Prof. Dr. Abdul Wahab Ezzat, President of Ain Shams University, inaugurated the 7^th session of the Conference on Cultural Development around the world, organized by the Confucius Center in cooperation with UNESCO and the Center for Political Studies at Hubei University, China.

During his opening speech, Prof. Dr. Abdel Wahab stressed the importance of a culture of dialogue and acceptance of the other, especially in the light of the successive changes in the world, which necessitated the need for communication and convergence between different countries of the world to meet the requirements of globalization and to create a better future for all humanity.

He added that facing the challenges of globalization does not mean the fusion of cultures, but the benefit of each culture of the other and the continuity of civilizations with each other, stressing that this will be achieved only through continuous learning and the dissemination of the culture of global dialogue.

He explained that Egypt's strategic position on the Silk Road has made it an extended center for the cultural and cultural radiation of the various countries of the world.

Prof. Dr. Esraa Abdel Sayed, Director of the Confucius Center and Director of the Office of International Relations at Ain Shams University moderated the opening session. She pointed out that the conference was held since 2013 and was hosted by many countries in the world. The most recent was Poland and the countries of England, Holland, India and Thailand. Stressing that the hosting of Egypt for the seventh session of the conference reflects the confidence of the international community in the strength of Egypt in various fields, and stresses that Egypt will remain a country of security and safety.

During the opening session, Mr. Shi Yu Win, Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of China in Cairo, praised the role played by Egypt in general and Ain Shams University, especially in strengthening cooperation with the Chinese side, pointing to the increasing aspects of partnership between the two sides in many fields. The Chinese and Egyptian sides are keen to strengthen their cooperation with various countries of the world and to benefit from their strategic position in opening up to the other and spreading the culture of dialogue.

Prof. Dr. Jiang Chang, dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the Chinese University of Hubei, stressed that applying the ethics of dialogue and acceptance of the other serves as the basis for creating a better person capable of adapting to all variables.

Prof. Dr. Wang Guin, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Anthropology at China's Xinhua University, talked about the clash of civilizations and its impact on humanity. He also pointed to the challenges facing Islamic culture in the contemporary world. He also discussed the role of the United States in the world scene and the effects of globalization on the people of the world, stressing the need to learn and spread the culture and ethics of the ongoing dialogue to overcome all these challenges.

The opening session was followed by two panel discussions chaired by Prof. Dr. Ayman Saleh, Director of University Hospitals, Ain Shams University, Dr. Ahmed Al-Saeed, Director General of Bayt Al-Hikma Foundation, presented a number of researches on the ethics of difference and dialogue with the other, with the participation of researchers from China, Mexico, USA, India, South Korea, Egypt and Romania.

The conference will last for two days and will be attended by representatives from 54 countries around the world, including high-level delegations from 21 Chinese universities and a number of experts, intellectuals and specialists from Egypt.