Prof. Muhammad Hussein: The new partnership enhances the internationalization of academic programs and opens broader horizons for students and researchers

    Prof. Mohamed Hussein, President of Tanta University, announced that the university has joined an academic alliance that includes the University of Cantabria and a number of European universities, with the aim of preparing a proposal to launch a joint international master's program in the field of information technology, funded by the European Union's Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's programme.

   This came during the official visit of the Tanta University delegation to the University of Cantabria in Spain, headed by Prof. Mohamed Hussein, and including Prof. Hatem Amin, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, and Prof. Saleh Shalaby, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for International Relations and Expatriate Affairs at the university.

   The visit comes within the framework of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's directives to expand the internationalization of higher education institutions and strengthen international partnerships, and in implementation of the strategy of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research aimed at maximizing the benefit of Egyptian universities from European Union programs, and increasing their participation in international academic and research initiatives and projects.

   The Tanta University delegation held an extensive meeting with Prof. Luis Muñoz, Vice President for International Relations at Cantabria University, which discussed the prospects for developing academic and research cooperation between the two universities, and resulted in an agreement on a set of strategic axes, most notably Tanta University's participation in the European Alliance, which is working on preparing a proposal for a joint master's program in information technology.

   In a direct implementation step, the Tanta University delegation participated the day after the visit in the first preparatory meeting held online between European partners, to begin preparing the academic proposal and defining the scientific and executive roles and paths of the program in preparation for submitting it to the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's programme.

   The two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in the field of joint scientific supervision of master's and doctoral theses, and to study the establishment of joint master's programs in a number of specializations of mutual interest, in a way that supports the development of the postgraduate studies system and enhances the academic mobility of students and members of the faculty

   Prof. Mohamed Hussein stressed that Tanta University's joining the European Alliance represents a qualitative step in implementing the university's internationalization strategy and building sustainable institutional partnerships with prestigious international universities, explaining that joint international master's programs contribute to exchanging academic experiences, developing curricula, and providing distinguished educational and research opportunities for students and researchers.

   The university president added that Tanta University aims to increase its participation in competitive European programs, and to benefit from the potential offered by European Union programs in the fields of developing higher education, scientific research and academic activity, in a way that enhances the university's position regionally and internationally, and supports the Egyptian state's orientation towards building globally competitive universities that achieve the sustainable development goals and Egypt's Vision 2030.

   Prof. Mohamed Hussein appreciated the efforts made by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to support internationalization axes in Egyptian universities, develop scientific research systems, maximize opportunities for sending faculty members and researchers to prestigious international universities, and improve the quality of academic and research outputs.

   For his part, Prof. Hatem Amin stressed that participating in preparing a joint international master's program in information technology reflects Tanta University's ability to integrate into European academic alliances and contribute to designing modern postgraduate programs that respond to rapid developments in the fields of digital transformation and information technology.

   The Vice President of the University pointed out that the proposed program will provide important opportunities for the exchange of students and faculty members, joint scientific supervision, and benefiting from the expertise, laboratories, and research structure of partner universities, which will contribute to developing the capabilities of researchers and preparing graduates who possess scientific and technological skills that are compatible with the requirements of the international labor market.