The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel Ghaffar and the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat attended, on Monday via video conference, the signing ceremony of two co-operation agreements between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and Ain Shams and Mansoura Universities.
The aim is to carry out joint applied research projects to develop innovative solutions in different fields, capitalizing on ICTs. President of Ain Shams University Mahmoud El-Matini and President of Mansoura University Ashraf Abdel Basset attended the signing ceremony.
The two agreements target enhancing technical co-operation, harnessing capabilities, and exchanging experiences between MCIT Applied Innovation Centre (AIC) and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre at Ain Shams and Mansoura Universities. The aim is to employ the latest technologies to develop innovative solutions to tackle major issues in vital areas.
The parties to the agreement will carry out a joint applied research project to serve people with diabetes through creating a system to early detect diabetic retinopathy capitalising on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in fundus imaging and analysis.
The Minister of Higher Education stressed the importance of such agreements in implementing joint projects using advanced technologies to develop solutions to societal challenges, especially in healthcare. He praised the productive co-operation with MCIT in different areas, especially digital transformation and modern technologies. Abdel Ghaffar added that his ministry looks forward to ink more agreements that support sustainable development, Egypt’s Vision 2030, the healthcare sector, and university hospitals in Egypt.
For his part, the ICT Minister highlighted that the co-operation between the AIC and the two universities to employ AI in detecting diabetic retinopathy comes within the productive co-operation between MCIT and the Ministry of Higher Education. The project represents a new area of co-operation: health care, and will benefit many citizens, Talaat added.
The President of Ain Shams University praised the ongoing co-operation with MCIT, especially in infrastructure and university hospitals automation. The new agreement culminates the partnership between the two sides, he added. El-Matini said that the co-operation would cover other areas, including healthcare and others. He invited the attendees to join the inauguration ceremony of Ain Shams University’s Innovation Hub on October 30. Sponsored by the Central Bank of Egypt (CEB), the Hub is an edifice modelled on the world’s largest innovation centres, El-Matini added.
The agreements were signed by Deputy ICT Minister for Infrastructure Raafat Hindy, President of Ain Shams University Mahmoud El-Matini, and President of Mansoura University Ashraf Abdel Basset. The signing ceremony was attended by Assistant Minister of Higher Education for Digital Transformation Hesham Farouk, Director of the National Telecommunication Institute (NTI) Iman Ashour, Advisor to the ICT Minister for Technology Innovation, Electronics Industry and Training Hossam Osman, and Advisor to the ICT Minister for Research and Development Noha Adly.
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