This morning, Prof. Abdel Fattah Mohamed Fathi Saoud, Vice President for Education and Student Affairs, met Mr. Roy Tirreno, Portuguese Ambassador to Cairo, and Ms. Irma Gonzalez, Cultural Counselor at the Portuguese Embassy in Egypt, at the Zaffran Palace, in the presence of Prof. Salwa Rashad, Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun.

Prof. Abdel Fattah Saoud welcomed the honorable guests, expressing his great happiness at the visit of the Portuguese ambassador to Ain Shams University, speaking about his visit to Portugal and his enjoyment of its beauty and the culture and heritage of the Spanish people. His Excellency referred to the history of the Saffron Palace, its nobility, and the stages of its restoration, as well as the Zaffran Palace Museum and its rare antiquities and collectibles.

He emphasized the interest of Ain Shams University in exchanging experiences between the university and the universities of the State of Portugal, by developing the level of cooperation between the two sides, opening joint scientific programs between the two sides, sending scientific missions, increasing the exchange of faculty staff, student exchange, as well as working on the equivalence of academic degrees, as well as trying to overcome all obstacles that might face this cooperation.

His Excellency expressed the desire of Ain Shams University to establish a joint international cooperation program and to establish a branch of the Portuguese (Kamaish) Institute at Ain Shams University to teach and spread Portuguese culture, similar to the Confucius Institute, which supports the Chinese language at Ain Shams University.

His Excellency also discussed with the Ambassador of Portugal cooperation in the field of scientific research, through joint research projects and workshops, to raise the quality of scientific research, and support relations between centers, institutes, and research bodies on both sides through holding workshops and exchanging faculty staff.

For his part, the Portuguese ambassador affirmed his happiness with his presence at the ancient Ain Shams University and his great happiness in assuming the position of ambassador in a great country such as the Arab Republic of Egypt, referring to the originality of its people and its charming beauty, as well as his country's keenness to strengthen cooperation with Egypt, especially in the field of higher education, science, and technology.

He expressed his aspiration to increase the exchange of experiences between Ain Shams University and Portuguese universities, and cooperation between professors and researchers in areas of common interest.

At the end of the visit, Prof. Abdul Fattah Saoud presented the delegation with a copy of the Zaffran Palace book, which contains valuable information about the history of the palace.