Campus Alert Archive
UCSB

Four Gauchos Airlifted Out of Cairo as State Department Mandates Evacuation of US Students

CAcivil unrestadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

When the Egyptian Revolution erupted on January 25, 2011, four UCSB students were enrolled at the American University in Cairo. After a week of escalating unrest, the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory mandating removal of American students from Egypt, and all four were flown to Barcelona on February 1, losing nearly three months of study. The students were part of a group of up to 19 UC students whose classes at AUC were cancelled.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of California, Santa Barbara
Public R1 · CA
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction419 chars
UCSB Education Abroad Program is aware of the civil unrest in Egypt. We are in contact with our students at the American University in Cairo and are monitoring the situation closely. Students have been advised to follow the guidance of local authorities and their program coordinators, to remain indoors, to store food and water, and to keep their cell phones charged. We will provide updates as the situation develops.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from Daily Nexus coverage; student accounts described receiving instructions to stay in their homes, store food and water, and keep cell phones on -- consistent with EAP standard shelter-in-place guidance during civil unrest.
Internet and cell phone services were shut down across Egypt during the first days of the revolution, making contact with students extremely difficult; the university relied on landlines to reach students.
AUC had approximately 340 students from other US universities enrolled in fall 2010; by the time the situation stabilized the number dropped by 96% to just 14 students.
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction414 chars
We are writing to inform you that all four UCSB students studying at the American University in Cairo have been evacuated safely. Following the U.S. State Department travel advisory, the students were flown to Barcelona, Spain on February 1. We are working with each student individually on arrangements for completing their academic semester. Please contact the Education Abroad Program office with any questions.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The Daily Nexus confirmed all four UCSB students were evacuated to Barcelona on February 1, 2011 -- the day the State Department began organizing exit flights for US citizens.
Students Vivian Chui and Geoff Cloepfil returned to the United States; Jeremy Hodge and Sophie Tahran transferred to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to continue their Middle East studies program.
The evacuation cut the semester short by nearly three months; AUC closed its campus and cancelled all classes after the State Department advisory.
Context

Background

The Egyptian Revolution of 2011 began January 25 with mass protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square demanding the removal of President Hosni Mubarak. Internet and mobile phone services were shut down across the country, complicating efforts by US universities to communicate with their students. Up to 19 UC students, including four from UCSB, were enrolled at the American University in Cairo when the uprising began. The State Department issued a travel warning on January 30 recommending US citizens consider departing Egypt, then began organizing evacuation flights on February 1. The four UCSB students were flown to Barcelona and then made separate arrangements: two returned to Santa Barbara while two transferred to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to finish their semester. The Daily Nexus reported on February 10 that the students' studies had been cut short by nearly three months. AUC, which had enrolled 340 international students in fall 2010, saw that number collapse by 96 percent in the aftermath of the revolution.
Outcome
All four UCSB students evacuated to Barcelona February 1; two returned to the US, two transferred to Hebrew University of Jerusalem to complete their Middle East studies semester.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Gauchos Depart Turbulent Egypt - Daily Nexus
    dailynexus.com
  2. News
    Getting Out of Egypt - Inside Higher Ed
    insidehighered.com
  3. Source
    2011 Egyptian revolution - Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
study-abroadegyptcivil-unrestinternationalevacuationadvisoryrevolution2011
Added June 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion