The Housing Program at the Faculty of Engineering holds the first advisory council for industry and curriculum development

Under the directives of His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Ayman Ashour, and under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Mahmoud El-Metini, President of Ain Shams University, Prof. Dr. Abdel Fattah Saoud, Vice President for Education and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Omar Al-Husseini, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and Prof. Dr. Mustafa Refaat, Vice Dean for Education and Student Affairs The Housing Program at the College of Engineering held its first advisory council for industry and curriculum development, in the presence of Dr. Ayman Ashour, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Eng. Abdul-Khalek Abdul Rahman, Assistant Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities for Technical Affairs, Eng. Alaa Wali, Chairman of the Housing Committee of the former House of Representatives, and Engineer Mohamed Wali, a member the Board of Directors of Wali Group, Eng. Amr Soliman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mountain View, Eng. Salma Yousry, representative of the United Nations Human Settlements Program, and Salafa Ali at the University’s Employment Center

The session was moderated by Dr. Ghada Farouk, director of the housing program at the College of Engineering, and Dr. Ayman Farid, the program coordinator and director of the employment center at the university. The session discussed the importance of establishing a program in the field of housing, as it is the first program of its kind in the country that provides a specialized graduate with sufficient knowledge of housing problems and its management as one of the most important problems that face The Egyptian state is facing, especially with population growth, and it is sponsored by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies in Rotterdam, one of the educational institutions of Erasmus University, the University of East London in the United Kingdom, and the United Nations Organization for Human Settlements.

Dr. Ayman Ashour pointed out the importance of focusing on the student’s understanding of managing housing problems and understanding their dimensions as an essential element in the formation of the graduate’s thought in the field of housing. He stressed that planning and design capabilities alone are insufficient without realizing the economic, social, geographical and cultural dimensions behind them. He was keen to clarify the necessity of linking this to a deep understanding of housing policies in Egypt, as this is the backbone of understanding the nature of housing in Egypt. Representative Alaa Wali also stressed the need for the student to study the legal and legislative aspect in the field of housing as an integral part of the housing program graduates’ specifications.

Eng. Amr Soliman touched on the term graduate from another perspective, which is the developer graduate or the real estate developer's core, where he said that what the labor market lacks in the field of real estate development is a graduate capable of leading the future of real estate development.

He cited Singapore's experience in housing education and his personal experience studying real estate development.

Dr. Salma Yousry explained the importance of considering housing as a human right, and that the design of the home should put the user's psychological and physical comfort as a foundation.

In conclusion, Dr. Ghada Farouk and Dr. Ayman Farid thanked the attendees, and stressed the need to benefit from the expertise of the Advisory Board in supporting the program and students with multiple experiences.