The English & Scientific Method Department provides high quality education
that meets the needs of our students and their employers in Egypt, in the
region and internationally. It enables GUC students to build their capabilities,
skills and knowledge so as to enhance their opportunities in order to take full
advantage of life–long learning. Accordingly, the motto of our department is
“GUC students deserve to acquire skills for life”.
Unlike any English, critical thinking, writing, or freshman qualifying
program in any other university, the English & Scientific Method department
at the GUC prepares our undergraduate for:
-
Postgraduate studies preparation:
We do not only equip our undergraduates with the Academic skills required for
writing a documented paper; but we also equip them with research skills that
other universities would offer at a postgraduate level (e.g. understanding
research methodology, understanding different types of research, and conducting
a review of the literature as a first step towards conducting empirical research…)
-
Undertaking job related tasks preparation:
We equip our students with a spectrum of market-oriented soft skills such as
presentation skills, communication skills, working in teams both as a team
member and as a team leader, handling group discussions, working under pressure,
meeting deadlines, report writing, multi-cultural awareness…
In order to serve the professional and technical knowledge objectives as well as the
general knowledge and skills objectives of the GUC, the department aims at achieving
the following objectives:
-
GUC graduates will have the most up to date knowledge in the fields of scientific method,
critical thinking, research paper writing, communication and presentation skills, academic
reading, argumentative writing, as well as report writing.
- GUC graduates will have the ability to look beyond the limits of specialist knowledge
into other disciplines – through an interdisciplinary reading approach.
- In fulfillment of the research paper writing course objectives, GUC graduates will
be able to keep up to date with the latest studies and articles related to their
field in order to become team members in the industry very shortly after graduation.
- GUC graduates will become open to foreign cultures in order to minimize miscommunication
and to enhance cross-cultural understanding; thus preparing them for working in
multinational firms.
- GUC graduates will have the ability to work with colleagues to meet deadlines, as
well as the ability to trust their team members and to share ideas.
In order to provide chances for social growth as well as for cross-cultural
awareness, the department supervises a variety of extracurricular activities
that are initiated and implemented by our GUC students:
- Cross-cultural seminars:
The department invited prominent guest speakers in the field of cross-cultural
communication: e.g. H.E. Baron von Maltzan, the German ambassador to Iran;
H.E. Mr. Martin Kobler, the ex-German ambassador to Egypt; Dr. Mulach,
commissioner of the German foreign office for the dialogue with the Islamic
world; Prof. Saftien & Mrs. Eisenbach, from the University of Stuttgart.
- Cultural symposia:
It also invited prominent scientists (psychologists, sociologists, men of
religion, physicians) to provide guidance to students in areas of concern
for youth.
- The Debate club:
it was founded in the winter semester of 2005 to provide a safe environment
for students to broaden their horizon as well as to discuss important
controversial issues. It can offer students a range of beneficial skills
as well as high social interaction. It touches upon various socio-cultural
as well as economic issues. Previous debates were attended by high-profile
individuals who could add weight to the arguments posed.
- Youngsters summer Club:
We offer our students the chance to train their younger siblings on the
critical thinking skills they acquire under the guidance of our department.
The club raises our students’ sense of leadership as well as their sense of
responsibility.
- The Writing Corner
- The Book Review Club
The Computer Based English Admission Exam
The English Admission Exam is an academic aptitude exam made up of 3 sections: language use,
reading comprehension, and listening comprehension. It aims at finding out whether the student
can study (attend lectures, and read academic textbooks and lecture notes) at an English
speaking university.
After passing the admission exams and submitting the documents for evaluation, the student
will receive his final study offer as a GUC fully accepted student.
The Computer Based Academic Skills Diagnostic Placement Exam
Fully accepted students need to sit for a Diagnostic Placement Exam to place them into
homogeneous classes suited to their needs in order to bring all GUC students to an equal
skills level by the end of the first semester. The placement exam is computerized except
for the writing part and is made up of sections similar to those of the English admission
exam with varying levels of difficulty.
The placement diagnostic exam places fully accepted students into one of two levels:
the Academic level and the Study Skills level.
In the Study Skills level, the students study four credit subjects over a two year span.
The four credit subjects are: Academic Study Skills, Critical Thinking and Scientific
Methodology, Research Paper Writing, and Communication and Presentation Skills.
In the Academic level, the students study an extra non-credit subject as a prerequisite
to studying the four credit subjects. The prerequisite subject, Academic English, in
addition to the four credit subjects are also planned over a two year span.
The Computer Based Achievement Exams
Save for Essays, reports, projects, research papers, and presentations, the
whole evaluation system of the department is based on computer based databases
for all achievement quizzes, mid-terms, and finals.