A S U

As part of the presidential initiative “Tamkeen”, launched by His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to support and empower students with disabilities in Egyptian universities, and under the patronage of Prof. Mohamed Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University, and the University’s Education and Student Affairs Sector, with the participation of the Center for Services for Students with Disabilities and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, and under the administrative supervision of Mr. Ibrahim Saeed Hamza, Assistant Secretary-General for the Education and Student Affairs Sector, Ain Shams University hosted an orientation session on the “Innovate… Go” program, as part of the field tours carried out by the Innovators and Geniuses Support Fund across Egyptian universities.

The program is a partnership between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Innovators and Geniuses Support Fund, the Tamkeen Unit, and is implemented by ALX, a company specialized in innovation and entrepreneurship across Africa.

The program aims to support 150 entrepreneurs of various abilities through hands-on training, specialized mentorship, and technical, commercial, and legal support to transform ideas into sustainable, applicable projects.

During the event, Prof. Rana El-Helaly, Director of the Center for Services for Students with Disabilities at Ain Shams University, delivered an introductory presentation on the Tamkeen initiative and the central Tamkeen Unit, which supervises disability centers across 28 Egyptian universities. She explained that the unit provides state-of-the-art empowerment tools to achieve the highest levels of independence for students with disabilities in line with global best practices.

She also highlighted the initiative’s role in raising awareness of disability issues and supporting university centers in providing integrated services, in addition to monitoring the implementation of laws regulating students’ rights within universities.

She further reviewed the efforts of the Innovators and Geniuses Support Fund in turning creative ideas into successful projects, noting the organization of a competition to select the best community-oriented ideas and transform them into real, implementable projects through the “Innovate… Go” program.

For his part, Dr. Mohamed Magdy, Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Ain Shams University, emphasized the center’s commitment to supporting students with disabilities and those with entrepreneurial ideas by offering space, expertise, training, and the necessary consultations, while contributing to forming partnerships with industry to help them establish startups with real potential for success. He also highlighted the “Hand in Hand” initiative launched by the university to support students with disabilities, in which the center participated by providing technical training.

Additionally, Ms. Alaa El-Sayed from the Innovators and Geniuses Support Fund gave a presentation on the Fund’s roles and various programs, noting that “Innovate… Go” aims to bridge the gap between students and companies and foster innovation in partnership with local and international entities.

Representatives from ALX explained the objectives of the partnership and the program, noting that the company operates in eight countries and works to empower youth by training them in advanced technological skills that help them transform their ideas into scalable and sustainable projects.

The day’s activities included a comprehensive introduction to the program’s benefits and participation requirements, along with a training workshop on design thinking and how to turn entrepreneurial ideas into practical, realistic solutions.

The “Innovate… Go” program continues to invite Ain Shams University students interested in innovation and entrepreneurship to register via the link:

https://forms.gle/Kw1322Fhg81r4Lym7

or by scanning the available QR code, to learn more about participation details and join the program. The deadline for applications is February 15, 2026.