- What are the most prominent departments of the Department of Graduate Studies and Research at Ain Shams University?

The postgraduate and research sector is one of the most important sectors in the universities. It includes postgraduate studies, cultural relations, libraries, faculty affairs and research management.

Postgraduate studies include all related to the scientific research of MS and PhD and promotion research, in addition to international publication.

Cultural relations include agreements, secondments, leaves, and travel of faculty staff.

In terms of research management, the research funded by the university, and those conducted in cooperation with other research bodies outside the university, whether with research bodies inside or outside Egypt.

For libraries, it is one of the most important departments in the university as any prestigious university expresses itself through libraries.

Management of faculty members is concerned with all aspects of faculty members at the university.

- Are there other departments that have been developed?

Yes, the Department of International Cooperation has been established, including the Office of International Cooperation, which deals with expatriate affairs, conventions and world ranking, as well as the University's Project Development and Innovation Unit, as well as the University's distinguished research centers.

- To what extent is Ain Shams University interested in world ranking? How satisfied are you with world ranking of the university in general?

Until 2010, World ranking was mentioned to the university as a news published in the newspapers. During that period, the faculty members were concerned only with quality standards, increasing income and the mechanisms of developing the education system.

At that time, Egypt's universities were excluded from world ranking, except for Cairo University, since some of its scientists were Nobel laureates.

"But in 2012-2013 an initiative was launched from the Faculty of Medicine and Engineering and cooperation with QS, which is responsible for one of the international classifications. Hence, the Faculty of Medicine and Engineering entered Ain Shams University within the world ranking. Thereafter, we realized that the university as a whole should be included in the world ranking.

- What are the procedures you have to introduce Ain Shams University in the world ranking?

We began to provide a file that includes the requirements for the presence in the world ranking. In 2017 announced the presence of the University of Ain Shams within the ranking of Shanghai. This step was important, significant, encouraging for the University, and unprecedented in its history. Despite the university's legacy, its services and capabilities were not clear and visible, because the university's focus was largely on the educational process.

He continued, "We have used several bodies and formed a specialized team under the leadership of the President of Ain Shams University, Prof. Dr. Abdel Wahab Ezzat and the vice- prsident, under the supervision of Dr. Abdel Fattah Saud, supervisor of the general classification in cooperation with the Knowledge Bank, which gives the university a great interest".

He added, "During the past few days, a meeting was held with QS during which most of the Egyptian universities were collected and the importance of the international classification was recognized".

- Is there a difference between the criteria for classification of universities between each organization?

Yes, the classification criteria vary from one classification to the other. In each classification, criteria are set; among these criteria are the administrative process and the staff, the educational process, the scientific research provided by the faculty members, the international publication and the reputation of the university, which receives up to 40% the level of graduation, the proportion of international students and the number of visiting professors.

The University of Ain Shams insisted on obtaining a degree by its own efforts, especially as its leadership stressed the need for the university to be part of international classifications, based on the university's history, and that it is the main supplier of Egyptian ministers. For example, not limited to, among the ministers who are in the current ministry, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Prof. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Transport Hesham Arafat, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shukri, Minister of Culture Helmy Al-Namnam, Ahmed Emad El-den Rady, Minister of Health and Population, and Speaker of the Council of Representatives Ali Abdel-Al. It is also a resource for graduates in various important fields, and its graduates compete in the best international companies, as graduates from medical, engineering, pharmacy, science and law faculties are prominent not only at the local level but also on a global level, as well as university graduates in the field of humanities and their skills are rare.

He added that the University's interest in obtaining an advanced international classification was not only for the above reasons, but because the university's presence in the classification would have a moral and material impact on both graduates and faculty members, especially when applying for employment for graduates, For faculty members.

The results of the international classification of the university are very important and reflected on the society. When the sector papers at the university are disciplined, the value will return to the community, the rate of educational value will increase, and the university will charge itself without any accountability.

- How important is Ain Shams University to linking scientific research to the labor market?

Ain Shams University has undertaken great importance to the linking of scientific research to the labor market and development, and this exists in all countries until some universities have raised it as slogans without being keen to implement it. However, Ain Shams University issued a decision in June; to impose on the sections of the university and its faculties to be half of Masters and PhD theses applied.

Do you have agreements with the executive authorities in the country to apply the scientific studies provided?

Yes, we have agreements with the executive authorities in the country.

He added, "The advanced scientific devices that are purchased, not only for the purpose of training, but must have a product of them, or at least contribute to help professors to provide research patents, as happened in Japan. Japan has filed patents and sold them, and has therefore begun to manufacture products based on the patents it has provided, and Ain Shams University is moving in this direction now.

- What steps did you take to encourage professors to provide scientific research?

The university has promoted scientific research and international publishing. Three previous bonuses have been paid in arrears, the fourth is being submitted to the researcher, and statistical work is being done on the type of traditional or applied research and applied research offered at the university.

"At the same time, the University has opened up projects in the Technological Development Fund of the Ministry of Higher Education, where a large number of researchers have gone to Erasmus, and there are researchers at the university working with important companies".

- Have you noticed the turnout of professors and researchers to submit research for international publication after you provide rewards for them?

Yes, the number of researchers providing research for international publication has increased by 40% as new parties and researchers have entered, in addition to joint research with international universities, this also affects the reputation of the university and is reflected in the importance of scientific research.

- The management of cultural relations depends on the conventions, what are the countries with which you have agreements, and Are they operational?

We have signed a number of agreements in the period leading up to the world. Among the countries that have agreements are China, Russia, America, India, Germany, England, some African countries and a number of Arab countries.

He pointed out that the inventory of all the agreements in the university, and we activate and monitor, and for others is activated them are canceled, under the auspices of the Office of International Cooperation.

- What is your assessment of the status of libraries at Ain Shams University, both digital and central?

Libraries in the university suffer "very severe neglect", although the title of any university has a high-end library and museum in case it has holdings.

In this context, the university president, Prof. Dr. Abdel Wahab Ezzat, formed a committee headed by the former minister of antiquities, MPs and some members, to examine the heritage at Ain Shams University and to establish a museum. This will be done soon, pointing to the university's interest in library holdings and the speed of development of its performance.

- What about libraries?

Ain Shams University has more than 100,000 thesis between Master and Ph.D. and has been digitized about 30 thousand thesis. the International Information Network in cooperation with libraries will digitize the rest.

He said, "In this regard, we held a gathering of officials in the Central Library and the International Information Network, and it was agreed that within six months from now will be completed digitization of all scientific thesis, in addition to very good storage of thesis.

"We have also set up two committees, one for digitizing thesis and the other for infrastructure development for libraries, each working separately in parallel.

- How students and researchers can use thesis, books and other library holdings?

Through the portal (the main website of the university) where it will be linked to the library and thus facilitate the student or researcher to enter the library and access to the information required.

- What about faculty members' affairs?

With regard to secondments, there are "many problems, because it is not right to be a faculty member exists outside the university on secondment for a period of up to 14 years. I would recommend not to remain a faculty member at the name of the university body more than 6 years, which is where, especially that this is I think that 6 years is very good for a faculty member who belongs to the university. He is away from it, whether it is secondments, facilities or leave. This is evidenced by the fact that there are self-respecting faculty members in Egypt who work and excel the Country position ".

He added, "Another problem is that some faculty members are getting a doctorate degree and then they travel abroad and offer their resignation from the university."

He continued, "I am Vice President of Ain Shams University for Graduate Studies, and I have experience in this field since more than 10 years since 2006, where I was vice-dean, then a dean. I emphasize the need to amend the laws on graduate studies and the affairs of faculty members, especially for a long period on the current law.

"A faculty member should not exist outside Egypt for 14 years, and return to assume managerial position at the university, through accident or mediation and he does not know the history of the university, and backstage work and the nature of the place, especially as it is exposed to confusion because he was dealing with a different society "He said.

He stressed the need to change the system of full missions of up to 4 years and is renewed, so that it should be limited to sensitive sectors and very rare, such as nuclear energy and renewable energy, and should be under the control of the state. Where there is a professor who provide false doctorate for obtaining it from abroad, and was revealed members of the teaching staff committed this disgraceful act, and the degree was withdrawn from them, "opportunity makes the thief".

He called for the need to have a supervisory role by the scientific departments on the professors, "but its role is absent because the people who are mostly young and most of them are doing work without experience, the faculties are empty, because the professors are all abroad, and there are Full-time professors."

He added, "The origin is the head of the department is the basis in the administrative and educational process at the university because it starts the decision."

- The Seventh University Conference, what are your preparations for it?

There is a committee at the highest level, which was formed under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Hany Azar. The University was divided into five sections. Experts from abroad will be recruited. Dr. Farouk El-Baz will be present at the conference and will be awarded an honorary doctorate from the university.

He added, "The Seventh Conference of Ain Shams University will be the real window to highlight the achievements of the university".