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As part of the 14th International Conference of Ain Shams University, a special session was held today by the Egyptian Center of the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE Egypt) under the title: “Advancing Education in the Digital Age: Professional Development and Inclusive Leadership in Egypt.” The session featured the announcement of the winners of the IIOE Egypt Awards 2026, alongside a series of rich keynote speeches delivered by local and international experts.

The session opened with remarks by Prof. Ramy Maher Ghali, Vice President for Education and Student Affairs, who welcomed attendees and expressed the University’s pride in its deep partnership with the UNESCO International Centre for Higher Education Innovation since 2019, as well as hosting the IIOE Egypt Center on campus since 2022. He reaffirmed the University’s commitment to advancing digital competencies and integrating the ethical use of artificial intelligence in education.

This was followed by the opening address of Prof. Jin Li, Director of the UNESCO International Centre for Higher Education Innovation and Vice President of the Southern University of Science and Technology, who emphasized the pivotal role of the Egyptian Center of the International Institute of Online Education in collaboration with UNESCO-ICHEI. He highlighted its contributions, through a wide network of higher education institutions and Egyptian universities, to developing digital competencies and promoting the use of AI in teaching and learning.

The session featured several keynotes, including a presentation by Zian Cao, Chief of the IIOE Management Center at UNESCO-ICHEI, titled “AI-Driven Transformation: Empowering Faculty Capabilities.” He outlined global labor market challenges and stressed the importance of empowering higher education faculty. He noted that the global IIOE alliance now includes more than 160 higher education institutions across 48 countries, with over 27,000 users registered on the IIOE platform, including approximately 3,000 from Egypt. He also highlighted the UNESCO-led initiative “Women Lead Change in Africa,” noting that women represented 66% of program participants.

Eng. Amr ElMasry, Education Sector Director at Microsoft North Africa, delivered a keynote titled “Education in the Era of the New AI,” in which he discussed the key challenges facing higher education institutions, including infrastructure limitations, curriculum modernization, and workforce training. He presented Microsoft’s “Five Drivers of AI Value” model, which includes business strategy, organizational culture, applied expertise, AI governance, and technology strategy. He also introduced practical solutions through Copilot and AI Agents applications to enhance productivity and transform artificial intelligence into a strategic competitive advantage in education.

Dr. Safia El-Badawy and Dr. Khadija El-Badawy, founders of PraxiLabs and Qorrect, delivered a keynote titled “Empowering Women in EdTech: Success Stories and Strategies,” where they shared their entrepreneurial experiences in the field of educational technology (EdTech) and highlighted practical strategies to support women in this promising sector.

The keynote speeches were followed by a panel discussion led by:

Prof. Mona Hegres, Assistant Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Universities.

Prof. Ghada El-Khayat, Director of the Center for Educational Innovation and Distance Learning at Alexandria University.

Prof. Hoda Sosa, Director of the Projects Office at Ain Shams University and member of the National Council for Women.

The discussion addressed mechanisms for AI-driven transformation and institutional capacity building, with a focus on inclusive university leadership.

The session also witnessed the honoring of the winners of the IIOE Egypt Awards 2026.

At the conclusion of the session, Dr. Dalia Youssef, Deputy Director of the IIOE Egypt Center and Director of the Central E-Learning Unit at Ain Shams University, announced the winners of the second edition of the IIOE Egypt Awards 2026, which saw significant participation:

First: Micro-Certification Excellence Award

First Place: Dr. Fatma Bakr Sayed – Ain Shams University

Second Place: Dr. Mohamed Ali Garhy – Alexandria University

Third Place: Dr. Mahmoud Youssef Ali – Ain Shams University

Second: “She Leads: Digital Education Excellence Award”

The award aims to recognize Egyptian female educators and researchers in higher education who innovatively utilize artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

The awards were presented in two categories:

Teaching Innovation Category: awarded to outstanding contributors in integrating technology and AI into the educational process:

Dr. Engy Abou Zeid Mohamed – Suez Canal University

Dr. Fatma El-Zahraa Abdel Rahim – Alexandria University

Research Empowerment Category: awarded for excellence in employing digital tools and AI in academic research:

Dr. Eman Mohamed Mohamed – Ain Shams University

The ceremony was attended by Mr. Robert Parua, Education Program Specialist at UNESCO Cairo Office, along with a delegation from the education sector of the Chinese Embassy.

Dr. Dalia Youssef and the IIOE Egypt team, Prof. Hany Nady Youssef, Dr. Heba Shawky, and Dr. Doaa Anas, expressed their pride in the high caliber of participants, affirming that the Center will continue to deliver high-quality development programs in cooperation with local and international partners.