AUC Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science

After years of collaboration, we’re excited to officially take the next step and sign a Memorandum of Understanding between AUC and Robin 🥳
This partnership strengthens our shared commitment to empowering data science and AI talent through hands-on training, internships, guest talks, and real-world project helping bridge the gap between academic learning and industry practice.

We are proud to celebrate the outstanding participation of our faculty and students in the 2025 Society of Actuaries Regional Symposium & Actuaries Connect Day, taking place in Cairo for the first time.

Witnessing our community play an active role in such a major event for the actuarial field highlights our shared commitment to growth, collaboration, and excellence.

This symposium brought together regulators, industry leaders, academics, and students to exchange insights and shape the future of the profession in our region.

A special appreciation to our faculty members🙏:

⦁ Dr. Roba Bairakdar – for her leadership in organizing and her remarkable role as Master of Ceremonies.
⦁ Dr. Zeinab Amin – for her presence and participation in the faculty panel.
⦁ Dr. Ali Hadi, Dr. Wafik Lotfallah, and Dr. Noha Youssef, for their active involvement and contributions in both the symposium and Actuaries Connect, strengthening academic–industry collaboration.

A heartfelt thank you to the MADS team, who supported the event as ushers, and to the students who participated in the Actuaries Connect day with professionalism and commitment. You continue to make us proud.✨

A great day at AUC’s Open Day!

It was a pleasure meeting all the highschool students, undeclared AUC students, and parents who joined us. The Mathematics and Actuarial Science (MACT) Department loved sharing insights into our specialized programs:

Actuarial Science: Our program introduces students to mathematical and statistical principles, preparing them for global actuarial certifications and successful careers in risk management across insurance, consultancy, finance, and governmental sectors.

Data Science: With the rise of big data, AI, and machine learning, our program offers the foundational knowledge and practical skills needed for high-demand careers in industries such as finance, healthcare, and technology.

Mathematics: We provide a solid grounding in analytical thinking and problem-solving, opening doors to careers in research, education, technology, and more.

We hope you left inspired and excited about the opportunities within the MACT Department. We can’t wait to see some of you as our future students!

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Actuarial Science Program at The American University in Cairo (AUC)—a milestone celebrating two decades of academic excellence, professional impact, and industry growth. We gathered with faculty, alumni, students, and industry partners to honor the achievements of our graduates, who are shaping the future of the profession.

Founded by Dr. Ali Hadi, the program bridges the School of Sciences and Engineering and the School of Business, preparing students for careers in insurance, consulting, government, regulatory bodies, banking, and investment firms. It was established to address the shortage of certified actuaries in Egypt, where demand remains high.

Previously led by Dr. Ali Hadi, Dr. Zeinab Amin, Dr. Khouzeima Mouttanabir, and currently, Dr. Noha Youssef, the program’s success is driven by dedicated faculty and adjunct faculty who continue to mentor and shape the next generation of actuaries.

The program is accredited by the Supreme Council of Universities in Egypt, first in 2017 and renewed in 2024. Over the years, it has produced 7 Fellows and at least 12 Associates from the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA), contributing to the growth of the profession in Egypt.

We are grateful to Kaf, The Infinite Actuary, and the Society of Actuaries for sponsoring our 20th anniversary celebration and for their ongoing support through scholarships, mentorships, and professional development opportunities.

As we mark two decades of success, we look forward to continuing our commitment to actuarial education and industry collaboration in Egypt and beyond!

Meet Dr. Roba Bairakdar!

Dr. Roba Bairakdar, PhD, ASA, joined The American University in Cairo (AUC) in Fall 2023 as an Assistant Professor in the Mathematics and Actuarial Science Department. She earned her PhD and MSc in Mathematics from Concordia University and holds a BSc in Actuarial Science from AUC, where she graduated summa cm laude. Her research spans catastrophe insurance, risk theory, and extreme value theory. An SOA Hickman Scholar, Dr. Bairakdar became the youngest actuary registered with Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) in 2015.

Dr. Bairakdar also brings extensive industry experience. She serves as an independent actuarial consultant to leading insurance companies, including Misr Insurance Company, and sits on the board of Azimut My Pension Fund. She is actively involved in her field through her roles on the Society of Actuaries’ Middle East, Africa, and Pakistan (MAP) Committee and the FRA’s Registration Committee for Actuaries. Since 2015, she has also been an adjunct Professor of Practice at AUC and previously worked as a research actuary at Aviva Canada and as Actuarial Valuation Manager at AXA-Egypt.

Meet Dr. Isabel Muller!

Dr. Isabel Müller has been an Assistant Professor in AUC’s Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science since Fall 2021. Her research lies in Pure Mathematics, with a particular focus on Pure Model Theory and its applications to Permutation Groups. Dr. Müller earned her Ph.D. in 2017 from the University of Münster and later held a postdoctoral position at HUJI. Before joining AUC, she was a Research Associate at Imperial College London under a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship. Her interests include Model Theory, Stable Theories, Homogeneous Structures, Infinite Permutation Groups, Nilpotent Lie Algebras, and Geometric Group Theory.

Meet Dr. Eslam Badr!

Dr. Eslam Badr earned his Ph.D. from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) in Spain before joining AUC. His expertise lies in algebraic geometry and arithmetic, with a focus on the geometric and arithmetic properties of smooth plane curves and their moduli spaces. His research covers topics like automorphism groups, twisting theory, fields of definition versus fields of moduli, and quadratic points.

Dr. Badr teaches a range of mathematics courses, including Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, Differential and Integral Calculus, Ordinary Differential Equations, Modern Algebra, Galois Theory, Number Theory, Topology, and Arithmetic Geometry.

Meet Dr. Noha A. Youssef

Associate Chair and Director of the Actuarial Science Program at AUC. Dr. Noha holds a Ph.D. in Statistics from the London School of Economics (LSE), where she also earned a certificate in teaching in higher education. She has taught at both LSE and Cairo University, covering a variety of subjects in statistics and mathematics.

Beyond academia, she’s a member of the Higher Education Academy in the UK and the Royal Statistical Society.

Meet Dr. Daoud Siniora!

Dr. Daoud Siniora is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science at The American University in Cairo. He works in the field of pure mathematics, more precisely, his research lies in the area of model theory, a branch of mathematical logic. He holds a PhD from The University of Leeds and a master’s degree from The University of Edinburgh, both in pure mathematics. He is very keen on exposing the beauty of mathematics to students and motivating them to learn more advanced mathematics.

Meet Dr. Gregg De Young!

Dr. De Young has been a dedicated educator in the Core Curriculum Program at AUC since 1990. His current research delves into the editing and translation of Arabic mathematical commentaries on Euclid by Aḥmed al-Karābīsī and Ibn al-Haytham. His broader academic interests explore the transmission of Euclidean geometry throughout the medieval Mediterranean.

Research Highlights:

1. Editing and translating Arabic commentaries on Euclid.
2. Studying the history and editing of mathematical diagrams.
3. Exploring the history of translations of modern European geometry textbooks into local vernaculars in the Middle East.

Dr. De Young's work bridges ancient and modern mathematical traditions, shedding light on the rich history of mathematics in the medieval world. We are proud to have him as part of our faculty!