Youssef Faisal Nassef
Volunteering at COP27 – The Start of It All
It all started back in 2022, when I got accepted as a volunteer in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh. I joined the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) team under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Ministry of Communications in Egypt.
It was such a proud moment — standing there on the first day, surrounded by people from around the world, representing Egypt in front of over 90 heads of state and 35,000+ participants. Getting there wasn't easy: the process included written tests, ICT interviews, eight training courses, and even a three-day bootcamp in Alexandria. But it was worth every step.
That experience taught me a lot about teamwork, responsibility, and how small contributions can shape global change. It was the first real spark that pushed me toward tech, sustainability, and global collaboration.
USAID Camp – 14 Days of Joy and Friendship
The USAID Scholars Camp was one of those unforgettable times that fills your heart with laughter and warmth. For 14 days, I was surrounded by some of the most creative and kind people I've met — we shared ideas, played, learned, and simply enjoyed being together.
We took leadership sessions with Aspire Consulting International and entrepreneurship courses with Nahdet El Mahrousa. The camp was full of energy, smiles, and connection — something I'll always carry with me.
Special thanks to Mr. Ihab Abdalla and Mr. Emad Abdelmalek for organizing such a meaningful experience. I still hope we'll all meet again one day and share that same joy once more.
USAID Summer Development Camp & Leadership Program
That same summer, I joined the Mansoura University Development Camp for USAID Scholars alongside the Leadership Program (Year 2) by Aspire Consulting. It was a mix of hands-on learning, leadership growth, and meaningful connections.
We explored AI, entrepreneurship, climate change, and communication skills — even had student-led debates and English sessions. I learned a lot about teamwork, project planning, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
I'm so thankful to everyone who made it memorable — especially the USAID team and Aspire Consulting coaches — and to all my fellow scholars for the support and shared learning.
Winning NASA Space Apps Cairo – HydroMen
One of the most exciting chapters of my journey was when our team, 'HydroMen', won the NASA Space Apps Cairo hackathon. We took on the challenge 'Everything Starts with Water', focused on climate change and the water cycle.
After a full month of work and two intense hackathon days, we presented our project and were honored to receive the 'Best Use of Data' award from the Innovators Support Fund (ISF) — and a global nomination as well.
Those sleepless nights, the collaboration, and the mentorship from amazing people at AUC made it all worth it. Huge thanks to my teammates Mohamed Tarek, Youssef El Naggar, and Ammar Elmihy — couldn't have asked for better partners.
NASA Space Apps Global Nominee Experience
A few weeks later, our journey continued — this time beyond Cairo. As one of NASA Space Apps Global Nominees, I got to visit NASA's control centers and facilities. Walking through those halls, meeting engineers and astronauts, and experiencing astronaut simulations felt surreal.
It was inspiring to see how AI and computer science are shaping the future of space exploration. I met incredible people like Dr. Tahani Amer, Jim Oswald, and many NASA staff who shared their wisdom and kindness.
I'm deeply grateful to our mentors Saeed Amien and Bassel Muhammad, and to my fellow global nominees who made this adventure unforgettable. This trip didn't just teach me about space — it reminded me how far dreams can really go.
Research at University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL)
In the summer of 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to conduct research at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) with Prof. Hassan Rashad and PhD student Chinh Hoang. We worked on a fascinating problem — hypothetical object hallucination in large vision-language models (LVLMs).
We developed a training-free approach using contextual prompts based on commonsense reasoning. Our method improved model reliability — reaching 95% accuracy in predicting plausible objects and almost 100% in rejecting impossible ones.
I presented our findings at the poster fair, where I got to discuss them with professors and PhD students from around the world. It was an inspiring, mind-opening experience that made me love research even more.
Research Presentation at EURECA Conference (AUC)
A few months later, I got the chance to present our research, 'Mitigating Hypothetical Object Hallucination in Vision-Language Models', at the EURECA Conference at The American University in Cairo. It was my first time presenting to such a large audience.
It felt great to share our work, answer questions, and learn about other students' amazing projects. This research was part of my UNL program, supervised by Prof. Mohamed Hassan Rashad and PhD student Huu Chinh.
That day reminded me how much I love connecting with people who share the same curiosity for AI and innovation — and how research can be both personal and global at once.
Graduation & The Humanoid Project
And finally — graduation. After years of late nights, debugging marathons, and endless learning, I officially graduated from Ain Shams University and the University of East London with a degree in Computer Science – Artificial Intelligence.
Our final project, 'Humanoid', was a web-based audio-visual chatbot that brings conversations to life with an animated agent through live video streaming. It was our attempt to make AI interactions more natural and human-like.
I'm forever grateful to my teammates — Abdelaziz Ehab, Ahmed Aboalesaad, Ahmed Mohamed Ramadan, and Nouran Magdy — for being the best partners anyone could ask for. And special thanks to our supervisors, Dr. Ahmed Salah Salah and Dr. Razan Bayoumi, for their constant support and guidance. We did it — together.