Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University, received Mr. Oka Hiroshi, Ambassador of the State of Japan to Cairo, and Mr. Toshifumi Itoh, Cultural Advisor at the Japanese Embassy, in the presence of Prof. Salwa Rashad, Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun and Supervisor of the Japanese Language Department, Prof. Shahira Samir, Executive Director of the International Relations and Academic Collaboration Sector, Dr. Muhammad Abdel Rahman Ashiba, Lecturer and General Coordinator of the Japanese Language Department, Dr. Yasmine Al-Abhar, a teacher in the Japanese Language Department, Dr. Hibatullah Abu Bakr is a teacher in the Japanese Language Department.

The Japanese Ambassador congratulated Prof. President of the University on assuming the presidency of the university, and the Japanese Ambassador affirmed his happiness at the presence of a Japanese language department at Ain Shams University, which produces distinguished cadres working in various entities inside and outside Egypt and in Japan.

The ambassador also expressed his admiration for the large number of Japanese language students in Egypt, as the number of students currently has reached about 3,000, and this number exceeds the number of Japanese language students in Middle Eastern countries, and also exceeds the number in all African countries combined.

The Japanese ambassador indicated that the embassy will hold a farewell ceremony for 10 Egyptian students and researchers in the postgraduate stage for obtaining the MEXT scholarship provided by the Japanese government, including two students from Ain Shams University, stressing that the scholarships provided by the Japanese government aim to obtain academic degrees, especially at the two stages of Postgraduate studies (Master's and Doctorate) in all specializations.

As for the post-doctoral stage or the levels of research and academic exchange for faculty members and researchers, there is the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), which plays an important role in providing grants for researchers to continue post-doctoral research in Japan. The Ambassador stressed that Japanese scholarships are not limited only to studying the Japanese language, Japanese literature, and other humanities, but there are also scholarships offered in the fields of medical and engineering scientific research and others.

He pointed out that the scholarships offered by Japan include studying medical, engineering, and other sciences in English in postgraduate studies, with the aim of encouraging more scientific research students in Egyptian universities to apply for Japanese study scholarships.

Pointing out the cooperation with Hiroshima University as a model of scientific and academic cooperation with Ain Shams University and the visit of Prof. Mamdouh El-Damaty, former Minister of Antiquities and Professor at the Faculty of Archeology at Ain Shams University, accompanied by Major General Atef Moftah, General Supervisor of the Grand Egyptian Museum Project, to Japan and visited Hiroshima University.

The Japanese ambassador pointed out that the level of relations between Egypt and Japan had been raised to the level of “strategic partnership” after the important visit of His Excellency the Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Fumio Kishida, to Egypt last year and his meeting with His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic.

For his part, Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of the University, confirmed the importance of working to visit the number of researchers and students from Ain Shams University to travel to study and continue scientific research in Japan, due to Japan’s distinctive scientific and technological progress, and discussed the projects that the university is currently undertaking, most notably the development of the central university library and the laboratories of the Faculty of Science.

His Excellency stressed that Japan, for example, is one of the best countries in dental surgery research and techniques, as he is a former dean of the university’s Faculty of Dentistry and a professor of dental surgery.

He pointed out the existence of cultural and civilizational commonalities between the two countries, which have a long history, and also praised the strength of the relations between the two countries.

Prof. Salwa Rashad, Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun, noted that the JLPT test was held in December 2023 in the entire Faculty of Al-Alsun and with great success for the third time in a row, as it is one of the successful forms of cooperation between Ain Shams University and the Japanese side.

As Prof. Salwa Rashad referred to her recent visit to Japan at the invitation of the Japan Foundation, during which she visited a number of prestigious Japanese universities and distinguished research and educational centers.

Her Excellency stressed the importance of working to establish some agreements between the Faculty of Al-Alsun and Japanese companies - especially those in Egypt - to train students and graduates of the department in order to hone their skills and qualify them for the labor market, and to also be an opportunity for those Japanese companies to get to know graduates of the Japanese Language Department in order to attract them in the future.

The Japanese Language Department at the Faculty of Al-Alsun was also distinguished by the progress it achieved with a number of its students obtaining doctoral degrees, which contributes to the strengthening and independence of the department.

Prof. Shahira Samir, Executive Director of the International Relations and Academic Collaboration Sector, reviewed that Ain Shams University received the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) at Ain Shams University, which was held in both the Faculties of Al-Alsun and Medicine during the years 2021 and 2022 with success due to the high readiness of the examination halls located at the university. Pointing out that there are a number of researchers and scholars from Ain Shams University who are currently studying in Japan. Pointing out the Japanese government’s gift to Ain Shams University of 157 books in the English language, all of which are books related to all aspects of Japanese society and scientific research in Japan, with the aim of strengthening cultural and scientific relations between the two countries, where a ceremony will be held to receive these books, and a session will also be arranged to hold an introduction to faculty staff, teaching assistants and students at Ain Shams University with Japanese scholarships.

The two parties also expressed the importance of continuing to strengthen cooperation and exchange relations between the State of Japan and Ain Shams University.