“Thank you to the GUC members for this kind of event, which has knocked the normal of an evening talk when we only have one professor. Today, it is much livelier with a mixture of presentations including students with an exhibition afterwards,” expressed Dr Carsten-Michael Walbiner, Director of the DAAD Regional Office Cairo. He reminisced about the history of GUC, noting its progressive evolution since his visit during its second year of existence. He further clarified that the project’s funding by Ta’ziz signifies an intriguing approach to cooperation and integration between an academic institution and a social enterprise.

The dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Arts at the German University Cairo, Professor Sabine Mueller presented the faculty’s ongoing research in the field of environmental sustainability. She highlighted the affiliation of the Faculty of Engineering and Design with the various clusters in the COSIMENA Project, emphasising the collaborative nature of their work with the DAAD Regional Office Cairo. She expressed that while joint research represents the common denominator between the faculty of engineering and design, curiosity and interest in personalities represented the common starting point for the water sustainability project.

 “The initial fact-finding mission began with the Faculty of Design of the University of Dortmund in 2019, who visited its counterpart in the GUC campus to explore potential collaboration aspects,” Professor Mueller affirmed, underlining the importance of such engagements in fostering research partnerships. She also pointed out that COSIMENA enables the transmission of research knowledge, further enhancing collaboration and innovation in academic aspects. Consequently, she mentioned Ta’ziz program’s role in supporting potential collaborations between academic and non-academic partners, such as “VeryNile” enterprise.

“Reflecting on my journey, 20 years ago, I arrived to study design at the University of Helwan,” shared Marouan Emara, film production lecturer at the German University in Cairo as he addressed the crucial role of media and design in addressing environmental issues. He emphasised the shift from media as mere entertainment to a powerful instrument for catalyzing change and awareness.

Emara noted his preparation for the event, referencing a paper from a Pakistani publication that explored the role of media in this context. He highlighted the growing number of initiatives advocating for green media production, emphasising the importance of unveiling environmental sustainability stories. “We can’t erase the bad news, but to ignore the good is the route to indifference or despair,” he concluded, stressing the significance of balanced storytelling in environmental discourse. Conveying the thoughtful connection between space and earth in her address and drawing from the wisdom of Carl Sagan, Associate Professor Sherine Ahmed El Baradei, illustrated how elements essential for life originate from stellar processes.

Transitioning to terrestrial concerns, El Baradei highlighted the critical role of space technology in water conservation and pollution mitigation. From geostationary satellites monitoring Earth’s water cycles to initiatives combatting plastic pollution, her speech highlighted the urgent need for responsible environmental stewardship. Farah Abdelbaki, Marketing Director at VeryNile, recounted the impact of their waste collection campaign from beaches since 2018, leading to substantial progress in their present work in Qurşāyah island. “We’ve seen significant growth since then, with 120 fishermen, 40 trained craftswomen, and 20 kitchen staff now working to clean 10 tons of waste per month,” Abdelbaki shared.

She highlighted the challenges faced, such as the difficulty of reaching certain parts of the Nile due to obstacles like Nile flowers. However, she emphasised the vital role of fishermen in addressing these challenges, noting fishermen’s initial reluctance to collect plastic, citing concerns about social status. Abdelbaki mentioned Om Nada case, managing a group of women creating and selling food products.

Afterwards, Media Design students from the GUC, Cairo showcased real experiences lived through the participation in a joint project with Dortmund UAS, Zeina Khaled shared her experience with working with women like Om Kamal, who specializes in crochet. She emphasised their effort to incorporate the island into most of their photos and encouraged the women to wear clothes they love and feel comfortable in.

Yaseen Geasia Emara reflected on the unique aspects of life in Qurşāyah, noting observations such as the condition of cows and the impact of the Egyptian pound devaluation. Similarly, Menna Ahmed described her interdisciplinary project, drawing parallels between human bodies and the Earth’s interaction with plastic. Her team worked extensively on materials and collaborated with models to showcase fashion on the island.

With further presentations by students from Dortmund UAS, Mia Pflieger expressed her initial apprehension about understanding the community she was documenting, acknowledging the differences in living circumstances. She also noted the income and payment imbalances she observed, shedding light on socioeconomic disparities within the community.

Within the event’s panel discussion, one of the questions focused on potential collaborations with marine ecosystems. While the speakers acknowledged the importance of marine ecosystems, the panelists highlighted their current focus on the Nile and suggested that future projects may consider advocating for other environmental issues once progress is made on plastic pollution.

In the same context, another attendee expressed appreciation for the efforts made to clean the Nile but highlighted the complexity of the problem, citing issues such as industrial and sewage waste dumping. The panelists acknowledged the gravity of the situation and stressed the need for governmental intervention and legislation to address the larger systemic issues.

In the Q & A session, a question was raised that is related to the growing cooperation between universities instead of competition, particularly between private and public institutions. The response emphasised the importance of initiatives and partnerships, mentioning potential funding avenues like the Erasmus programs and highlighting the need for collaborative efforts despite financial challenges.

Another question on the role of environmental engineering, contrasting it with environmental chemistry, was asked. Dr Sherine Ahmed El Baradei elaborated on the scope of environmental engineering, emphasising its focus on designing systems to minimize harm to the environment through various measures such as waste management, renewable energy, and water treatment.

On the sidelines of the event, Niveen Mahfouz, a teaching assistant at GUC in Egypt, addressed Yassin’s response about his feeling like a stranger on the island. Reflecting on their previous debates, she emphasised that Yassin should consider himself as a bridge between the island’s residents and Germans and should have felt a sense of belonging. She suggested shifting focus from differences to similarities and shared her personal experience of feeling at home, connecting with the genuine traits of Egyptians.

“It all started with a big photography project, collaborating with Very Nile and Dortmund UAS students then going to Germany,” said Mariam Mostafa, a pre-master’s GUC student specializing in Media Design, expressing the filtering test they underwent ahead of working on the joint project between the GUC and Dortmund UAS.

Mostafa expressed that her project with her German partner Anna focused on the plastic phases; “firstly, it is collected by the fishermen, filtered, and then it goes to the machine-room to be compressed”. We worked on highlighting the VeryNile process that islanders go through in Qurşāyah island.

As the public lecture came to a close, it became clear that advancing current research in environmental sustainability is crucial and requires interdisciplinary collaboration and further alignment with academic and non-academic institutions.