Gerhart Center Webinar Series

Sonja Haut
Author of “The Case for Impact”

Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Cairo Time 7:00 pm

Nour Halabi
Assistant Professor of Media and Communication at the University of Leeds

Radical Hospitality: American Policy, Media, and Immigration re-imagines the ethical relationship of host societies towards newcomers by applying the concept of hospitality to two specific realms that impact the lives of immigrants in the United States: policy and media. Nour Halabi presents during the session a historical policy and media discourse analysis of immigration regulation and media coverage during three periods of US history: the 1880s and the Chinese Exclusion Act, the 1920s and the National Origins Act and the 2000s and the Muslim travel ban.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Cairo Local Time 7:00 pm

Darren Walker
President of the Ford Foundation

Moderator

Noha El-Mikawy
Dean of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, The American University in Cairo

A conversation with Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, about the role of foundations in general and the Ford Foundation in particular in enabling the development of creative finance models and initiatives for social impact.

Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Cairo Local Time 8 pm

Tensie Whelan
Clinical Professor of Business and Society
Director, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business

Tensie Whelan will provide insights into how companies tackle the risks and opportunities created by environmental and social issues and share NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business research into the business case for embedded sustainability. She will provide practical insights of interest to students, faculty, policy-makers, and business practitioners.

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

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Gero Leson
Vice President of Special Operations at Dr. Bronner's

Monday, December 5, 2022

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Mohsen Sarhan
CEO of The Egyptian Food Bank

Moderator

Hana El Sadat 
Humanitarian and Philanthropist

Monday, November 21, 2022
7 pm
Cairo Local Time

Khaled Khalifa
Senior Advisor, Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Abbas Barzegar
Academic Director, Zakat Foundation Institute

As the international community continues to grapple with unprecedented humanitarian demands caused by climate change, conflict, and displacement, it is also exploring innovative ways to resource short and long-term solutions to the crisis. Integrating Islamic philanthropy tools, such as Zakat, Sadaqah, and Awqaf, into international humanitarian and development practice is among the most exciting innovations in the space. For example, UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund (which accepts both Zakat and Sadaqah) and its Global Islamic Fund for Refugees (an Awqaf modality in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank) promise to break substantial barriers in humanitarian finance. What opportunities do these developments have for some of the most vulnerable populations around the world (refugees, IDPs, and host communities), and what potential collaboration opportunities does it present for regional NGO practitioners, Islamic philanthropic institutions, and others? 

Monday, November 14, 2022
7 pm
Cairo Local Time

Padmini Murthy, MD, MPH, MS FRSPH, FAMWA
Professor and Global Health Director, New York Medical College School of Health Sciences and Practice
Chair International Health Section, American Public Health Association
Global Health Lead, American Medical Women's Association

Climate change is one of the major global health threats to the world's population and has far-reaching effects on vulnerable populations, especially women and girls. Unfortunately, it is alarming that the ongoing climate crisis impacts the health and human rights of women, girls as well as newborns. This presentation aims to focus on the short and long-term effects of climate change in the context of women's health as a public health issue, a social justice issue, a human rights issue, an economic issue, a political issue, and a gender issue that needs the world's attention now for the health and well-being of the current and future generations.

Wednesday, October 19, 2022
7 pm
Cairo Local Time

Marcelo Furtado
Principal at NatureFinance

Markets, trade, and the global economy have historically underpriced nature, leading to its unsustainable exploitation and inequitable outcomes, particularly for nature’s stewards, including indigenous groups and rural communities. The Taskforce on Nature Markets recognizes that the future of the global economy and livelihoods depends on living and thriving in nature. The Taskforce is advancing its objective - to shape nature-positive, equitable markets – by building awareness, developing communities of practice, encouraging innovations, and advancing better governance of key nature-related markets, including carbon offset, nature credit, and soft commodity markets. 

Monday, October 17, 2022
7 pm
Cairo Local Time

Campbell R. Harvey
Professor of Finance at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Monday, October 3, 2022
7 pm
Cairo Local Time

Vian Sharif
Founder, NatureAlpha, and Global Head of Sustainability, FNZ Group 

Monday, September 26, 2022
7 pm
Cairo Local Time

Valérie Masson-Delmotte
Co-Chair of Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the Sixth Assessment cycle

Zita Sebesvari
Deputy Director of United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security.

Moderator

Youssef Nassef
Director of the Adaptation Division, UNFCCC Chair, World Adaptation Science Programme

The panel discussion focuses on the state of the science and evidence of the existential risk posed by climate change, the “transformation” imperative, and the link to impact, vulnerability, and adaptation. 

Wednesday, September 21, 2022
7 pm
Cairo Local Time

Jed Emerson
Global Lead/Impact Investing, Tiedemann Advisors

Moderator

John Elkington
Founder and Chief Pollinator at Volans

John Elkington, who coined the term Triple Bottom Line, discusses the past, present and future of capitalism, value and wealth with Jed Emerson, who coined the term Blended Value. Their work underpinned the ESG movement, but they have critical - and constructive - things to say about ways in which the debate has fragmented into often siloed discussions about purpose, CSR, ESG, impact, circularity, climate, green growth and the like. Is it time for a great convergence between these different change agendas? And if so, how can we make it happen?

Wednesday, September 7, 2022
7 pm
Cairo Local Time

Youssef Nassef
Director of the Adaptation Division, UNFCCC
Chair, World Adaptation Science Programme

Moderator

Adham Ramadan
Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies

Thursday, June 9, 2022

Alan Fowler DPhil
Honorary Professor Chair in African Philanthropy, Wits Business School
Professor Emeritus, International Institute of Social Studies

Does aided development work?  Past answers and pre-Covid progress in realizing the Sustainable Development Goals give reason to doubt both efficacy and achievement. Using metaphors of chains and hourglasses, a reflective assessment of this often repeated question is critically explored by examining the relational setup and development practices that have evolved over many years.

Monday, May 16, 2022

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