Sir Magdi Yacoub, world-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon and beloved Egyptian icon, was hosted by El Gouna-based Manara School for a full-day event. He engaged with students in discussions of leadership and humility in service. The day also provided students with various opportunities to have direct discussions with Dr. Yacoub about topics ranging from his views on values and the ethics of choices to sharing their own inventions and artistic creations with him.
“At its core, Manara’s mission is to develop future leaders, individuals equipped not only with strong academic foundations, but with character, initiative, and sense of responsibility,” noted Todd Cuddington, Head of Manara School. “Sir Magdi Yacoub stands as an icon not only for Egypt, but for the world and the qualities he represents are precisely those we seek to cultivate in our students.”
It is this spirit that characterized the visit, which started with the full student body, teachers and staff celebrating the arrival of Dr. Yacoub on campus. This was followed by a question-and-answer session with Manara students holding leadership roles within the student body as part of the Student Leadership Program. Each student had the opportunity to discuss their roles and responsibilities with Dr. Yacoub.
“I love [meeting] young people,” Dr. Yacoub had remarked, noting that interactions with students throughout the day gave him confidence, as he could see firsthand the students’ remarkable eagerness for knowledge, leadership and serving their community. He had always seen his ability to pass on knowledge to future generations as one of his greatest achievements.
Dr. Yacoub then met with the full student body, where school founder Naguib Samih Sawiris led the discussion by highlighting Dr. Yacoub’s illustrious career. Sawiris noted that although nearly everyone in Egypt knows Dr. Yacoub, his reputation was built on merit and hard work, not a family name. He emphasized that merit-based achievement is a fundamental principle of the school’s philosophy, instilled in each and every one of its students.
“What gives me confidence in Manara is the caliber of our students,” Sawiris said. “When exceptional young people are held to high standards in an environment that demands both performance and integrity, they become a force capable of shaping [this country’s] future. Sir Magdi Yacoub embodies the standard we aspire to at Manara – excellence grounded in humility, ambition guided by service and global achievement rooted in [the] Egyptian identity.”
This sentiment was echoed by Dr. Yacoub during his conversation with the students. He advised them to seek knowledge throughout their lives, to travel the world to gain an understanding of how others live and to develop a truly global perspective. But perhaps his best advice to them was about ethics and values. The doctor noted that throughout their lives, they will be faced with choices requiring them to strike a balance between their personal values and the perceived good of various institutions and communities.
“Thou shall not do harm,” Dr. Yacoub told the students. “I will never harm the community or the individual. Sometimes, when it comes to the individual, the two [interests] separate and that becomes a dilemma. Do you benefit the community at the expense of one individual? Never. I want to try to do both things and that’s not [always] easy. […] You must have courage. […] You must do what you think is correct, even if it harms you.”
For his part, Cuddington noted that the insights shared by Dr. Yacoub with the students of Manara reflect the core values the school is working to instill into the students as they work to become the leaders of the future. “In Dr. Yacoub the entire student body got to meet a person who excelled internationally as a professional but more importantly as an international leader in his chosen career but decided to return to Egypt to support the development of his country.”
Manara School offers its students grades eight to 12 a unique experience by bringing an internationally accredited education and coupling it with a residential program that enshrines leadership values such as executive skills, critical thinking, personal accountability for decision making, and integrity in an immersive environment.
As part of its mission, Manara offers students from all over the country the opportunity to join the school based on merit, academic performance and commitment to excellence regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or financial capability out of the belief that a level playing field is needed to create a more equitable future for Egypt where all can thrive.
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