From Textbook to Travel: Discovering Egypt with Penn Global Seminar
PGS: Cairo as Palimpsest
Hans, one of the Penn Global Seminar Correspondents, shares his experience abroad during the Spring 2025 PGS. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed.
As I sit in the airport, I can barely contain my excitement for this trip I will have with my peers and professor. I’ve enjoyed meeting all 16 of them, and everyone has brought such interesting things to the table as we have written our white papers throughout the course. I’ve had many interesting conversations and cannot wait to learn even more about the other students. Of course, I am also so excited to travel to Cairo. My ideas of Cairo are shaped by what I have learned throughout the course about the different neighborhoods, socioeconomic complexities, and culture of Cairo. Of course, there’s the cliche stuff, too. The pyramids are at the top, along with the Nile, and I cannot wait to see the many other aspects that Cairo has to offer.
So far, preparing for travel has been so much fun. In terms of academics, we have spent time reading Connected in Cairo by Mark Allen Peterson, which explored the effects of globalization on Cairo. We’ve learned everything about how Pokemon cards have highlighted socioeconomic disparities to the impact of coffee shops on gender roles in Cairo. These interesting details have made the prep for heading to Egypt so fun, and I cannot wait to see what parts of the book I will be able to spot as I stroll through Cairo. In other terms of preparation, one classmate has created a guide to phrases in Arabic, which I will defintely be reviewing on the flight to Cairo. I also packed my camera and I am very excited to take so many photos when I get to the city. I have also mentally prepared myself for experiences that might mean me being outside of my comfort zone, and I am very excited about the adventures that will ensue.
In Egypt, I am so excited to explore so many different things, from the pyramids to old Zamalek, to visiting mosques. I am also interested in seeing Cairo during Ramadan and understanding a new culture and country. Whenever I visit a new country, museums are always at the top of my list and so visiting museums such as the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and the Grand Egyptian Museum, I am also very excited about. Finally, once again, photography is what I love the most, and I know that throughout the trip, my camera will be glued to me. I cannot wait to be creative as I capture a completely new place.
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