[:en]A Dream, A Goal, and Achievement [:ar]حلم، هدف، ثم إنجاز[:]

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Dr. Ibrahim once told me, “You are not studying to gain a certificate, you are studying to help your community.”

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With these words, Amr Ehab started his interview. Amr is a graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy – Ain Shams University (Class 2012).

In the beginning of his career, he took the pragmatic path to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry as a quality specialist, then worked in the Ministry of Health as a member of the regulatory authority responsible for the registration, quality control, and release of biologics and vaccines.

“I was introduced to Heliopolis University for the first time after my graduation in 2012 by one of my professors who had a really close relationship with SEKEM and Dr. Ibrahim, but I started working at HU in 2016.”, said Amr.

After receiving his Master’s degree in 2019, Amr applied for a doctoral position at Marburg University through the Jameel Education Foundation Scholarship. He was first introduced to the scholarship and Marburg University during a dinner talk with Dr. Maike Petersen and Dr. Cherine Osama on the sidelines of the 18th Annual NAPRECA conference that was hosted by HU in December 2019.”, said Amr. After some deliberation on suitable scholarships available for his chosen field, they both encouraged him to apply for the scholarship as soon as it is announced. In the following months, he was in contact with his current PhD supervisor, who has expertise in the same area of his research interest, and accepted his research proposal on developing nano-systems for Curcumin to treat multidrug-resistant bacteria using photodynamic therapy.

“I always tell my students to have the passion and willingness to develop their knowledge and skills after graduation, otherwise the pharmaceutical career, and the academic path specifically, is not theirs.”, said Amr.

Amr noted many similarities between the academic/research career at both the national and international levels according to his experience during his master’s degree, however, the main differences that exist are the abundance of resources and the significant role that research centers and institutes play abroad. He hopes that Heliopolis University will take the initiative to develop profound research centers within SEKEM community to serve the entirety of Egypt and fill a huge gap in both the scientific research and community development fields.

“I was relieved when I received the acceptance email,” Amr described his feeling. 

Despite the simplicity of the application process, there were numerous obstacles. COVID-19 hit and paralyzed the world and it significantly delayed Amr in his research and travel plans. Now that the pandemic is subsiding, the move to Germany is imminent.

That was the main, but not the only challenge he met during the application. Nevertheless, he remained optimistic throughout, to start this scholarship. He is aware of the significant role that a scholarship can play in the development of the individual on different levels, and intends to make good use of it.

As the interview was coming to an end, Amr expressed his hope that in the near future the Egyptian universities will profit from the attractive pool of opportunities of our community and start attracting bright scholars and brilliant researchers to invest their knowledge and skills in developing the community and paving the way to an even better future. He dreams that one day Egypt will once again grant scholarships to the world, not the other way around.

That in return will lead to a buildup in momentum in the pharmaceutical field and scientific research in general, which will surely contribute to the successful implementation of Egypt’s Vision 2030.  

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قال الدكتور إبراهيم أبو العيش لي من قبل “الشهادة مش لازم تكون الهدف الوحيد للدراسة. هدف الدراسة هو مساعدة مجتمعك.”

بهذه الكلمات بدأ عمرو كامل حديثة. تخرج عمر كامل من كلية الصيدلة بجامعة عين شمس عام 2012. ثم اتخذ المسار العملي كبداية لمسيرته المهنية، حيث عمل في مراقبة الجودة في أحد المصانع الطبية، كذلك بوزارة الصحة، والجهات المختصة بالمنتجات البيولوجية والكيميائية.

قال عمرو كامل: “تعرفت على جامعة هليوبوليس لأول مرة بعد تخرجي عام 2012 من قبل أحد أساتذتي الذي تربطه علاقة وثيقة بالدكتور إبراهيم. ثم بدأت العمل في جامعة هليوبوليس في عام 2016”.

عام 2019، نجح عمرو كامل في التقدم للحصول على منحة دراسية في جامعة ماربورغ. إذ تم التقديم للمنحة من خلال منحة مؤسسة جميل التعليمية، وكان موضوع أطروحته للدكتوراه: “أنظمة النانو المحملة بالكركمين كمنصة علاج ضوئي ديناميكي لعلاج البكتيريا متعددة المقاومة”.

إذ أوضح تعرفة على هذه الفرصة خلال مؤتمر NAPRECA السنوي الثامن عشر الذي استضافته جامعة هليوبوليس في عام  2019، من قبل الدكتور مايك بيترسن والدكتورة شيرين أسامة، حيث شجعه الاثنان على التقديم بعد بعض المناقشات حول المنح الدراسية المناسبة والمتاحة للمجال الذي اختاره. بعد شهرين، أتم الإتصال بمشرف الدكتوراه الحالي الذي يدرس في نفس المجال.

يقول عمرو كامل: “أقول دائمًا لطلابي، إذا لم يكن لديك الشغف لتطوير معرفتك بعد حصولك على درجة علمية، فإن المسار الأكاديمي ليس المسار المناسب لك.”

 

أثناء الحديث، أوضح عمرو كامل الكثير من أوجه الشبه بين الهيئات الأكاديمية على المستوى الوطني والدولي. وفقًا لتجربته خلال درجة الماجستير، فإن الاختلاف الوحيد هو توافر الموارد العملية إلى جانب الدور المهم لمراكز البحث. ويأمل عمر كامل أن تتخذ جامعة هليوبوليس هذه المبادرة لتطوير مراكز بحثية ليس فقط داخل مجتمع سيكم بل مصر.

 

يصف عمرو كامل شعوره وقت تلقيه رسالة القبول: “شعرت بسعادة غامرة عندما تلقيت رسالة القبول الإلكترونية”.

 

على الرغم من بساطة عملية التقديم، إلا أن هناك العديد من العقبات التي واجهته. ضرب كوفيد -19 العالم وشله، وأخر بشكل كبير أبحاثه وخطط سفره. الآن وقد بدأ الوباء في الانحسار، فإن الانتقال إلى ألمانيا بات وشيكًا.

كان هذا هو التحدي الرئيسي، ولكن ليس التحدي الوحيد الذي واجهه أثناء تقديم الطلب. ومع ذلك، ظل متفائلاً طوال الوقت، لبدء هذه المنحة بالفعل. فهو على دراية بالدور المهم الذي يمكن أن تلعبه المنحة في تنمية الفرد على مستويات مختلفة، وينوي الاستفادة منها بشكل جيد. 

مع اقتراب انتهاء المقابلة ، أعرب عمرو كامل عن أمله في أن تستغل الجامعات المصرية الفرصة والربح بشكل كبير من المنح والاستثمارات المرتبطة بها لتعزيز جهود البحث والتطوير.

سيؤدي ذلك في المقابل إلى زيادة الزخم في المجال الطبي والبحوث بشكل عام، مما سيدعم بعد ذلك التنفيذ الناجح لرؤية مصر 2030.

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MED-WET Partners Participate in Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair, October 2024, Portugal

[:en] The MED-WET partners, including the team from Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, had the opportunity to showcase their excellent results at the Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair, held during (9-13) October 2024 in Portugal. This event provided a wonderful platform to widely share the project’s advancements, exchange insights, and engage with various international stakeholders in the water, energy and agricultural sectors. During the fair, the HUSD team actively participated in a parallel conference, where they delivered in-depth presentations and speech covering the MED-WET’s goals, achievements, and importance in advancing sustainable water management for climate-resilient agriculture among the rural and desert communities. At the heart of their presence was the MED-WET stand, which attracted significant attention of the majority of participants. It served as a focal point for information dissemination, providing an interactive space where farmers, agricultural experts, policymakers, and researchers could learn more about the project’s innovative approaches to water conservation and irrigation technology in arid regions. The stand featured detailed explanations of the project’s outcomes, including key findings and 3-D prototypes of the three technologies “Constructed Wetlands in Sekem El-Wahat, Solar energy-driven desalination for greenhouse agriculture in Malta and the SLECI Irrigation technology in Portugal and Morocco”. This obviously proven the MED-WET’s success in realizing efficient water management practices that contributed to sustainable farming and addressed water scarcity challenges in the Mediterranean region. Overall, the Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair was a highly productive experience for all participants. It allowed the MED-WET team to expand their network, raise awareness about the critical issue of water scarcity, and underscore the project’s role in promoting sustainable agricultural practices across the Mediterranean region. The fair highlighted the increasing importance of collaborative efforts in addressing water conservation and irrigation challenges in agriculture, reinforcing the relevance of the MED-WET initiative. [:]

[:en]Showcasing the Med-Wet Project: Partners Participated in the Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Marketplace in Cairo[:]

[:en] One of the Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development’s successful research projects called “MED-WET” is selected among the top successful and highest performing 20 EU–Prima projects worldwide this year 2024. An international conference and fair was conducted on 3 Oct., 2024 in Cairo organized by Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in association with the European Commission (EC) office in Cairo. In which, a team from HUSD and MED-WET’s partner countries from Malta and Germany presented the key results of the MED-WET project, including the successfully developed three technologies (Constructed Wetlands in Sekem El-Wahat, Solar energy-driven desalination for greenhouse agriculture in Malta and the SLECI Irrigation technology in Portugal and Morocco). That mega event allowed HUSD to showcase the innovative solution of the low-cost, low-energy and nature-based “Instream Constructed Wetland” model addressing water challenges and climate change in the Mediterranean. Such innovations aim to conserve water, improve irrigation efficiency and tackle water scarcity (climate-resilient agriculture). The marketplace offered meaningful exchanges with international partners. HUSD’s team discussed potential collaborations with stakeholders who are interested in new research projects, which will help further amplify the impact of the Med-Wet project. The conversations done with promising future partners underscored the importance of cross-border cooperation and innovation in addressing complex environmental challenges, on the top of them “water scarcity and climate change”. [:]

[:en]Announcement: Heliopolis University Low Carbon Energy Report Released![:]

[:en]Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development is proud to announce the release of our latest report on Low Carbon Energy Usage across campus! This report highlights our commitment to a greener future by measuring the amount of low-carbon energy utilized in our operations. Through this analysis, we’re taking bold steps toward sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint. Key Highlights: A detailed breakdown of renewable energy sources powering our campus Insights on energy efficiency improvements across our facilities Actionable goals for expanding clean energy use in the coming years Together, we’re paving the way for a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this report possible! Stay tuned for more updates as we continue working towards a 100% low-carbon campus! #HeliopolisUniversity #SustainableFuture #LowCarbonEnergy #CleanEnergy See the report here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/122aDtID_M3wxZSzZnKuzx-VcHolUbxh5/view?usp=sharing[:]