His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, received Professor Mohamed Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in the presence of Professor Mohamed Al-Duwaini, Undersecretary of Al-Azhar, Professor Salama Dawoud, President of Al-Azhar University, and Professor Mohamed Diaa Zein El-Abidin, President of Ain Shams University, at the headquarters of Al-Azhar.

 

The Grand Imam and the Minister of Higher Education witnessed the signing of a cooperation protocol between Al-Azhar University and Ain Shams University. This protocol aims to implement future plans that contribute to Egypt's 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, within the framework of the national strategy for higher education and scientific research, launched in March 2023.

 

The protocol aims for the two universities to cooperate with the industrial sector to enhance the role of universities in serving the most underserved areas. This will be achieved by developing an executive action plan that includes the two universities' plans and the cooperation agreements to be concluded with industrialists. It will also focus on training programs within the framework of the “Decent Life” initiative, which includes civil society and its various organizations, and will enhance the capabilities of community leaders and rural women pioneers. It will also prepare a field guide on practicing sustainable development in rural areas, which will benefit youth, women, families, and volunteers from the two universities' students. It will also include cooperation through the implementation of a large-scale national study on several villages in one of Egypt's governorates.