The Regional Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) selected six postgraduate students at Ain Shams University and a faculty member to participate in the Universities Forum for Cultural Heritage Affairs 2024.

Ain Shams University's participation comes under the auspices of Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain Al-Abedeen, President of the University, and Prof. Ghada Farouk, Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs, and Acting Vice President of the University for Postgraduate Studies and Research Affairs, and Prof. Hossam Tantawi, Dean of the Faculty of Archeology, and coordinated by r. Islam Ezzat, Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Museum and Archaeological Sites Management, and Coordinator of the Facity of Archeology for Grants and Research Projects.

Twelve universities and research institutes in the Arab Republic of Egypt competed to participate, and they nominated 86 postgraduate students, as well as 50 professors specialized in fields related to the preservation of cultural heritage and its various applications.

Six postgraduate students at Ain Shams University were selected: Mr. Saeed Saad, teaching assistant at the Institute of Graduate Studies and Agricultural Research in Arid Regions, Eng. Radwa Ashraf, doctoral researcher in the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Mrs. Heba Sami, curator at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and master’s researcher at the Faculty of Archaeology, Mr. Mahmoud Salama, a specialist in the restoration of antiquities in Historic Cairo, and a master’s researcher at the Faculty of Archaeology, Mrs. Manal Mohamed Ragab, and Mr. Ahmed Abdel Aziz Sakr, graduates of the Diploma Program in Museum and Archaeological Site Management at the Faculty of Archaeology, and Dr. Samar Hamdoun, community communication teacher at the Department of Museum and Archaeological Sites Management, as a trainer in the project. The Role of Community Communication in Connecting Communities Surrounding Heritage Areas as an application to the Al-Azhar region.

Participants from Ain Shams University and other universities and institutes will work on preparing the executive plan and terms of reference (ToR) for a number of innovative projects in preserving cultural heritage in Cairo, namely: maintenance of parks and public and private green spaces as an application to the Fustat area, and heritage industries and the economy as an application to the Gamaleya area. Planning for the reuse of heritage buildings as an application to the Darb al-Ahmar area, documentation of built heritage and assessment of the condition of archaeological buildings as an application to the antiquities of eastern Cairo, and a community outreach and surrounding communities project as an application to the Al-Azhar area.