Ain Shams University, headed and attended by Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Metini, President of Ain Shams University, hosted the representative of Arizona State University to lay the foundation stone for activating the Energy Excellence Center project at the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, in the presence of Prof. Dr. Ayman Ashour, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Research Prof. Dr. Abdel Fattah Saud, Vice President for Education and Student Affairs, Prof. Ayman Saleh, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, Prof. Dr. Hesham Tamraz, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development, and Prof. Omar Al Husseini, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Ain University Shams, Prof. Dr. Amr Shaath, Vice-Dean of Engineering for Graduate Studies, Prof. Dr. Mostafa Refaat, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Engineering for Education and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Walid El-Khitam, Director of the Energy Excellence Center at the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, and the meeting was attended by Aswan University, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Aswan University, Prof. Dr. Loay Nasrat Dr. Adel Zein, Dean of Energy Engineering at Aswan University, and from Mansoura University, Prof. Dr. Sahar Sedky, Dean of each The Faculty of Engineering for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs at Mansoura University and Prof. Sherif Masoud, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering for Graduate Studies and Research Affairs.

The duration of the project of the Center of Excellence in Energy at the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, is five years sponsored and supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The project aims to improve the capacity of higher education institutions in Egypt to drive innovation, modernization and competitiveness in the public and private sectors; strengthening government policy to stimulate economic growth; And contribute to solutions to the country's development challenges in the energy sector.

The project also aims to forge partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders from the Egyptian government, including the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and important entities in the energy industry.

The Center of Excellence for Energy at the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, will work to achieve these goals in close cooperation with Aswan University, Mansoura University, and Arizona State University will support all three partner universities in developing research in all areas of energy production, including natural gas as well as renewable energy sources such as energy Solar and wind energy as well as battery technology through competitive projects over the next three years.

There will also be a focus on curriculum development, workforce training, policies, and other aspects of the Egyptian energy sector, and there will also be a strong focus on attracting and employing underrepresented groups such as women, people with disabilities, and financially needy students.

The USAID award will enable ASU to exchange faculty and graduate students from the three Egyptian project partner universities to Arizona, giving them opportunities for experiential learning in laboratories and preparing them for the big and small energy challenges back home.

Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Metini, President of Ain Shams University, and Prof. Dr. Ayman Ashour, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, stressed the importance of the project at the local and regional levels, and demanded the integration and study of projects related directly and indirectly to energy uses, such as projects related to agriculture and water.