Every October, the East-West Center Participants Association (EWCPA)一the elected student council which serves to advocate for participants, promote cultural awareness, and foster community at the Center一ushers in its new board, marking a smooth transition of leadership and good governance. Among the board members concluding their terms is Mostafa Abdelhafeez, who served as EWCPA Co-President during academic year 2022-23 (with Co-President Sara Belarmino 2022-24) and as the EWCPA Community Service Coordinator (2021-22).  

Mostafa, who is currently pursuing his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, learned about the East-West Center through a fellow engineering student from Egypt, Amr Ghanem. Mostafa, inspired by Amr's accounts of the friendly EWC community, decided to apply to the EWC Student Affiliate program and in August 2021, he moved from his hometown of Cairo, Egypt to embark on his educational journey in Hawai‘i, where he immediately dedicated himself to leading and contributing to his new EWC community. 

At the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mostafa is involved in a number of research projects highly relevant to the Indo-Pacific region as well as his home country. His primary research revolves around “studying the effects of tsunami waves on existing structures and estimating the probability of failure.” By using numerical software to model structures and simulate tsunami waves, Mostafa aims to predict structural failures, providing valuable insights for mitigation planning in states vulnerable to tsunamis. In addition to his tsunami research, Mostafa is also studying the effects of earthquakes on structures. Using smart sensors, he assesses the structural integrity of aging bridges, which is especially crucial in Hawai‘i, where many bridges are over 50 years old.

At the East-West Center, Mostafa played a pivotal role in the community, bringing together students from diverse backgrounds. He fondly recalls the Eid event he put on with EWCPA, a celebratory gathering marking the conclusion of Ramadan. During this event, participants had the opportunity to try traditional sweets and learn about each other's customs and festivals. Mostafa's dedication to organizing this event was unwavering; he sourced festival decorations from fellow classmates and procured an assortment of sweets from various suppliers, each representing distinct Middle Eastern and North African countries, such as Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Yemen. In addition, Mostafa demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing food insecurity within the EWC community. As a core member of the Food Security Task Force, he actively encouraged fellow participants to volunteer for the task force, which included securing bread and other food donations. 

For prospective students from Egypt and other North African communities, Mostafa encourages them to explore the opportunities offered by the EWC community. He emphasizes the benefits of residing at the East-West Center, stating that he “loves living there, [interacting with] friendly staff, Education Program, and the supportive community.” Mostafa also encourages students to get involved with EWCPA as it provided him with rewarding experiences that broadened his horizons, strengthened his connections, and cultivated his leadership skills, preparing him and other student leaders for a lifetime of service and community-building.

The East-West Center Education Program offers scholarships for graduate study as well as affiliation programs for service-minded students with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region to join our international graduate student community.

Every October, the East-West Center Participants Association (EWCPA)一the elected student council which serves to advocate for participants, promote cultural awareness, and foster community at the Center一ushers in its new board, marking a smooth transition of leadership and good governance. Among the board members concluding their terms is Mostafa Abdelhafeez, who served as EWCPA Co-President during academic year 2022-23 (with Co-President Sara Belarmino 2022-24) and as the EWCPA Community Service Coordinator (2021-22).  

Mostafa, who is currently pursuing his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, learned about the East-West Center through a fellow engineering student from Egypt, Amr Ghanem. Mostafa, inspired by Amr's accounts of the friendly EWC community, decided to apply to the EWC Student Affiliate program and in August 2021, he moved from his hometown of Cairo, Egypt to embark on his educational journey in Hawai‘i, where he immediately dedicated himself to leading and contributing to his new EWC community. 

At the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mostafa is involved in a number of research projects highly relevant to the Indo-Pacific region as well as his home country. His primary research revolves around “studying the effects of tsunami waves on existing structures and estimating the probability of failure.” By using numerical software to model structures and simulate tsunami waves, Mostafa aims to predict structural failures, providing valuable insights for mitigation planning in states vulnerable to tsunamis. In addition to his tsunami research, Mostafa is also studying the effects of earthquakes on structures. Using smart sensors, he assesses the structural integrity of aging bridges, which is especially crucial in Hawai‘i, where many bridges are over 50 years old.

At the East-West Center, Mostafa played a pivotal role in the community, bringing together students from diverse backgrounds. He fondly recalls the Eid event he put on with EWCPA, a celebratory gathering marking the conclusion of Ramadan. During this event, participants had the opportunity to try traditional sweets and learn about each other's customs and festivals. Mostafa's dedication to organizing this event was unwavering; he sourced festival decorations from fellow classmates and procured an assortment of sweets from various suppliers, each representing distinct Middle Eastern and North African countries, such as Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Yemen. In addition, Mostafa demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing food insecurity within the EWC community. As a core member of the Food Security Task Force, he actively encouraged fellow participants to volunteer for the task force, which included securing bread and other food donations. 

For prospective students from Egypt and other North African communities, Mostafa encourages them to explore the opportunities offered by the EWC community. He emphasizes the benefits of residing at the East-West Center, stating that he “loves living there, [interacting with] friendly staff, Education Program, and the supportive community.” Mostafa also encourages students to get involved with EWCPA as it provided him with rewarding experiences that broadened his horizons, strengthened his connections, and cultivated his leadership skills, preparing him and other student leaders for a lifetime of service and community-building.

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The East-West Center Education Program offers scholarships for graduate study as well as affiliation programs for service-minded students with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region to join our international graduate student community.