Faculty of Al-Alsun discusses mechanisms for launching a joint international degree in the Portuguese language

Prof. Dr. Salwa Rashad, Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University, contacted this morning the Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic in Cairo, Manuela Franco, under the instructions of Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Meteini, President of Ain Shams University. Prof. Dr. Abdel Fattah Saoud, Vice President of Ain Shams University for Education and Student Affairs has also contacted the Ambassador yesterday to discuss the development of means of joint cooperation between the Two Parties represented in Egypt by the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University, and in Portugal by the University of Porto and the Camões Institute for Cooperation and Language, to review the achievements made on the ground during the past academic year regarding the Cooperation Protocol concluded between the Two Parties. They also discussed the mechanisms for launching an international joint degree in Portuguese language and Literature at the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University.

At the beginning of the academic year 2019/2020, Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Meteini, President of Ain Shams University, opened the Department of Portuguese at the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University in cooperation with the Portuguese University of Porto in the presence of the former Portuguese Ambassador to Cairo, Prof. Dr. Abdel Fattah Saoud, Vice President of Ain Shams University for Education and Student Affairs, and Prof. Dr. Saleh Hashem, former President of Ain Shams University and former President of the Association of Arab Universities.

Prof. Dr. Salwa Rashad, Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun, stressed that the Faculty management is mainly interested in opening the Department of Portuguese under the Cooperation Protocol concluded between Ain Shams University represented by the Faculty of Alsun and the University of Porto and the Camões Institute for Cooperation and Language in Portugal. This is due to the importance of the Portuguese and the distinguished political and economic relations between Egypt, Portugal, and Portuguese-speaking countries. Graduates of this Department are expected to meet the urgent need of the labor market in Egypt, especially in the field of translation, tourism, and investment companies related to this specialization.

Prof. Dr. Salwa Rashad also noted that the Department of Portuguese witnessed a large number of students joining it, and the Faculty’s management managed to provide applications to join the Department according to the potentials and absorptive capabilities of the infrastructure and its absorptive capabilities to be prepared for the number of students in cooperation with the Portuguese side, particularly since the Portuguese has become an official language in the European Union, and it is used in South America, several African countries, and several oil-producing countries.

Prof. Dr. Salwa indicated that the Faculty has received this year a two-week visiting professor for teaching Egyptian students the Portuguese Language and Literature. As well, Portugal supported the teaching process by sending two Portuguese teachers. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the teachers left Egypt but she is still communicating with students through the electronic platform of the Faculty under the supervision of the Scientific Committee.

Prof. Dr. Salwa indicated that she discussed the frameworks of joint cooperation during the coming period with the support of H.E. the Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic to the Department by providing several online lectures and presentations on the history of the Portuguese Republic, the importance of the Portuguese and its use in Africa. She has also promised to provide these lectures in Portuguese for students of the Department and to provide them in English to the students of the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University in general.

During her conversation with the Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun, H.E. the Portuguese Ambassador has clarified that teaching languages is the key to learn about civilizations by way of knowledge of literature, history, and music, and it is a great way to get job opportunities. She also drew attention to the importance of learning a language other than the widespread languages as English because it opens up broader areas of work for students.

The Portuguese Ambassador confirmed that she is going to approach Portugal to provide the Faculty with references, e-books, educational and documentary films in the context of raising the educational level of students and providing them with scientific materials and distance learning programs for teaching the Portuguese language.

As to the establishment of an international joint program between the two Parties, the Ambassador affirmed that she will work on discussing the criteria that must be met in the program with Portugal during her annual leave to present it to Egypt represented by the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University.

Prof. Dr. Salwa Rashad, Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University, contacted this morning the Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic in Cairo, Manuela Franco, under the instructions of Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Meteini, President of Ain Shams University. Prof. Dr. Abdel Fattah Saoud, Vice President of Ain Shams University for Education and Student Affairs has also contacted the Ambassador yesterday to discuss the development of means of joint cooperation between the Two Parties represented in Egypt by the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University, and in Portugal by the University of Porto and the Camões Institute for Cooperation and Language, to review the achievements made on the ground during the past academic year regarding the Cooperation Protocol concluded between the Two Parties. They also discussed the mechanisms for launching an international joint degree in Portuguese language and Literature at the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University.

At the beginning of the academic year 2019/2020, Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Meteini, President of Ain Shams University, opened the Department of Portuguese at the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University in cooperation with the Portuguese University of Porto in the presence of the former Portuguese Ambassador to Cairo, Prof. Dr. Abdel Fattah Saoud, Vice President of Ain Shams University for Education and Student Affairs, and Prof. Dr. Saleh Hashem, former President of Ain Shams University and former President of the Association of Arab Universities.

Prof. Dr. Salwa Rashad, Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun, stressed that the Faculty management is mainly interested in opening the Department of Portuguese under the Cooperation Protocol concluded between Ain Shams University represented by the Faculty of Alsun and the University of Porto and the Camões Institute for Cooperation and Language in Portugal. This is due to the importance of the Portuguese and the distinguished political and economic relations between Egypt, Portugal, and Portuguese-speaking countries. Graduates of this Department are expected to meet the urgent need of the labor market in Egypt, especially in the field of translation, tourism, and investment companies related to this specialization.

Prof. Dr. Salwa Rashad also noted that the Department of Portuguese witnessed a large number of students joining it, and the Faculty’s management managed to provide applications to join the Department according to the potentials and absorptive capabilities of the infrastructure and its absorptive capabilities to be prepared for the number of students in cooperation with the Portuguese side, particularly since the Portuguese has become an official language in the European Union, and it is used in South America, several African countries, and several oil-producing countries.

Prof. Dr. Salwa indicated that the Faculty has received this year a two-week visiting professor for teaching Egyptian students the Portuguese Language and Literature. As well, Portugal supported the teaching process by sending two Portuguese teachers. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the teachers left Egypt but she is still communicating with students through the electronic platform of the Faculty under the supervision of the Scientific Committee.

Prof. Dr. Salwa indicated that she discussed the frameworks of joint cooperation during the coming period with the support of H.E. the Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic to the Department by providing several online lectures and presentations on the history of the Portuguese Republic, the importance of the Portuguese and its use in Africa. She has also promised to provide these lectures in Portuguese for students of the Department and to provide them in English to the students of the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University in general.

During her conversation with the Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun, H.E. the Portuguese Ambassador has clarified that teaching languages is the key to learn about civilizations by way of knowledge of literature, history, and music, and it is a great way to get job opportunities. She also drew attention to the importance of learning a language other than the widespread languages as English because it opens up broader areas of work for students.

The Portuguese Ambassador confirmed that she is going to approach Portugal to provide the Faculty with references, e-books, educational and documentary films in the context of raising the educational level of students and providing them with scientific materials and distance learning programs for teaching the Portuguese language.

As to the establishment of an international joint program between the two Parties, the Ambassador affirmed that she will work on discussing the criteria that must be met in the program with Portugal during her annual leave to present it to Egypt represented by the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Ain Shams University.