Heyy guyyss!! This is my final reflection on my Soliya experience.

In my interviews with Kenzy and Areege, both 19-year-old students at the American University in Cairo, I got the chance to explore two very different but equally important perspectives on artificial intelligence. Kenzy, who studies construction engineering, approaches AI with a lot of optimism. She’s already applying it to her academic work by simulating construction processes, optimizing materials, and even brainstorming sustainable design solutions. She believes that AI will revolutionize Egypt’s urban development, particularly in emerging projects like the New Administrative Capital. Personally, she finds AI motivating and empowering, as it has made her more efficient and helped her set more ambitious goals. On the other hand, Areege, who is studying management and information technology, takes a more cautious and critical stance. While she uses AI occasionally for brainstorming or automating simple tasks, she is deeply concerned about how these tools often lack cultural awareness and could displace jobs in Egypt’s already fragile employment landscape. She’s also uneasy about the pressure AI brings when it comes to productivity and how it can overshadow deeper, more reflective learning.

What I found most interesting was how their fields of study clearly shaped their opinions. Kenzy works in a field that thrives on innovation and large-scale systems, so she sees AI as a tool for solving complex problems. Areege, who deals more with people, systems, and data, naturally focuses on the social and ethical implications of AI. Both views are valid, and hearing them side by side reminded me of the value of seeking out different perspectives. I also noticed how important it is to ask open-ended, thoughtful questions. I didn’t want to just confirm my assumptions, as I wanted to create space for honesty and nuance. I think I succeeded in doing that because both Kenzy and Areege opened up freely and offered personal insights that I might not have expected. Conducting these interviews made me realize how essential it is to listen deeply and without judgment, especially when the topic touches on something as complex as artificial intelligence.

This experience made me reflect more on my role as someone who brings people together in my community. By asking thoughtful questions, I found that I wasn’t just collecting opinions: I was helping others express ideas they hadn’t fully considered before. That part was especially fulfilling. Of course, it wasn’t always easy to keep the conversation neutral; I had to make sure I wasn’t unintentionally leading their responses. But overall, I think it went really well. I was able to draw out two very different perspectives, and both helped me gain a deeper understanding of how AI is impacting people’s lives, both personally and socially.

Reflecting on my experience in the Soliya Connect Program, I have to be honest: it wasn’t as engaging or meaningful as I expected. The early sessions felt repetitive and too focused on abstract or overly general questions. For example, we were asked things like: What is dialogue? How is it different from debate? What can you contribute to this dialogue group? These questions didn’t connect with the real conversations happening around us, especially in a world where young people are constantly exposed to global conflicts, digital transformations, and cultural shifts. Because of that disconnect, the discussions often felt shallow and unmemorable. I think part of the problem was that our facilitator seemed inexperienced and unsure of how to guide the conversations. He wasn’t bad, but he lacked the confidence to push us into more meaningful territory. Luckily, he improved a lot in the final session, when we finally talked about Trump’s tariffs and how they impacted our countries. That session felt alive and real, and it showed me what the whole program could’ve been like if we had started from that level of relevance.

One thing that worked really well in Soliya was the diversity of the group. We had people from Egypt, China, Italy, Pakistan, and the United States, which created the potential for incredibly rich conversations. But unfortunately, the Americans often dominated the discussions. Since English was their first language, they naturally spoke more confidently and quickly, which made others hesitate or stay silent. I think the facilitator should’ve done more to manage the flow of conversation and ensure that everyone had equal space to speak. It would’ve helped if there were specific moments in the session where each participant was invited to share, maybe through structured turn-taking or breakout prompts that gave everyone a chance to speak without being interrupted (this happened but the topics were general, which meant that everyone was repeating the same thing). Another thing that would’ve improved the experience is choosing more timely and relevant discussion topics. Instead of asking basic definitions, we could’ve talked about issues like AI and education, the impact of social media on mental health, climate change in our countries, gender roles in different cultures, and the economic and political situations worldwide. These are the kinds of topics that matter to us and that we already think about. A conversation is always more meaningful when it relates to real life.

Looking back, I still learned something important from both the interviews and Soliya: the value of dialogue lies in the way we listen and make room for others, not just in what we say. I realized that engaging across cultures and experiences takes patience, humility, and sometimes, the courage to speak up when the conversation isn’t working. I also became more aware of the hidden dynamics in group discussions, like how language, personality, and even internet connection can affect who gets heard and who stays quiet. Even though the Soliya experience wasn’t perfect, it still pushed me to reflect more deeply on what meaningful dialogue actually looks like. It made me want to ask better questions, be a better listener, and challenge the structures that sometimes make real exchange difficult. If I ever do something like this again, I’ll bring that awareness with me and try to help create a space where everyone feels safe to speak honestly and thoughtfully.

Please comment if you have any questions 🙂