Continue French delegation Activities of the second day of the visit Alexandria University Within the framework of the visit of a delegation from the French University of Paris-Saclay to discuss ways of cooperation in the fields of innovation, technology transfer and entrepreneurship, the visit included a tour of the Technology Valley headquarters in the Abies area, in addition to inspecting a number of… Research laboratories Centers of excellence and specialized laboratories at the university.
Visit details
The delegation was received upon its arrival at the headquarters of Technology Valley by Dr. Ahmed Adel Abdel Hakim, Acting President of Alexandria University, Dr. Afaf Al-Awfi, Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development, Dr. Rushdi Zahran, former President of Alexandria University and rapporteur of the Supreme Committee for Strategies and Policies of Technology Valley, Dr. Yasser Refaat, Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research for Planning and Governance and member of the Supreme Committee of Technology Valley, Engineer Sherif Hadara, former Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Dr. Dina Al-Jayar, Executive Director of the University’s Project Management Unit, and Dr. Ziad Al-Sayyad, Executive Director of the Engineering Center.
Technology Valley Strategy
During the meeting, the strategic vision for the Technology Valley and its various components was reviewed, the proposed designs and equipment, and operating and management mechanisms were discussed, in addition to discussing benefiting from the expertise of the University of Paris-Sacle in managing innovation systems, technology transfer, and linking scientific research with industry. The two sides also discussed mechanisms for distributing activities within the valley in a way that enhances the efficiency of the innovation system, supports emerging companies, and contributes to transforming the outputs of scientific research into projects with an economic and development impact.
The visit also included a tour of the College of Engineering, where the delegation was received by Dr. Wael Al-Maghlani, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering, and a number of faculty members. The delegation inspected the digital manufacturing laboratory (Fab Lab), which specializes in recycling plastic waste, and learned about the latest technologies used in recycling and utilizing plastic waste. The delegation also visited the Water Excellence Center at Alexandria University, and learned about its research activities in the field of water resource management and the development of sustainable applied solutions, in addition to visiting Virginia Tech’s laboratories.
The delegation then moved to the College of Medicine, where it was received by Dr. Muhammad Sadaqa and Dr. Jehan Joyfel, vice deans of the college, and listened to a presentation by Dr. Radwa Muhanna, Director of the Medical Research Center, about the center’s integrated research system and its role in supporting pre-clinical research and translational medicine in the fields of regenerative medicine, oncology research, molecular biology, and biomedical applications.
The delegation loses the Center of Excellence for Regenerative Medicine Research and its Applications
The delegation inspected the Center of Excellence for Regenerative Medicine Research and Applications (CERRMA/MRC2), where they viewed a number of specialized research units, including cell culture laboratories, the flow cytometry unit, and the laboratory animal unit, in addition to the genomics laboratory, the proteome research laboratory, the molecular biology laboratory, the high-performance chromatographic analysis laboratory, and the combined instrumentation laboratory, which reflects the advanced research capabilities that the university possesses in the medical and biological fields.
The delegation also visited the College of Dentistry, where it was accompanied by Dr. Reham Al-Debani, Acting Dean of the College, on a tour of the tissue engineering laboratories, which are among the specialized and pioneering centers in tissue engineering research and regenerative medicine. Members of the delegation were briefed on the latest ongoing research and experiments in the fields of stem cells and the development of smart biological carriers used in tissue and organ regeneration.
The visit witnessed a live demonstration of 3D bioprinting techniques using the first bioprinter of its kind in Egypt, which allows the production of biological models and tissues that mimic natural tissues, in addition to a review of a number of innovative research projects implemented by young researchers in this field.
The delegation was also briefed on the “Organ-on-a-Chip” technology, which relies on the design and manufacture of advanced microfluidic chips to simulate the vital functions of human organs, allowing accurate studies to be conducted in an environment that mimics the physiological conditions of the body, and represents one of the promising research trends in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Members of the French delegation expressed their admiration for the advanced research infrastructure and distinguished scientific capabilities that Alexandria University possesses, stressing that the specialized centers and laboratories they saw reflected the university’s ability to support innovation and applied scientific research, and constitute a strong base for enhancing joint cooperation in the fields of advanced technology, knowledge transfer, and entrepreneurship.
