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Under the patronage of Prof. Yomna Safwat, Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun at Ain Shams University, the Faculty hosted the defense of the first master’s thesis in the Master’s Program in Translation Technology (Computational Translation) at the Department of English Language, submitted by researcher Nora Wael Ali Kamel El-Arini, marking a significant milestone in the program’s academic and research journey.

The thesis, entitled “Enhancing Machine Translation of Culture-Specific Items from Arabic into English Using Large Language Models (LLMs): Selected Works of Naguib Mahfouz as a Case Study,” addressed an advanced research topic in the field of translation by examining the application of artificial intelligence technologies to preserve and convey the cultural specificity of literary texts translated from Arabic into English.

This thesis defense holds particular significance as the first master’s thesis to be defended within the program, reflecting its transition into a new phase of academic and research development. It also underscores the Faculty of Al-Alsun’s commitment to developing postgraduate programs that keep pace with rapid advancements in translation, technology, and artificial intelligence, integrating specialized linguistic training with modern technological knowledge.

Prof. Yomna Safwat, Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun at Ain Shams University, emphasized that the defense of the first master’s thesis in the Translation Technology Program represents an important step in advancing the Faculty’s postgraduate education system and reflects the success of its efforts to introduce innovative academic programs that respond to rapid transformations in language, translation, and technology. She explained that the program embodies the integration of linguistic sciences with modern technological applications, particularly artificial intelligence technologies and large language models, contributing to the preparation of researchers equipped with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to meet the future demands of the translation industry. She further reaffirmed the Faculty’s commitment to supporting scientific research and interdisciplinary programs that create new opportunities for researchers while responding to labor market requirements and global scientific advancements.

The two members of the examination committee praised the originality and significance of the thesis topic and the distinguished quality of the research. They highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary academic programs that combine linguistic and translation expertise with technology and artificial intelligence, contributing to the preparation of qualified professionals capable of responding to modern transformations in the translation industry.

The study yielded significant findings through the fine-tuning of machine translation models and the evaluation of the impact of various prompting techniques. Employing both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, it aimed to assess the effectiveness of these models in handling culture-specific items in literary texts.

The thesis was supervised by Prof. Radwa Kotait and Prof. Olfat Nour El-Din. The examination committee comprised Prof. Sameh El-Ansary, Professor of Computational Linguistics at Alexandria University, and Prof. Nagwa Younis, Professor of Linguistics at Ain Shams University. The defense featured an engaging academic discussion and valuable research insights that contributed to enriching the study.

This achievement comes within the framework of the Faculty of Al-Alsun’s strategy, led by Prof. Yomna Safwat, Dean of the Faculty, to support academic and research development, strengthen academic programs that keep pace with advances in knowledge and technology, and open new horizons for researchers in the fields of language and translation.