“We all love fashion, but often fail to acknowledge the effects it has on the environment and how damaging it can be."

The idea of the startup app stems from the Entrepreneurship and Innovation course offered by the Business School. The course mirrors the real-world early stage of the entrepreneurial process where students are given the chance to build a business model throughout the semester resulting in a final pitch. 

“We had identified the problem of sustainability in the fashion industry early on in the course. However, we just did not know how to go about creating a solution. We first toyed with the idea of creating a fintech app, but it lacked the spark,” Afifi said, “After weeks of research and brainstorming, we landed on the idea of ScanHa.” 

 The app aims to shift the stigma surrounding the cost of sustainable fashion. “We all love fashion but often fail to acknowledge the effects it has on the environment and how damaging it can be,” Abu Shahba said. “We want to raise awareness by encouraging consumers to make informed decisions. Whether actively seeking sustainable choices or new to the concept, our objective is to simplify the process of sustainable purchases for the consumer to benefit both the society and the environment."

The ScanHa team credits their success in part to their educational journey at AUC< where classes allowed them to hone their pitching skills as well as their ability to identify weak points in their initial thought process to determine the viability of their project. 

"Their ultimate victory in Afretec further solidified their excellence."

“Research was instrumental to our success," said Afifi. "Our idea is complex, so clarity and cohesiveness were key. Thanks to the power of research, the guidance of our professor and AUC equipping us with an extensive research base, we were able to readily and smoothly answer the Q&A section of the competition.” 

Moataz Darwish '95, associate professor in the School of Business and course instructor, noted, “This team kept passionately exploring their problem space of fast fashion and persistently iterating between multiple solutions for most of the semester whilst their classmates were already finalizing their projects. Their ultimate victory in Afretec further solidified their excellence."

Darwish commended ScanHa’s team diversity. “By combining various thinking styles and personalities, they achieved a well-rounded approach that propelled them to success,” he said.

In an unprecedented international response to Alzheimer’s disease, AUC, the The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC) and University College London (UCL) have partnered to leverage AUC’s expertise in neuroscience research alongside UCL’s cutting-edge methods of addressing neurological disorders to combat the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on aging populations, both in Egypt and beyond. 

Advancing detection, monitoring, prevention, and treatment methods while located in Egypt, this project is uniquely positioned to have a broad impact. 

"With a population of over 110 million, Egypt has served as a distinctive meeting point between Africa and the Middle East, boasting a wealth of genetic and cultural heritage. This project not only promises to bring benefits to the people of Egypt, but also aims to advance the understanding of dementia in both the region and the world,” says Mohamed Salama, author of the Longitudinal Study of Egypt Healthy Aging, North African Dementia Registry lead and professor at the Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (I-GHHE) at AUC.

I-GHHE Founding Director Hassan El-Fawal described the partnership as “a fulfillment of the Institute’s vision to leverage regional expertise towards global impact.” Data from their research will be made available publicly through the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative platform, supporting global research initiatives and interventions by providing the broader research community access.

“This collaboration will bolster our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease in an important region with a genetically diverse population and varied ancestries,” says Vaibhav Narayan, Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative executive vice president. The joint efforts will also support students and engage clinicians across Egypt, addressing the underrepresentation of the MENA region and Africa in the field. “Over the longer term, this program will bring regionally relevant prevention and intervention efforts to individuals typically neglected in these efforts,”  he continues.