A cooperation protocol between Ain Shams University and Baseera Foundation for people visually impaired

In the context of the interest of the Egyptian state and the political leadership in supporting all segments of society and people with special needs in the first place, and in the context of Ain Shams University’s conviction of the importance of supporting these groups; A cooperation protocol was signed between Ain Shams University and Baseera Foundation for the Visually Impaired in an effort to combine the efforts of the two institutions in the advancement of people with special needs in general and the blind in particular in all social, cultural, medical, educational and academic fields.

In this context, the two institutions seek, through the aforementioned protocol, to establish a new postgraduate department in Egypt for the blind and visually impaired specialists. This is because the two institutions believe in the necessity of providing trained and qualified academic cadres in this field based on the latest relevant scientific curricula and the associated devices and programs that support these cadres.

The University was represented in signing the agreement by His Excellency Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmed Shawki Al-Matini, President of the University, and Mrs. Doaa Mabrouk, Executive Director and Managing Director of Baseera Foundation for the Visually Impaired.

The signing of the protocol was witnessed by Prof. Ayman Saleh, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, Prof. Hisham Tamraz, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development, Prof. Hazem Rashid, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Mortada, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and Prof. Dr. Abdel Nasser Rashad Vice Dean of the Faculty of Education and Prof. Dr. Osama Ibrahim Abdel Azim, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine for Postgraduate Studies and Research, Prof. Dr. Amr Saleh, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology, Ain Shams University, and Prof. Ahmed Taher, Member of the Board of Directors of the Baseera Foundation.

It was agreed that Prof. Dr. Abdel Nasser Mohamed Rashad, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Education for Postgraduate Studies and Research Affairs, and Ms. Malik Esmat would be coordinators for both parties of the agreement regarding its implementation.

Accordingly, Ain Shams University will be committed to establishing a new and independent postgraduate department that is not subject to any Faculty for blind and visually impaired specialists and teachers, in addition to contributing to writing the department’s executive regulations while providing teaching and administrative cadres in partnership with Baseera Foundation and providing equipped classrooms, publications and office tools necessary for study, development and organization Study schedules and exams, and address the Supreme Council of Universities to adopt curricula locally in accordance with regulations and laws.

For its part, Baseera Foundation is committed to participating in the business management committee, project management and providing the necessary technical advice, in addition to contributing to the preparation of the executive regulations of the department and providing the curricula with the modification and adaptation of the curricula to make them compatible with the Egyptian environment and the translation of curricula into Arabic with the submission of international accreditations, the training of lecturers and the follow-up And organizing practical training, and this will be the theoretical study at Ain Shams University and the practical study at Baseera Foundation.

Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Metini expressed his happiness at signing the protocol, and he also praised the state's recent role in caring for people with disabilities, and stressed the university administration's keenness to provide all necessary support for the protocol project.

Prof. Dr. Ayman Saleh explained that the university aspires for students to benefit practically through training on the devices of Baseera Center, and thus provide the practical part in a better way, and this works to expand their knowledge with the possibility of obtaining a professional master's degree in this field.

As pointed out by Prof. Dr. Hesham Tamraz that the university is keen to cooperate in various fields related to the health and service of the Egyptian society. Dr. Abdel Nasser, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Education, expressed his happiness at signing the protocol, as he works on community service, which combines humanitarian work with academic work.

He added that the state is showing great interest in this field with the aim of upgrading that community group.

Prof. Dr. Ahmed Taher said that the goal is to integrate the unseen into society so that they become an addition to society and not a burden on it.

As reported by Ms. Doaa that the importance of the protocol and that cooperation with Ain Shams University would be a better future so that the community would better accept them. She confirmed that Ain Shams University is an ancient university that serves all classes, in addition to that the university cooperates with the center and supplies its convoys with professors and doctors who help the center to eventually serve the community.

She indicated that the center will cooperate with all practical and theoretical faculties of the university.