Prof. Mahmoud El-Meteini, President of Ain Shams University, witnessed the introductory symposium for the scholarship program provided by the University of Pennsylvania and the Sawiris Foundation for the academic year 2022-2023, which was organized by the Faculty of Engineering, headed by Prof. Omar Al-Husseini, Dean of the Faculty, and in the presence of Prof. Ghada Farouk, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development, Prof. Shahira Samir, Executive Director of the International Relations and Academic Cooperation Sector, Prof. Ahmed Al-Sabbagh, Vice Dean for Education and Student Affairs, Dr. Engy Al-Dammak, assistant professor at the Department of Communications and Electronics and coordinator of international agreements at the faculty, Dr. Noha Jamal, Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Design and Planning and Coordinator of Student Exchange at the Faculty, Heba Iskandar, Director of Development and Community Development at the Sawiris Foundation and Orascom Company, Mays Abu Hijab, Director of the Education and Scholarships Sector at the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, and Heads of Architecture and Urban Design Departments.

Prof. Mahmoud El-Meteini, President of Ain Shams University, confirmed that the students of the Faculty of Engineering always honor the university in all international forums. Advance thanks to the Faculty of Engineering headed by Prof. Omar Al-Husseini, Dean of the Faculty, Gentlemen, Vice Deans and faculty staff, for the exerted effort, referring to the full support of the University for all activities of the Faculty.

His Excellency also made it clear that the Sawiris Foundation started more than 20 years ago, and it has a global reputation for its giving as a civil society institution in all stages of basic education up to university education.

His Excellency added that Ain Shams University cooperates with the Sawiris Foundation with the Faculties of Business and Engineering.

As Prof. Mahmoud El-Meteini referred to the positive reaction from the University of Pennsylvania towards the first batch of students of the Faculty of Engineering, which included 4 students, and how they were very happy with the performance of the faculty students and their good use of time and their eagerness to absorb and receive every piece of information.

Pointing to the importance of traveling and mingling with others, explaining that it is the basic experience, for knowledge, acquisition of experiences, skills and visions; As well as mixing with fellow travelers in all activities in addition to scientific activities.

In the conclusion of his speech, Prof. Mahmoud El-Meteini called on the students to be the best ambassadors for Egypt and Ain Shams University.

Prof. Ghada Farouk, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development, confirmed that the travel experience is very important for the student in shaping his personality and their vision for their future, pointing to the need to know the students’ experience after the end of their scholarship to get to know and introduce their colleagues to the experience in all its details.

Prof. Omar Al-Husseini, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, explained that the faculty aims to open new horizons for our students to obtain various information, experiences and cultures. He also thanked the Sawiris Foundation for its efforts in supporting the educational process in various Egyptian universities.

He also stressed that the scholarship is a great opportunity to acquire skills and experience and openness to different cultures and encouraged students to apply for all the opportunities available to them.

Dr. Engy Al-Dammak, Coordinator of International Agreements at the International Cooperation Office at the Faculty, explained that the scholarship to travel for the academic year 2022-2023 is for six students in the third year of the bachelor’s degree in the departments of Communications, Electronics and Architecture Engineering (students of specialized programs to spend a full academic year at the University of Pennsylvania UPenn) that includes travel, study, accommodation and living costs.

Dr. Noha Gamal Saeed, Student Exchange Coordinator, added that the Sawiris scholarship is a full scholarship that covers tuition fees, travel, housing, health insurance, and a living stipend.

Students are selected on the basis of their merits demonstrated through academic excellence and their extracurricular extracurricular activities.

The symposium witnessed a presentation of the benefits and conditions of the grant by Nigel Kosar, Executive Director of Penn University Abroad, in which he explained the method of applying for it. The University of Pennsylvania is one of the most prestigious universities in the United States of America, and league Ivy University UPenn ranked 13th in both the US News & World Report 2022 rankings and the US News & World Report rankings 2022, Global QS 2022 for the best international universities and the seventh in the United States of America.