Prof. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, accompanied by Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Metini, President of Ain Shams University, and Prof. Abdel Fattah Saud, Vice President for Education and Student Affairs, inaugurated the new academic year 2020/2021, inside the campus of Ain Shams University, where he witnessed the ceremony of saluting the flag amid strict precautionary measures.

The activities of the opening of the academic year included an open art exhibition inside the main campus of the university, where the Minister of Higher Education praised the high artistic level of students, and directed the necessity of continuing to hold art exhibitions in which students' paintings and creativity are displayed while allowing the public to attend the exhibition.

In his statements, the Minister of Higher Education explained that the past year was a difficult academic year, but we succeeded in overcoming it despite all the difficulties, stressing that we had qualified cadres to manage crises inside universities.

He pointed out that the commitment to implement the precautionary measures comes in the priority of our challenges during the new academic year, pointing out that committees have been formed at the level of universities, colleges and departments within each college to verify the implementation of the precautionary measures.

He added that within the framework of the hybrid education plan, students, workers and faculty members have been trained, and databases have been prepared, and work continues in parallel at all levels. So that we can implement the hybrid education system in the long term.

Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Metini, President of Ain Shams University, confirmed that the university is working to implement the precautionary measures with precision and strictness. In order to preserve the safety of students with the application of social distancing and an emphasis on wearing masks, in addition to continuing seminars and awareness campaigns and raising the degree of permanent preparedness with the continuous provision of disinfectants and sterilizers inside the campus.

He also indicated that the university has completed preparing the curricula and uploading them to various educational platforms.

 Prof. Dr. Abdel Fattah Saud said that the university will be keen during the new academic year to provide students with greater opportunity to practice student activities, but according to controls that ensure the safety of all members of the university community, so that the two plans of hybrid education and hybrid activity run in parallel and without being affected by any global health conditions that may continue to an unknown extent.

He added that the university is keen to motivate students to practice activities by offering rewarding material rewards as well as moral support and providing all requirements for various student activities, indicating that student panels will be displayed appended to their signature in various parts of the university, with the Ministry of Higher Education gifting a group of student paintings and their work. Professional encouragement for them.

He explained that the Education Development Department of the Education and Student Sector has prepared a good infrastructure that allows electronic learning from a distance while providing all the necessary technological capabilities, pointing out that the percentage of distance learning for face-to-face learning will range from 20 to 50% according to the nature of the study in each college.

The opening ceremony of the university year was witnessed by Prof. Dr. Khaled Kadri, Dean of the Faculty of Business, and Prof. Dr. Omar Al-Husseini, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and a group of faculty and administrators.