On September 29th, the DAAD Cairo Office hosted a welcome event for German students and scholarship holders in Egypt.

The students, who usually stay for one or two semesters in Egypt, were greeted by Dr. Roman Luckscheiter, Director of DAAD Cairo Office, and received information about different aspects of daily life in Egypt. Furthermore, they were given advices regarding touristic points of interest in Cairo and other regions of Egypt as well as information about the differences between Modern Standard Arabic and the Egyptian dialect. They were also informed about excursions conducted by DAAD Cairo in the past and possible future destinations.

The students had an opportunity to briefly introduce themselves and point out their personal expectations regarding their stay in Egypt. It was especially interesting when a former Egyptian student, who spent a semester studying in Germany, gave insight into her expectations comparing them to the actual experience she made during her stay in Germany. To pick up these expectations, from both perspectives, DAAD will offer a special “intercultural training” session to the newcomers to facilitate their integration into the Egyptian society.

A short film produced by former German exchange students presented a humorous overview of personal views and encounters with daily life in Egypt.

During a dinner buffet in the garden of the DAAD Cairo office, which ended the evening, the participants had the opportunity to get to know each other and start networking with each other and DAAD members.