Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Board of Trustees of the University of Wisconsin System in the United States of America, which was represented in the agreement by Dr. Betsy Morgan, Dean and Vice President of the American University, with the aim of internationalizing higher education on the basis of academic friendship and mutual understanding.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Prof. Ghada Farouk, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development, Prof. Mamdouh El-Damaty, Supervisor of the Department of Archaeology and Museums and Zaffaran Museum, and former Minister of Antiquities, Prof. Mohamed Ibrahim Ali, Supervisor of the Department of Museums and Archaeological Sites Management at the Faculty of Archaeology and former Minister of Antiquities, Prof. Hossam Tantawy, Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology, Prof. Shahira Samir, Executive Director of the International Relations and Academic Collaboration Sector, Prof. Mohamed Samir Hamza, Professor at the Faculty of Science and Member of the Council of the Faculty of Archaeology from Abroad, and the Cultural Counselor of Egypt in Washington and former Head of the Cultural Relations and Missions Sector at the Ministry of Higher Education, and Prof. David Anderson, Associate Professor in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

In his speech, Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen stressed that signing the MoU represents an important step towards enhancing international academic cooperation between Ain Shams University and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, noting that this cooperation will contribute significantly to achieving the common goals of developing higher education at a global level and building bridges of mutual understanding and academic friendship that benefit our academic communities.

The President of University explained that the agreement included the exchange of students and faculty staff, in addition to cooperation in short-term study programs, assistance in preparing courses led by faculty staff abroad, joint research projects, workshops, conferences, and joint cultural activities, in the belief of both sides that mutual benefit comes from scientific interactions, cultural exchanges, and other forms of academic cooperation.

For her part, Dr. Betsy Morgan expressed her happiness at signing this agreement, looking forward to achieving accomplishments with Ain Shams University, which has a prestigious international reputation, stressing that this agreement will be a starting point for fruitful and sustainable relations in the future.

It is worth mentioning that on the sidelines of the signing of the agreement, Dr. Betsy Morgan, Dean and Vice President, and Professor David Anderson, Associate Professor in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, accompanied by Dr. Menatallah El-Dary, Instructor of Botany at the Faculty of Archaeology and Coordinator of the Agreement, and Dr. Manar El-Khayal, Instructor of Heritage Sciences at the Faculty of Archaeology and Director of the International Cooperation Office, visited the Faculty of Archaeology and the Zaffaran Museum.