A S U

The Faculty of Engineering at Ain Shams University, in collaboration with MIDAR for Investment and Urban Development, concluded its major architectural design competition, held under the slogan “Everyone Wins with MIDAR.” The competition featured 16 teams of students from the Department of Architecture, who presented innovative designs for a cultural center and forum at Mostakbal City in New Cairo.

The competition reflects the faculty’s commitment to bridging academic education and practical application by providing students with real-world design experiences linked to community needs and urban development projects, thereby enhancing their creative skills and preparing them for the labor market.

Over the course of 45 days, the students took part in a comprehensive experience that began with a field visit to Mostakbal City to study the site and its requirements and concluded with the preparation of their designs and presentation of their ideas. The experience demonstrated the faculty’s role in transforming academic knowledge into real-world projects that serve the community.

The closing ceremony featured the announcement of the results, recognition of the winners and all participating teams, and the presentation of awards in appreciation of the innovative ideas and projects developed by the students throughout the competition.

The total value of the prizes amounted to EGP 870,000, distributed among all 16 teams, reflecting the competition’s philosophy that everyone is a winner through participation and the practical experience gained. The results were as follows:

First Place: Team MEMORA – EGP 150,000

Second Place: Team SIA – EGP 150,000

Third Place: Team Form Follows Curiosity – EGP 150,000

Fourth to Sixth Places: Three teams – EGP 90,000 each

The remaining ten teams: Incentive prizes of EGP 15,000 per team.

Prof. Amr Abdel Salam Shaat, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Ain Shams University, affirmed that the competition represents a distinguished model of collaboration between academic institutions and the urban development sector, enabling students to move from theoretical learning to practical application and test their creative abilities by designing real-world projects that serve the community.

He explained that the field visit and site study helped strengthen the students’ design skills and connect their academic knowledge with the actual challenges of urban development projects. He also emphasized the Faculty’s commitment to providing an educational environment that supports innovation and creativity while opening new horizons for students to engage with the labor market and national and development projects.

The Dean praised MIDAR’s initiative and its efforts to provide students with the opportunity to undertake a comprehensive design experience, stressing that such partnerships add significant value to the educational process and contribute to preparing generations of engineers capable of delivering innovative and sustainable solutions that meet future needs.

For his part, Eng. Ayman El-Kousy, Managing Director and CEO of MIDAR, stated that the competition reflects the company’s commitment to empowering young people and supporting talent and creative ideas. He noted the company’s keenness to recognize all participating students, as participation itself represents a valuable educational and professional experience worthy of appreciation.

El-Kousy praised the fruitful collaboration with Ain Shams University, explaining that the experience went beyond competition and design to provide students with a comprehensive 45-day field experience at Mostakbal City, during which they progressed from studying the site and understanding its requirements to developing their visions and preparing their designs.

He added that the experience reflects MIDAR’s role in supporting ideas and initiatives that shape the future of cities and integrated urban communities, alongside its role in developing infrastructure, utilities, and road networks.

The competition represents a model of collaboration between MIDAR and Ain Shams University aimed at strengthening the integration of academic education and practical application and providing students with a genuine opportunity to apply their knowledge within an integrated urban community. It also reflects the company’s vision of building communities that extend beyond urban development to include spaces and projects that support social and cultural development in Egypt, placing young people and their creative ideas at the heart of shaping the future.