Mansoura University launches a cooperation plan between the universities of the Delta Region Alliance

On July 23, 2024, Mansoura University launched a cooperation plan between the universities of the Delta Region Alliance, at Mansoura National University in Gemsa City. This came within the events of the "First Forum of Delta Region Alliance Universities" organized by Mansoura University, at the student camp in Gamasa City during the period from July 20 to 25, 2024, held under the auspices of Prof. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and in the presence of Prof. Cherif Khater, President of Mansoura University, Prof. Abdel Razek Youssef, President of Kafr El-Sheikh University, Prof. Hamdan Rabie, President of Damietta University, Prof. Moawad El-Kholi, President of New Mansoura University, Prof. Mohamed Rabie Nasser, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Delta University, Prof. El-Saeed Abdel-Hadi, President of Horus University, Prof. Mansour Dowidar, President of Samanoud Technological University, Prof. Orabi El-Sayed Keshk, President of Delta Technological University, Prof. Mohamed Attia El-Bayoumi, Vice President of Mansoura University for Education and Students, Prof. Mohamed Abdel-Azim, Vice President of Mansoura University for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs, Prof. Tarek Ghalwash, Vice President of Mansoura University for Graduate Studies and Research, Prof. Nasser Abdel-Bari, Vice President of Menoufia University for Education and Students, Prof. Sherif Keshk, Assistant Minister of Higher Education for Governance and Digital Transformation.

Prof. Dr. Sherif Khater said that the alliance between the universities of the Delta region aims to implement the national strategy for higher education and scientific research, one of the most important principles of which is achieving integration between educational, industrial, and research institutions and the business sector to implement the state's vision for sustainable development Egypt 2030, as many cooperation protocols have been signed between the universities in the region, noting that the Delta sector represents 25% of Egypt's population, and the number of governmental and national technological universities, which places the responsibility on the universities of the region to achieve integration among them to achieve the state's vision for sustainable development, and integration and sufficiency in the medical, industrial, agricultural, and technological fields. He also stressed the development of a set of plans to achieve integration and establish frameworks for cooperation between the universities in the region.

Prof. Mohamed Attia El-Bayoumi reviewed the aspects of cooperation in the field of qualitative and environmental programs, student activities, and integration in overlapping specializations, pointing out that the cooperation plan in the education and student sector includes the following main axes: education and learning, activities, innovation and entrepreneurship, internationalization, establishing local and international partnerships, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, start-ups, forming a permanent committee to support small and medium enterprises for Delta sector universities, launching an ideas bank, encouraging and motivating innovators, establishing joint exhibitions with the finance and industry sectors for graduation projects, and establishing a regional business incubator.

Prof. Tarek Ghalwash presented the prospects for cooperation in the postgraduate studies and research sector, during which he presented the areas of scientific cooperation and linking it to industry, and internationalization of the international reference university - innovation and entrepreneurship, stressing that the Egyptian Delta universities are among the most important centers of higher education and scientific research in Egypt, and enjoy distinguished scientific and research capabilities. These universities realize the importance of cooperation among them to achieve their goals in the field of postgraduate studies and research, and to enhance their research capabilities and improve the quality of their outputs. He also announced the launch of Mansoura University's digital postgraduate platform, which is an electronic platform for providing advanced and specialized training and postgraduate programs. He also referred to activating cooperation in establishing graduate faculties to provide specialized interdisciplinary programs that would bridge the gap between traditional specializations and meet the needs of the advanced labor market.

Prof. Mohamed Abdel Azim reviewed the aspects of cooperation in the field of environment, community service, decent life, and integrated convoys, stressing that the pillars of preparing the alliance plan are sustainable development goals aimed at achieving Egypt's Vision 2030, the National Strategy for Higher Education and Scientific Research, strategic plans for universities and governorates in the Delta region, national projects and presidential initiatives, achieving international standards for social responsibility, noting that the objectives of the alliance's action plan are: providing comprehensive health services and improving the health of individuals, enhancing sustainable economic growth and localizing industry, achieving self-sufficiency and improving the standard of living, protecting and managing natural resources and adapting to climate change, providing sustainable education and training opportunities to develop skills and capabilities, qualifying graduates for the local and international labor market and providing sustainable job opportunities, improving urban planning, topographic mapping, and developing cities in a sustainable manner, enhancing community participation and empowering vulnerable groups and achieving equality of opportunity.

Prof. Sherif Keshk also presented the features of cooperation in the technological field through Intelaq Company at Mansoura University for Communications and Information Technology, noting that it has 27 years of experience during which it has produced 35 electronic systems, and has more than 1000 terabytes of stored data. He pointed out that Intelaq Company aims to provide many distinguished technical services to various private and governmental institutions inside and outside Egypt, and support the digital transformation of universities in the region by offering discounts on the company's systems with the aim of automating manual work; and developing traditional electronic work into smart applications, presenting industrial problems to researchers in participating universities to solve them through funded research projects, preparing practical content to be used in the educational process to link the educational process to the labor market, and providing introductory lectures in participating universities on modern and promising technologies.

The events were concluded with an open discussion with the university presidents of the Delta region.