A S U

The Council of Graduate Studies and Research at Ain Shams University held a meeting, chaired by Prof. Amany Osama Kamel, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, and attended by the deans of graduate studies and research from the faculties and members of the council. Prof. Kamel opened the session by expressing her gratitude and appreciation to the faculty staff and university staff for their outstanding efforts that contributed to the success of the Ain Shams University Conference, held on April 19th and 20th, entitled "Universities as Engines of National Development... Towards Innovation and Sustainable Economic Growth," and for reflecting the university's distinguished scientific and research standing.

The meeting also included honoring the team from the university's Awards Office, headed by Prof. Alaa El-Din Farag, who were presented with certificates of appreciation for their efforts in supporting the awards system and enhancing research competitiveness.

Prof. Amany Osama Kamel commended the pivotal role of the Awards Office team in advancing the research system within the university. She emphasized that the achievements reflect a spirit of teamwork and dedication, embodying the university's vision of supporting scientific excellence and motivating researchers to be creative and innovative.

She added that fostering a culture of competition for scientific awards is a fundamental pillar for improving the university's international ranking and opening broader horizons for researchers to actively participate in regional and international scientific forums, thus contributing to solidifying the university's position as a leading academic institution.

The council discussed several organizational matters, including extending exceptional study periods for students, while ensuring compliance with all legal procedures and the possibility of granting legal extensions in accordance with the applicable regulations.

As part of a review of outstanding models within the faculties, Prof. Ahmed Mohamed El-Shouky, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology for Graduate Studies and Research, presented the faculty's strategy for scientific research and highlighted its most distinguished practices. This included scientific publication rates, research activities, seminars and scientific conferences, as well as monitoring international and local publications to foster the exchange of expertise among the faculties.

The presentation also included a documentary film about the project "Documenting, Preserving, and Interpreting Tombstones in Islamic Cairo," a collaborative effort between Ain Shams University and the French Institute of Archaeology, showcasing the role of the faculty's students in the restoration work.

In the context of supporting international rankings, Dr. Ahmed El-Banna, Director of the International Rankings Department at the university, reviewed the progress of Ain Shams University's ranking in the QS World University Rankings by Subject. The university has made significant strides, appearing in eight sub-disciplines, in addition to its first-time inclusion in the disciplines of Linguistics, Modern Languages, Education, and Anatomy and Physiology.

Prof. Amany Osama Kamel emphasized the necessity of preparing and updating accurate databases in each faculty to support international ranking efforts, along with continuous monitoring of surveys related to global rankings.

Prof. Miriam Ayad, Director of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Center, also reviewed the center's efforts in supporting faculties. These efforts included conducting internal review visits prior to accreditation applications, reviewing reports, and activating student training programs within the "New Beginning for Quality Assurance in Education" initiative launched by the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education from within Ain Shams University. Furthermore, the center prepared interdisciplinary analyses of academic program data.

In the same context, Prof. Mahmoud Fayez, Director of the University's Networks and Information Technology Center, discussed engagement indicators on the "Shams Scholar" platform, detailing the number of research papers added in the last month, the volume of registrations on the platform during the past year, and the number of papers reviewed.

The center's ongoing projects were also reviewed, including: developing a GPT system with limited privileges for accounting, inventory, and procurement applications (currently in the data collection phase), automating quality assurance processes, and a project to digitize microfilm.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Dina Lashin, Director of the International Students Office, presented a proposed model for developing a survey to measure international student satisfaction, in collaboration with the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Center. She also presented a comprehensive plan for short-term training programs, including mechanisms for announcement and application, data collection, obtaining necessary approvals, and marketing the programs across various platforms. Furthermore, she reviewed the colleges' proposals in this regard.

This initiative reflects Ain Shams University's commitment to strengthening its postgraduate studies and scientific research system and enhancing the quality of its research output, thereby bolstering its standing in international rankings.