The President of the University Participates in a Discussion Session Entitled “Multidisciplinarity…A Necessity in the Future”

The activities of the Second Global Forum on Higher Education and Scientific Research (Vision of the Future) continued for the second day in a row, organized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, from 8 to 10 December, in the New Administrative Capital, under the patronage and honor of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Republic.

A panel discussion entitled “Multidisciplinarity: A Necessity for the Future” was chaired by Ms. Samantha Miles from Florida Atlantic University, and in the presence of the world-renowned surgeon, Dr. Magdi Yacoub, founder of Magdi Yacoub Heart Center, Dr. Mahmoud El-Metini, President of Ain Shams University, Dr. Dina Pham from the University of Technology Sydney, Dr. Ahmed Al-Saragi, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering, University of Lincoln, UK, Dr. Anna Grichting Solder of Harvard University, Dr. Hisham Al-Askari from Chapman University and in the presence of Dr. Ayman Saleh, Vice President of Ain Shams University for Graduate Studies and Research Affairs, and a number of faculties' deans and vice-deans.

For his part, Dr. Magdi Yacoub believes in the idea of ​​multidisciplinary, and its importance, especially in the field of medicine, pointing out that the interdisciplinarity means diversity, innovation and progress, through study, learning and application, stressing that we are now living in a state of isolation between all disciplines, and it is time to create a scientific and research environment Integrated to serve all scientific disciplines.

Yakoub indicated that he worked on implementing the idea of ​​multi-disciplinarity at the Heart Center in Aswan, pointing out that there is a department where all cardiologists and cardiologists work to search for everything new; In order to serve this vital field, he emphasized that we can only achieve progress in scientific research by adopting the idea of ​​multidisciplinary, noting that there is a great movement in Egypt in the field of the human genome project, and this requires integration between all disciplines.

On his part, Dr. Mahmoud El-Metini said: The importance of interdisciplinarity for its pivotal role in generating new ideas and specializations that benefit science and knowledge, pointing out that multidisciplinarity is the mainstay of the specialty of surgery and to be fully aware of the goals of sustainable development, and how to solve societal problems.

El-Metini added that Ain Shams University is always working to link university students and graduates with the requirements of the labor market, and a center for ideas incubators and an oasis of science and technology is being established. To promote dialogue and ideas between researchers from different faculties and elect innovative ideas that can be transferred to emerging companies, contributing to the production of marketable products and services locally and internationally, as well as establishing centers of excellence in the fields of energy, water and waste management, stressing that the vision of Ain Shams University is based on integrating all disciplines In order to serve the knowledge society, pointing out the importance of overcoming all the challenges that hinder the transition to everything new, by adopting the policy of accepting the other and adapting, and moving away from the policy of isolated islands.

On his part, Dr. Hesham Al Askari emphasized the importance of combining multiple disciplines, explaining that geology, for example, requires knowledge of the disciplines of agriculture, health, renewable energy, ecosystem, water, disasters and climate, pointing out the need to pay attention to standards of communication infrastructure, the transition to market sustainability, and economic aspects Social, environmental, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Al-Askari pointed to the need to reduce the gap between disciplines, pointing out that there are several terms in this regard, including: (multi-disciplines, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary). In conducting joint research on a single problem without integration, and regarding interdisciplinarity, it means the work of academic disciplines together, by integrating knowledge and theories to develop common research objectives, while transdisciplinary refers to the work of different academic disciplines together; To achieve integration in knowledge and methods and develop common research objectives.

For his part, Ahmed Al-Saraji stressed the importance of the interdisciplinarity of all universities, noting that what distinguishes one university from another is education, exposure and experience, and this will only be achieved through the presence of integration between all disciplines, and so that there is a tangible impact of all scientific research that is conducted within universities. And it becomes economically feasible and harmonious with the needs of society, reviewing some models for the integration of disciplines in the fields of agriculture, engineering, engineering and chemical pharmacy, which resulted in reaching very effective formulations in the face of the Corona pandemic, referring to Lincoln University’s cooperation in the field of aviation with Airbus International, Stressing the need for university curricula to stimulate innovation and take into account the principles of exposure, experience and learning.