Today, the activities of the Festival of Peoples' Cultures at Ain Shams University, organized by the International Relations and Academic Cooperation Sector, the Student Union of Ain Shams University and a family for Central Egypt, were launched.

The celebration was under the auspices of Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Metini, President of Ain Shams University, Prof. Dr. Abdel Fattah Saoud, Vice President of Ain Shams University for Education and Student Affairs, Prof. Ayman Saleh, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research Affairs, and Prof. Hesham Tamraz, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs, and under the supervision of Prof. Shahira Samir, Executive Director of the International Relations and Academic Cooperation Sector, and Prof. Sherwat Al-Ahmadi, Director of the Immigrants Department at the university.

In the presence of Dr. Nagwa Salah, First Undersecretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, representing Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, Minister of Youth and Sports, Prof. Taya Abdel Latif, Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research for Student Activities, Prof. Tamer Rady, advisor to the vice president for student activities, a group of representatives from the embassies of the participating countries, a number of cultural attachés, deans and deans of faculties.

Prof. Dr. Abdel Fattah Saoud, Vice President for Education and Student Affairs, said that the new thinking adopted by the university towards international students depends on the exchange of cultures, in line with the thought of the new republic led by His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, which depends on thought and not only construction.

Pointing out that Egypt has always been a crossroads of cultures and races, in one crucible, which resulted in the merging of all different cultures with the Egyptian culture.

He explained that Ain Shams University is an extension of the University (On), which was in the same place thousands of years ago, adding that the festival aims to introduce university students to the different cultures of each of them, within the framework of Ain Shams University's keenness on the existence of a culture of integration between international students and their peers to integrate them into society university, so that the incoming student becomes an ambassador for Egypt and Ain Shams University, which is an investment in Egypt's soft power.

Dr. Ayman Saleh, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research Affairs, said that Ain Shams University stresses that the university’s goal is to provide education for all, regardless of their colors and nationalities, not only for Egyptian students, and to create a broad-minded personality looking forward to cooperation capable of being an ambassador for Egyptian education on its soil.

While Dr. Hesham Tamraz, Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs, praised the honorable appearance of students of different nationalities. His Excellency stressed that the main objective of the festival is to learn about the civilizations and cultures of other countries, which develops the connection between Ain Shams University students of different nationalities.

It was confirmed by Dr. Shahira Samir that the importance of the rapprochement that such events create between peoples with each other, through the participating countries’ presentation of their cultures, clothes, food and folk arts through seven thousand international students who share with us in humanity, love of the other and honest competition.

It is worth noting that the number of international students at Ain Shams University is more than 7,000, and 25 Arab, African and Asian countries (India - Sudan - South Sudan - Iraq - Yemen - Chad - Eritrea - Sultanate of Oman - Malaysia) participate in the festival.

The ceremony began with the national anthem, the display of the flags of the countries, and the opening of the pavilions of the participating countries, where each country presented its distinctive culture of folklore, food, and paintings.