A S U

Under the patronage and attendance of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, President of the Arab Council for Childhood and Development, a grand award ceremony was held on Monday, June 16, 2025, to present the awards of the third edition of the King Abdulaziz Prize for Research on Childhood and Development Issues. This year's theme was "Education in a Post-Coronavirus World."

Prof. Sohair Safwat, Professor of Educational Sociology at the Faculty of Education, at Ain Shams University, was honored for winning the award for her field research titled "From Availability to Access: Towards an Enabling Policy to Ensure Equity and Equality in Education for Children After COVID-19," which was conducted in 2024 on a sample of families and teachers in diverse Egyptian contexts.

The research addressed the gap between educational availability and actual accessibility post-pandemic, highlighting the challenges facing marginalized groups and proposing a framework for enabling education policies that promote equity and equal educational opportunities for all children.

Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University, Prof. Amani Osama Kamel, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, and the University Awards Office extended their sincere congratulations to Prof. Sohair Safwat, emphasizing that this win reflects the excellence of the university's faculty members and their effective contribution to supporting childhood and development issues.

The King Abdulaziz Prize for Research on Childhood and Development Issues is one of the most prominent Arab scientific awards supporting research in the field of children's rights. It contributes to promoting a culture of childhood and motivating researchers to present field studies and scientific insights that contribute to formulating fair and comprehensive development policies.

Prof. Sohair Safwat has received six prestigious awards and certificates of appreciation, including the Dr. Mohamed Shawky El-Fangary Award (2016), the Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Foundation International Award (2017), two King Abdulaziz Prizes for Research in Childhood and Development Issues (2019 and 2024), a Certificate of Appreciation from the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture (2020), and the Gold Medal on International Women's Day (2024). She has also published 27 peer-reviewed research papers in prestigious Arab and international journals, and her contributions have varied across topics such as citizenship, education, women, religion, and artificial intelligence, in addition to her numerous scientific and community engagements.

This achievement embodies the academic and research excellence of Ain Shams University faculty staff and researchers.