). Add to that socks, unmentionables, shoes, a laptop, class notes, etc. and you have over 100 pounds of gear that you get to travel over 6500 miles with. The good news is I have been to Cairo twice and my luggage is always the first off the plane.

First day of session two went great. Mr. Wood Herren and Dr. Jason Kirby had just arrived for about a day, but next day was “teaching” as usual. The university administration was rather welcoming, and facilitated their teaching needs. It is a busy daily schedule, but hopefully they could enjoy Cairo’s evenings.

To my left is Mr. Herren and next to him is my dear friend Kirby.

This is my first blog regarding UAB’s CEM certificate program being taught in Egypt. The Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) Department at UAB took the collaborative initiative with Misr University of Science and Technology (MUST), in Cairo Egypt, to begin teaching the graduate level courses this July 2008. I arrived in Egypt on July 10, and started teaching two days later. Jetlag was only an issue for a day or two. The program is 4 weeks long, split in two two-week sessions, with two three-hour long courses per session. The course I taught was CE 601 Construction Methods, which was well received by the students.

Oh, to let you know something about the students, they are all working practitioners at some of the biggest construction companies in Egypt. Many of them are really liked the program so much that they are planning to keep on going for their Master’s degree.

Here is a picture of me during one of lectures.

And here is a group photo of the Dean Linda Lucas, Dr. Fouad Fouad (Chairman of CCEE Dept), Dr. Rafaat Mahmoud (President of MUST), and Dr. Baher Aboustait (Chairman of the Construction Engineering Department at MUST), and me there at the extreme left.