IEEE North Africa Students and Young Professionals Congress

Egypt University of Informatics concluded the agenda of the North Africa Students and Young Professionals Congress (NASYP 2023), in cooperation with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which was hosted by EUI over four days on campus in the Knowledge City at the New Administrative Capital, under the patronage of H.E.Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, H.E.Prof. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, with a wide presence of engineers, academics, researchers, and students, from North African countries as well as international speakers.

North Africa Students and Young Professionals Congress took place this year under the theme "Engineering technology, and its role in serving humanity and cooperation between universities and industry partners to achieve sustainable development goals and build the voluntary capacity building for the young generation,” with the support and sponsorship of Egypt Post, Valeo, and Dell Technologies.

In his speech, which was addressed to the audience by Eng. Ghada Labib, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology for Institutional Development, on his behalf,  H.E. Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, sent his gratitude to the young students and professionals who participated in this congress, saying: "You are the future of our region, and I am confident that you will use your skills and knowledge to make a positive impact and create a more inclusive and equitable world. I have looked at the headlines of the sessions and concluded some keywords describing this congress as" technology, humanity, sustainability, and the future, which is a critical topic as we face several challenges, such as climate change, poverty, and inequality. It goes without saying that technology can play a crucial role in meeting these challenges, and I am confident that tomorrow's solutions will be developed by young people in this Hall”.

In his statement, the Minister of Communications added, "I thank IEEE volunteers in general and both Egypt University of Informatics and the IEEE Egypt section in particular for organizing this event, which is an essential opportunity for students and young professionals from North Africa to meet, learn from each other, share ideas and build relationships. This event was enriched by many international speakers from Region 8 (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) and a global level. "

The Minister continued, "In this context, which is entirely in line with the congress, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology supports many specific projects and initiatives to build technology and innovation leaders, for example, the National Academy of Information Technology for Persons with Disabilities, Information Technology Institute, National Telecommunications Institute, Digital Egypt Initiative, and many others. The Minister of Communications urged the students: "I would like to encourage you to continue learning and growing, using your skills and knowledge to make a difference in the world, and I am confident that you will positively impact our region and beyond.

Moreover, H.E. Prof. Aiman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, thanked Egypt University of Informatics for hosting the congress and the IEEE Egypt section for successfully organizing this important event.

Prof. Sherif Kishk, Assistant Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research for Digital Transformation, gave the minister’s speech on his behalf: "I am particularly pleased to see so many young people from across the region here today. You are the future of engineering and technology, and I am confident you will achieve great things in academia and industry. I urge you to be those heroic engineers and technicians who solve the world's problems, not those who create them.

The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research added: "This congress has been an excellent opportunity for you to learn from each other, share ideas, and connect with your industry professionals, and I hope you have taken full advantage of this opportunity and I also hope to be able to see further international research cooperation from many countries in the near future. He also praised the Congress agenda, which focused on humanitarian activities and social responsibility, an essential aspect of the State.

This came in the presence of Prof. Ahmed Darwish, Honorary President of IEEE Egypt Section and former Minister of State for Administrative Development, and many researchers, academics, and engineers from various countries across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, who were keen to participate in the current edition of this important congress. The list of IEEE Professionals and experts included Prof. Saifur Rahman, IEEE President and CEO and the Founding Director of the Advanced Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Prof. Mike Hinchey, Director-Elect of IEEE Region 8 and former Director of the NASA Software Engineering Laboratory and Eng: Abdullateef Aliyu, Chair of the IEEE Region 8 Student Activities Committee.

Prof. Reem Bahgat, President of Egypt University of Informatics, emphasized that the congress was aimed at consolidating the culture of innovation and developing solutions for future challenges in the technological and industrial sector, in line with the EUI’s agenda and the new directions of the Egyptian government. The congress served as a platform for experts, academics specializing in engineering and computing sciences, and students from different countries to discuss the latest research and technical developments of interest to industrial, technological, and academic communities.

Prof. Ahmed Hassan, EUI’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, explained that to make greater use of the benefits, the IEEE industry relations committee members, representing all countries of the Middle East and North Africa, met on the sidelines of the Congress as well as the National Committee for Information and Communication Technology of the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research.