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Under the patronage of Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University, Prof. Amany Osama Kamel, Vice President for Postgraduate Studies and Research, inaugurated the symposium entitled “Developing Universities’ Innovative Capabilities.” The event was organized by the Postgraduate Studies and Research Sector at Ain Shams University in cooperation with the Supreme Council of Universities, as part of monitoring universities’ efforts to support the implementation of the National Strategy for Sustainable Innovation.

The symposium was delivered by Dr. Hossam Othman, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research for Innovation and Scientific Research Affairs, with the participation of several faculty members of the university.

In her opening speech, Prof. Amany Osama Kamel welcomed Dr. Hossam Othman, stressing that the symposium aims to discuss ways to enable universities to employ the outcomes of scientific research and research projects in serving researchers and enhancing their innovative capacities. She pointed out that this requires the development of clear mechanisms for intellectual property management and the support of knowledge-based startups.

She also called for the development of scientific research more closely linked to labor market needs, which increasingly relies on innovation and entrepreneurship, thereby contributing to the support of the national economy.

Prof. Hoda Sosa, Director of the Grants and Projects Administration at the university, expressed her happiness with organizing the symposium, which enhances the role of Egyptian researchers and increases their contribution to serving society, as well as the systems of scientific research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

During his lecture, Dr. Hossam Othman emphasized that the aim of the symposium is to empower universities to transform research into innovative solutions that support sustainable development plans. He highlighted the importance of utilizing research outcomes and available research projects in serving researchers and developing their innovative capacities, in addition to establishing effective intellectual property policies and supporting startups.

He also reviewed models of leading global companies such as NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, and Tesla, explaining that innovation has become the main driver of the global economy and that artificial intelligence is now one of the most important pillars of the modern economy. He noted that innovation is not measured solely by academic research, but also by income and economic impact, which necessitates directing universities to shift from a focus on theoretical teaching to supporting entrepreneurship and creating entities such as technology transfer offices.

He added that universities need internal regulations and specialized organizational structures to regulate innovation activities and protect intellectual property rights, stressing that innovation is a comprehensive practice in which everyone should participate, not just specialists. He also presented successful innovation models at Stanford, Oxford, and Harvard Universities in 2023, highlighting the significant annual returns achieved by these systems.

Prof. Hossam Othman further presented the 2024 Global Innovation Index report, in which Egypt achieved a major scientific accomplishment by being represented among the world’s top 100 science and technology clusters. Greater Cairo was recognized as a representative of Africa and the Arab world on this prestigious list.

In conclusion, Dr. Hossam Othman called on Egyptian universities to adopt flexible policies to support innovation and remove obstacles for researchers, ensuring the transition from scientific research to practical application and investment, affirming that this path is the foundation for a shift towards a more sustainable economy.