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Ain Shams University’s Faculty of Al-Alsun, in collaboration with the Japan Foundation in Cairo, organized a distinguished academic lecture on the role of artificial intelligence in university education, particularly in the fields of language teaching and the humanities. The event was held under the patronage of Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University, and Prof. Salwa Rashad, Dean of the Faculty.

The faculty warmly welcomed Professor Toshihide Nakayama, Vice President of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), in the presence of Ms. Ayumi Hashimoto, Director of the Japan Foundation in Cairo, and her accompanying delegation, along with Dr. Mohamed Abdelrahman Oshiba, Dr. Reem Osman, and Dr. Yasmin Ahmed El-Abhar, faculty members of the Japanese Language Department at the Faculty of Al-Alsun.

During the meeting, Prof. Salwa Rashad gave a detailed presentation about Ain Shams University and its recent achievements, notably its awarding of a 5-star rating in the British QS ranking. She also spoke about the Faculty of Al-Alsun’s rich history, its language programs, and its accomplishments, including obtaining programmatic and institutional accreditation as a step towards international accreditation in the near future.

Prof. Salwa highlighted the distinguished relationship between the Faculty of Al-Alsun at Ain Shams University and Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, one of Japan’s leading universities for language education, which hosts one of the most important Arabic language departments in Japan. She noted the exchange agreement between the two universities signed in 2002 following the establishment of the Japanese Language Department in 2000.

She also referenced her visit to Tokyo University of Foreign Studies early last year, which contributed to strengthening exchange and cooperation between the two institutions, expressing her hope to expand such collaboration in the future.

At the end of the welcoming ceremony, Prof. Salwa Rashad presented Professor Nakayama with a commemorative gift containing brochures about Ain Shams University and the Faculty of Al-Alsun, followed by the taking of several commemorative photos.

Following the reception, Professor Nakayama delivered a distinguished academic lecture on the role of artificial intelligence in university education, focusing especially on language teaching and the humanities.

Prof. Nakayama holds a Bachelor’s degree from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, a Master’s in Linguistics from the University of Kansas, USA, and a PhD in Linguistics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on qualitative linguistics, language documentation, and the revitalization of endangered languages. Alongside his academic work, he serves as Vice President for Research at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.

In this important lecture, Professor Nakayama addressed the challenges faced by educators amidst the rapid and vast development of artificial intelligence. He proposed several practical ideas to tackle these challenges and suggested ways to effectively employ AI in the educational process.

The event also featured an interactive discussion session between the attendees and Professor Nakayama, during which many questions were raised, reflecting the audience’s keen interest in the topic and their desire to benefit from his expertise.