Ain Shams University wins the first place in the MOSAIC competition for the best Egyptian universities and research centers in innovation and cooperation with industry

Ain Shams University won the first place in the MOSAIC competition for the best Egyptian universities and research centers in innovation and cooperation with industry, according to standards similar to those of the global innovation and knowledge indicators.

The results were announced during the ceremony organized by the Innovators and Talents Fund on the sidelines of the meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities, this morning, Saturday, at the Ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, in the presence of Prof. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Dr. Yasmeen Fouad, Minister of the Environment.

Prof. Ghada Farouk, Acting President of Ain Shams University, received the award, as Prof. Mahmoud El-Metini, the former president of Ain Shams University, issued a decision during his presidency to form a committee to prepare for the award under the supervision of Prof. Ayman Salih, former Vice President for Postgraduate Studies and Research. The committee including Prof. Rasha Ismail, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Computer and Information Sciences, Chairman of the Award Coordinators Committee, and the membership of Prof. Mohamed Al-Behairy, former director of the Center for Innovation and Creativity at the university, and Dr. Islam Hegazy, Director of the Networks and Information Technology Center.At the beginning of his speech, the minister congratulated all the winners of the competition, pointing out that Ain Shams University won first place at the university level, followed by Cairo University in second place, then Helwan University in third place, and at the level of research centers, the Electronics Research Institute won first place. Followed by the Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute in the second place, then the City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications in the third place.

Dr. Ayman Ashour indicated that there are five main axes for the competition, which are (human and research capital, infrastructure and business environment development, market development, knowledge and technology outputs, creative outputs), pointing out that Cairo University was chosen as the highest university in the first and second axis, and Nile University In the third axis, Ain Shams University in the fourth axis, Helwan University in the fifth axis, and at the level of research centers and bodies, the Electronics Research Institute was chosen as the highest institute in the first, second, fourth and fifth axis, and the General Authority of Teaching Hospitals in the third axis.

The minister confirmed that at the level of private universities, October 6 University achieved first place, and at the level of private universities, Nile University won first place, and at the level of newly established universities, New Mansoura University came in first place.

With regard to the universities that ranked first according to the geographical scope, Dr. Ayman Ashour indicated that Ain Shams University won the first place at the level of the Greater Cairo region, the Egyptian-Japanese University of Science and Technology at the level of the Alexandria region, the Suez Canal University at the level of the Canal region, Mansoura University at the level of the Delta region, and Beni Suef University at the level of the North Upper Egypt region, Assiut University at the level of the Middle Upper Egypt region, and Aswan University at the level of the South Upper Egypt region.

Dr. Ayman Ashour confirmed that the competition aims to identify and measure the level of innovation and cooperation with industry at the level of Egyptian universities and research centers, pointing out that the importance of the competition comes from the fact that it contributes to achieving one of the most prominent themes of the national strategy for higher education and scientific research 2030, which the ministry attaches great importance to in order to support the national industry by linking academic institutions with industrial and productive institutions to meet the development challenges in Egypt.

For his part, Dr. Diaa Khalil, Executive Director of the Fund for Innovators and Geniuses, said that the MOSAIC competition comes within the framework of the Egyptian state’s efforts to support innovation and entrepreneurship in all educational institutions, explaining that the measurement tool in the MOSAIC competition was built in the light of standards similar to the standards of the Global Innovation Index and the Global Knowledge Index, with the addition of Some items commensurate with the needs and requirements of evaluation within educational and research institutions in the Arab Republic of Egypt, explaining that five main axes representing inputs and outputs of innovation and cooperation with industry have been reached.

Dr. Diaa Khalil added that these main axes contained 17 areas, which in turn contained 93 sub-indicators for measuring innovation and cooperation with industry, pointing out that the MOSAIC competition was launched in its first edition for the current academic year 2022-2023 by addressing all universities and research centers nationwide, where 39 public, private, and national universities, 12 research centers, institutes, and bodies were nominated for the competition, with a total of 51 universities and research centers.

The ceremony was attended by Dr. Yasser Refaat, Deputy Minister for Scientific Research Affairs, Dr. Mahmoud Sakr, President of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Dr. Mustafa Refaat, Secretary of the Supreme Council of Universities, Dr. Diaa Khalil, Executive Director of the Innovators and Talented Fund, Dr. Maged Ghanima, Director of Partnerships and Marketing at the Innovators and Geniuses Fund, and Dr. Waled Al-Zawawi, Secretary of the Council of Research Centers, Institutes and Organizations, and a group of ministers and university presidents.