The Innovation Support Unit at the Faculty of Arts, at Ain Shams University, organized a workshop entitled: "How to Apply for Scholarships", under the auspices of Prof. Hanan Kamel, Dean of the Faculty, and supervising Professor. Sherine Mazloum, Vice Dean for Postgraduate Studies and Research, and coordinating Dr. Mohamed Farid, member of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit.

The workshop was presented by Dr. Walid Akef, a researcher at Harvard University and one of the most successful graduates of the faculty, who reviewed his scientific and practical journey since graduating from the Department of Archeology until he obtained a master’s degree from Spanish University by joining a research scholarship, stressing that one of the most important reasons for his success is mastering language skills as he mastered Arabic, And English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Persian, which enabled him to join many scholarships in the field of Islamic antiquities.

And Dr. Walid Akef took the steps toward success for students, which were represented in defining the vision, goals, and confidence in God’s justice that every hardworking person has a share. He stressed the importance of preparing papers upon graduation, translating and documenting the certificate, transcript of grades, academic resume, and letter of recommendation, in addition to the TOEFL and IELTS certificates.

He also referred to the bodies through which scholarships can be identified, including the website of Ain Shams University, the Cultural Affairs and Missions Sector, the Department of Cultural Relations in the faculty, the cultural centers in Egypt for donor university countries, especially the German Cultural Center known for its support for Arab researchers, and he also reviewed the types of grants.

He presented the challenges and obstacles that the researcher might face, namely: the psychological barrier, societal and social challenges, the linguistic challenge, the economic challenge, and the educational challenge, he also stressed the importance of arming himself with the power of knowledge, and urged students to consolidate their skills, experience, and proficiency in English, at least one other language, and computer programs in order to obtain distinguished scholarships and educational opportunities.

At the end of the workshop, Dr. Mohamed Farid thanked Dr. Walid Akef for his scientific support to the students and for extending a helping hand to them and for the positive energy he inspired us with, and for being an honorable representative of the hardworking Egyptian researcher who represents Egypt in the most famous international universities.

As Dr. Mohamed Farid confirmed the keenness of the Innovation Unit to provide practical models for students to serve as role model, in order to be a starting point for scientific progress after graduation.