The British Council is pleased to announce the finalists for a prestigious award celebrating the outstanding achievements of the UK’s international alumni. They are selected by our panel of judges as best representatives for the impact of UK higher education in their chosen career path and the impact they have made for the development of Egypt.

We are proud of them!

Alumni Awards Finalists 2018

Ahmed Fouad

Head of Inclusive and Creative Economies ICE, British Council

 

Ahmed is involved in a wide range of program management roles through both Governmental and Private sectors

2012 Masters of International business administration from Ecole Supérieure Libre des Sciences Commerciales Appliquées
2016 Support the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood in coordinating, planning, implementing and monitoring the EU-NCCM-UNICEF programme 
2017 Strategic Partnership and Advocacy consultant at Plan International Egypt

 

Ahmed Osama Daoud

London South Bank University

Ahmed is an Assistant Professor of Construction Engineering at BUE, holding a PhD in Construction Management from London South Bank University and an MSc from the University of Alberta. A certified Engineer in Training, his research spans waste management, modular, and digital construction. As a Consultant at Egypt’s Ministry of Environment, he leads sustainability projects. Passionate about advancing construction, Ahmed is a Global Ambassador for Sustainability and a leader in future studies.

Aliaa Ismail

University College London (UCL)

Aliaa is a passionate Egyptologist who strives to employ creative ways to understand and preserve Egyptian heritage to strengthen her ancestry bond. Ismail runs the Theban Necropolis Preservation Initiative (TNPI), where she trained an Egyptian team from the local community in Luxor on collecting high-precision, three-dimensional surface data from ancient Egyptian tombs. She started with her team in the tomb of Seti I, the largest in the Valley of the Kings. Her work has been internationally recognized; she received the National Geographic Society’s (NSG) Wayfinder Award in 2023, she made it to the PMI’s Future 50 list honouring rising leaders who are transforming the world in 2022, and she was on Apollo Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Arts and Tech list in 2021.

Regional Arts Director Amany Abouzeid

Amany comes from an interdisciplinary background as she worked on women’s sexual & reproductive rights, gender equality, and social & behavioural change theories. She worked as an academic as well as a program director. Moreover, she was a coordinator for several development agencies as well as the humanitarian relief sector. Amany holds a BA in English Literature & Language, MA in Development Studies, MA in Social Anthropology, and a Doctorate in Business Administration.

 

Amir Elshenawy

Goldsmiths, University of London

Amir is an acclaimed Egyptian documentary filmmaker celebrated for award-winning works. His debut feature, Kilo 64, premiered at Cairo International Film Festival in 2018, earning nominations for Best Arab Film and Best Artistic Contribution, and won First Feature Film at the National Festival for Egyptian Cinema. A 2017 MA graduate in Screen Documentary from Goldsmiths, University of London, Amir teaches filmmaking at AUC and MIU. His next feature, American Dream, is set for a 2026 release.

 

Amira Saber Qandil

University of Sussex

Amira is an Egyptian MP and Secretary General of the Foreign Relations Committee. She is VP of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party and a member of Egypt’s Youth Leaders Coordination Committee. She introduced bills on food waste, climate change, and AI governance. Amira represents MENA in the World Bank’s Young Parliamentarians and is a Vital Voices Fellow. She holds an MA from Sussex, an MBA, and a BSc. Founder of Kayan NGO, she champions climate, women’s rights, and youth empowerment.

 

Cathy Costain

Head of Arts, British Council

  • 1983 She graduated from Birmingham Polytechnic (now the University of Central England) with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Librarianship
  • She started her career as a librarian at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, in Oxfordshire
  • 1986 She moved to Egypt and was based in the libraries of the universities of Menufeya (1986–88) and Tanta (1989–91)
  • Since 1994 she has worked for the British Council in Egypt, firstly managing the library in Cairo and, since 2010, as Head of Arts

Dr. Hashem Taher

University of East London, Cardiff University

Dr Hashem is the youngest Egyptian Associate Dean for the School of Creative Arts, University of Hertfordshire (hosted by GAF). He is an international award winner who won Hassan Fathi Prize, ArchiPrix, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Scholarship for Academic Excellence and many more. He holds a Master’s degree from Cardiff University and a PhD from the University of East London (UEL).
Hashem's PhD research and environmental studies were the cornerstone to making London the biggest national park in the world by 2050. Hashem's research outcomes have affected the lives of 9.8 million Londoners directly and indirectly by transforming central London's polluted streets into green corridors. Hashem continued his pursuit of fighting climate change when he returned to Egypt. He worked with H.E. Minister Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education, and H.E. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, to support their work in COP27.
Portrait shot of Heba ElZein

Heba ElZein

Head of Creative Economy, British Council

Heba joined the British Council Egypt last year as the Head of Creative Economy, she has over 10 years of experience in international programmes with a focus on creative economy innovation and cultural initiatives in the MENA region. She has a track record of success in executive management and strategic planning within the arts and education sectors as she headed Partnerships and Programmes in British Council offices in Kuwait and Qatar for over 6 years overseeing a portfolio of Education, Culture, Science and Sports Programmes.

Heba’s impact was extended to business development when she designed and strategically facilitated several programmes like Kuwait's first Creative Economy Roadmap in collaboration with various cultural stakeholders from both the private and public sectors.

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