A high-level delegation from the British University of Exeter hosted by Ain Shams University

On Tuesday, November 28, Prof. Mohamed Diaa, President of Ain Shams University, received a delegation from the British University of Exeter (University of Exeter), in the presence of Prof. Mustafa Refaat, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Universities.

The delegation included Prof. Richard Follett, Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement), University of Exeter Gerbasi, Alexandra, PVC for the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, Prof. Alexandra Gerbasi, Vice President of the University for Environment, Science and Economic Affairs, Prof. Peter Clack, Head of Global Partnerships, Professor Peter Clack, Head of Global Partnerships, Dr. Rasha Kamal, Egyptian Cultural Attaché, Head of the Egyptian Cultural Bureau in London, Mr. Mark Haward, Head of the British Council Egypt, Ms. Shaimaa Elbanna, British Council Egypt, and Mrs. Shaimaa Elbanna, Head of Scientific Programs at the British Council in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The meeting was attended by Prof. Shahira Samir, Executive Director of the International Relations Sector from Ain Shams University, Prof. Khaled Kadri, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Prof. Safaa Shehata, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof. Dalia Ibrahim Mohamed, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Prof. Adel Al-Sabbagh, Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Prof. Sherweit El-Ahmady, Director of the International Students Department, Dr. Weam Mahmoud, Executive Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and a number of faculties deputies.

The visit comes as part of the efforts of education officials in the two countries to exchange experiences and benefit from common capabilities, discuss possible ways of cooperation between them, and review the future ambitions and visions of both sides, in a way that contributes to advancing the educational process and raising its level to keep pace with the rapid changes globally.

Prof. Mohamed Diaa, President of Ain Shams University, welcomed the attendees, thanking Prof. Mustafa Refaat Dr. Rasha Kamal, for their efforts in coordinating this meeting, appreciating the visit. His Excellency gave a brief overview of Ain Shams University, its vision and strategy, and the good rank it occupies in international classifications, pointing to the university’s efforts towards a more advanced global classification.

His Excellency also spoke about the university and the fact that it includes 20 colleges and institutes, 200,000 students and 10,000 students from 84 different countries. He also highlighted the dual programs with international universities, international agreements and protocols activated with many local and international institutions, and scientific research published internationally and centers of excellence. spread across the university. His Excellency also gave a quick overview of Ain Shams Medical City and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Diaa also referred to the university’s digital transformation efforts, noting that the university received the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy Eradication by organizing online literacy classes for rural areas throughout the Arab Republic of Egypt.

For his part, Professor Richard Follett, Vice-President of the University of Exeter, expressed his happiness at being at a prestigious university like Ain Shams University, stressing his university’s endeavor to establish cooperation relations, pointing out that he had previous cooperation relations with Ain Shams University through the university’s racing team participating in the Formula Competition in the United Kingdom.

His Excellency also gave a quick overview of the University of Exeter, which is a public research university that includes four colleges: St. Luke's College, Exeter College of Science, Exeter School of Arts, and Camborne School.

Regarding the Faculty of Business, Ain Shams University, Prof. Khaled Kadri, Dean of the Faculty, gave a brief overview, emphasizing the faculty’s aspiration for internationalism, touching on the faculty’s departments, Arabic, English, and French, the programs offered by the faculty on the credit hour system, international students, international partnerships with the French University of Poitiers, the Faculty of Business. Ocean and Kean University of the Americas, Sur University in Amman and student exchange programs with the University of Chicago.

Prof. Safaa Shehata, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Education, presented a brief overview of the college, its various departments, the number of students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and international students, and the international summer courses offered by the German Academic Exchange Service.

Regarding the Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams University, Prof. Dalia Ibrahim Mohamed, Acting Dean of the Faculty, spoke about the number of students and faculty staff, the programs offered by the faculty, its study system, and its laboratories, including the digital center, simulation clinics, testing laboratory, as well as virtual laboratories, digital panorama departments, and x-rays. Cone CT, conservative treatment clinics, orthodontics, in addition to the stem cell laboratory, the microscope unit, advanced analyzes and viruses, as well as specialized clinics and operating rooms, as well as patient rooms, in addition to the college library and the internship clinic.

She also talked about the new Specialized Dental Hospital, the foundation stone for which was laid in 2019 and building permits were completed in 2019.

Prof. Rania Salah, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine for Education and Student Affairs, gave a brief overview of the college, its establishment, its global classification, and the number of incoming students, which amounts to 4,198 students from different countries. She pointed out that the faculty provides a section dedicated to non-Arabic speakers to provide guidance, cultural integration, and academic support programs for them. She also discussed programs of the bachelor’s degree, the study system, the e-learning and academic activities provided via the Internet, including live and recorded interactive lectures, educational audios and videos, in addition to some new teaching techniques such as virtual microscopy. While Prof. Essam Fakhry, Acting Director of Al-Demerdash Surgical Hospital and Director of the Emergency Hospital, presented a brief overview of the Medical City at Ain Shams University, which seeks to provide a distinguished and integrated medical service to thousands of patients frequenting hospitals with high quality, a distinguished and contemporary medical level, and health care in line with quality and infection control guidelines, and to provide it with the latest medical devices and carry out the necessary maintenance for them, with constant attention to raising competencies. Human doctors and nurses also talked about Ain Shams University Hospital in Obour City and the Egyptian Center for Research.

Prof. Tamer El-Nady, Professor of Acoustics at the Faculty of Engineering, Head of the Sound and Vibration Laboratory at Ain Shams University, spoke about the Center of Excellence in Energy, which is a project funded by the American aid program, and is being implemented by Ain Shams University in partnership with Arizona State University and Mansoura University and Aswan University.

Explaining that the project supports economic development in Egypt by establishing partnerships to develop human and institutional capabilities between higher education institutions in the United States and Egyptian government universities and strengthening their capabilities to respond to the changing needs of the public and private sectors for applied research and skilled graduates in the energy sector.

Prof. Tamer El-Nadi indicated that the general goal of the Center of Excellence’s activity is to improve the ability of higher education institutions in Egypt to attract the public, innovation, modernization and competitiveness of the private sector, strengthen government policy to stimulate economic growth, and contribute to finding solutions to development challenges in Egypt in the energy sector specifically.

Prof. Adel Al-Sabbagh, Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Dr. Weam Mahmoud, Executive Director of the Center, gave a brief overview of the center as it is the university’s arm to enable innovation and entrepreneurship among the academic community and the main entrance to Ain Shams University to be a fourth-generation university.

The university's participation in various exhibitions and the teams competing in international competitions that were able to achieve advanced positions were also reviewed some successful models that achieved advanced positions globally in the field of university entrepreneurship and innovation.

After the meeting, the delegation made a field visit to the university campus (1) and inspected the Faculty of Computer and Information Sciences, accompanied by Prof. Nagwa Badr, Dean of the Faculty. It also visited the Saffron Museum, and the explanation was given by Dr. Walaa El-Din Badawi, Director of the Museum. Then the delegation visited the Center for Networks and Information Technology.

Then the University of Exeter delegation moved to the second campus of the university, where they visited the Faculty of Dentistry, where they were received by Prof. Dalia Qureshi, Acting Dean of the Faculty, and the deputies. The University of Exeter delegation also moved to the Faculty of Engineering, and they were received by Prof. Omar Al-Husseini, Dean of the Faculty as well as the Faculty of Medicine. They were received by Prof. Hala Suwaid, Vice Dean of the Faculty for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs, and the delegation concluded its tour of the university’s faculties by visiting the Faculty of Education, where they were received by Prof. Safaa Shehata, Acting Dean of the Faculty.