Ensaf Gad-Allah graduated from the American University in Cairo in 1965 at 31 years of age; with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She majored in journalism because she was motivated and swayed by professor Sayed Abu El-Naga. She got accepted into AUC with a scholarship.
She got married at 15 and gave birth to her first born at 16; so she always registered for early classes to have time to get back to her kids when the finish school. She worked for the UNHCR for 6 months and quickly joined the Arab League for a year and a half. Afterwards; she went back to AUC to do her Master’s and was approached by Hussien Saeed to work in the AUC library. She remained there until she retired from work.
One of the many skills she gathered from AUC was the ability to read, question and understand everything independently. Until now, she is always critical of everyone she meets and doubts all she hears.
She believes that AUC students are monitored and watched by a lot of people; specially seeing as how the students were almost all nouveau riche. Students there were regarded as academically inferior than those in other universities, even though she believes that it is not true.
Her advice to fresh graduates would be to read about everything multiple times and question all they read or hear.
She got married at 15 and gave birth to her first born at 16; so she always registered for early classes to have time to get back to her kids when the finish school. She worked for the UNHCR for 6 months and quickly joined the Arab League for a year and a half. Afterwards; she went back to AUC to do her Master’s and was approached by Hussien Saeed to work in the AUC library. She remained there until she retired from work.
One of the many skills she gathered from AUC was the ability to read, question and understand everything independently. Until now, she is always critical of everyone she meets and doubts all she hears.
She believes that AUC students are monitored and watched by a lot of people; specially seeing as how the students were almost all nouveau riche. Students there were regarded as academically inferior than those in other universities, even though she believes that it is not true.
Her advice to fresh graduates would be to read about everything multiple times and question all they read or hear.
Here is a short excerpt of the interview.