Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies for Childhood Prof. Dr. Hayam Nazif

When was the Faculty established?

Presidential Decree No. 278 of 1981 was issued to establish the Institute of Graduate Studies for Childhood, which was recently converted into a faculty.

The Dean of the faculty explained that the idea was to collect all the specialties that deal with children in one place.

She confirmed that the Faculty of Graduate Studies for Childhood, Ain Shams University, is unique, as it is unparalleled in Egyptian universities or in the Middle East in general.

What are the faculty departments?

There are three scientific departments in the faculty, the Department of Medical Studies, the Department of Psychological Studies, the Department of Media and Children's Culture, and each department specializes in various fields, including pediatrics, psychiatry, public health, physiotherapy, media, and psychology.

Professors in the disciplines were working in one place for cooperation and integration in the service of children.

What about the faculty programs?

The programs of the faculty have been updated. There are new programs at the Faculty of Graduate Studies for the latest level in the credit hours system and a large part of them are based on clinical practice through a special unit of the faculty.

She explained: Each section has two programs for the Master and the same for the doctorate, but the medical department has one new program that we expect to reflect well on the level of performance and services for children. It is under the name of child health and disabilities, which is the integration of two programs in one program, and qualifies the graduate to deal with children with special needs and has practical and clinical experience from the experience of the Center for People with Special Needs.

The programs of the faculty have a good echo, and will have a significant role during the coming period; especially that President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi announced that 2018 will be the year of people with special needs. Therefore, the direction of the faculty commensurate with the requirements of the labor market and the directions of the state, because we come out a qualified person to deal with children with special needs.

What is the extent to which faculty members participate in conferences at home and abroad?

We participate in all local and international scientific conferences, as speakers and participants, and the faculty is in the process of signing agreements with universities abroad.

Could you give us more details about the Center for People with Special Needs as a unit of special nature?

The purpose of establishing a care center for people with special needs is to provide services to children and their families in one place to reduce the burden on families, where the child is presented to different clinics and specialists in all fields. Accordingly, a special child program is developed according to its needs and requirements.

She added that there are different clinics in all specialties, in addition to the units of psychological measurement, communication, audio, visual rehabilitation, psychological adjustment, enrichment activities, physical therapy, an excellent unit and there is a natural treatment with water, which is a very modern treatment.

What about the price of all these services offered to children?

All these services are offered at nominal prices. The sessions during the morning period range between 20 and 25 pounds, and during the evening, we offer about 50 pounds, while these services are offered in the centers of 300 and 400 pounds and sometimes up to 1000 pounds, and their families, because these children deserve these services.

Are there any bodies that can assist you?

The center has been established with donations and has been provided with all the possibilities of donations. In addition, we have cooperation agreements with civil society organizations to help us, like Masr El-khair.

Are there conditions for accepting children in the center?

Any child who visits us will be presented to the medical committee and determine the services he needs without any conditions.

How many children are attending the center?

We have large numbers of children to the center up to 400 child a day, and this is a great pressure, especially in light of the limited cadres.

Are there professors from faculties who supervise these specialists?

There is supervision of the professor in various disciplines, and is reassessed from time to time to modify the mechanism of treatment and know the degree of response.

There is another unit of a special nature for the faculty. What services do you provide?

Yes, there is a unit of counseling of childhood medical, psychological and media services, a unit of a special nature, where there are advanced devices such as brain imaging devices, Dixa device, the diagnosis of bedwetting, osteoporosis devices. We have a laboratory with many analyzes that may need children, in addition to other services provided by the training courses for the rehabilitation of specialists to deal with children with special needs.

What about the studio in the faculty?

We have a studio that has the highest potential for editing and photography. At this stage, the staff will be trained by the teachers in the media department and will soon open the door to the students to conduct their research in the studio. Educational and health awareness programs will be produced through the media for parents on how to deal with children with special needs.