Office of Study Abroad

Profile: Allan Feldman '26

Major/minor: Economics and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies majors

Study abroad program: American University in Cairo, Spring 2025

Reason you chose this program: I specifically wanted to be in an exchange program with a university to be as immersed with local Arabs as possible and continue diverse coursework across my two majors. I knew I wanted to be in an Arab country, so I was considering Morocco and Jordan as well. However, AUC felt like the best choice for me both because the program was not restricted to an international program or an intensive Arabic program, and the program was diverse in its student population.

Favorite classes: Maybe not my favorite class, because all of my classes were pretty great, but my most memorable was a course I took with an Egyptian diplomat Aly Erfan, called "Contemporary Security Issues in the Middle East." I was the only American in my class among many Europeans and Arab students, and Dr. Erfan was truly a great lecturer.

How did you incorporate your Brandeis areas of study into your study abroad experience? Many students ask me if all my coursework was in Arabic, and the answer is no. Three of my courses were taught in English, while I took two Arabic language courses that helped supplement my NEJS major at Brandeis (where I have to reach an Advanced low level of Arabic before graduating). I took one Economics course, Development Economics, which was really interesting because it was taught from the perspective of a third world country itself, and integrated a lot of political economics into the course as well. For my NEJS major, I also was able to transfer credits from my Security course and capstone class, "Cairo in the Cultural Imaginary." Both of these course were actually grad-level courses at AUC, and it was very fulfilling to be among many students pursuing a high-level of academia in the Arab world. I also didn't feel overwhelmed taking these courses.

Housing situation: I lived on campus during my semester abroad, which the majority of other international students did. The housing was fantastic--it was pretty clean and spacious, a full kitchen, and I lived with two Egyptians and another international student. We all got our own private room.

What were some parts of your identity that you thought about while considering study abroad? Without a doubt, my Jewish identity was the biggest concern for me going into an Arab country like Egypt. Ultimately, I was able to get advice from a few faculty at Brandeis and alum from AUC who are Jewish and also studied there to give me the best advice to feel comfortable and prepared to take on this experience. There were certain parts of my identity that I was advised not to share or advertise, simply because of the political situation, and others that were more okay. I actually ended up sharing my religious identity to a few other American international students, which was really nice.

Favorite memory: I biked 230 miles with an Egyptian friend across the Nile Delta, leaving from Cairo and hitting up the cities of Ismailia, Damietta, Mansoura, and Tanta.

What was your greatest challenge? Not having a Jewish community to fall back on--and having to make friends with students going in knowing nobody at first. It was definitely a leap of faith, but I'm incredibly glad I took this opportunity.

Did you apply for any scholarships? If so, which ones and how did they impact your time abroad? I applied for the Hermann F. Eilts Scholarship from AUC, which ended up covering the cost of my entire housing at AUC and even gave me a stipend. This allowed me to worry less about finances while abroad, which really helped. 

What do you know now that you didn't know before? I learned an incredible amount of the Arab world and Arabic culture, something that I am pretty fascinated with and have always wanted to know before I studied abroad. Furthermore, I learned a simple lesson that taking risks will always pay off in the end--although my experience was discouraged by many, I'm really glad that I was able to accomplish this opportunity.

Fact about Egypt that you think people would be surprised to learn: Cairo is one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. Taking a train ticket from Cairo to Luxor (up to 12 hours) can cost around $5 with an AUC ID (so you aren't paying foreign prices). Scamming to foreigners in Egypt is extremely commonplace, so you should learn strategies to avoid it.