Prof. Ahmed Al-Minshawi, President of Assuit University, received on Saturday morning an honoring award from Prof. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, on the occasion of announcing the results of the MOSAIC competition for being the best university in Middle Upper Egypt in innovation and cooperation with industry according to standards similar to those of global innovation and knowledge indicators, at the Ministry’s headquarters in the new administrative capital.

The event, which was organized by the Innovators Support Fund on the sidelines of the meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities, was attended by Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of the Environment; Prof. Yasser Refaat, Vice-Minister for Scientific Research; Prof. Mahmoud Saqr, President of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology; Prof. Moustafa Refaat, Secretary of the Supreme Council of Universities; Dr. Diyaa Khalil, Executive Director of the Innovators Support Fund; Dr. Maged Gheneima, Director of Partnerships and Marketing of the Innovators Support Fund; Dr. Waleed Al-Zawawi, Secretary of the Council of Research Centers and Institutions as well as a group of attendants from the Ministry and University Presidents.

Prof. Ayman Ashour congratulated all the winners of the competition referring to the universities which ranked first according to the geographical region. Aim Shams University ranked first at the level of Greater Cairo, the Egyptian-Japanese University for Sciences and Technology at the level of Alexandria, Suez Canal University at the level of the Canal Region, Al-Mansoura University at the Delta level, Beni Suef University at the North Upper Egyptian level, Assuit University at the Central Upper Egyptian level and Aswan University at the South Upper Egyptian level.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Prof. Ayman Ashour emphasized that the competition aims to identify and assess the level of innovation and cooperation with industry at the level of Egyptian universities and research centers. He also pointed out that the importance of the competition comes from the fact that it contributes to achieve one of the prominent axes of the national strategy of higher education and scientific research for the year 2030 to which the Ministry pays great attention with the aim of supporting national industry by linking academic, industrial and production institutions to confront developmental challenges in Egypt.

Dr. Diaa Khalil, Executive Director of the Innovators Support Fund, indicated that the MOSAIC competition comes within the framework of the Egyptian State’s orientations to support innovation and entrepreneurship in all educational institutions. He pointed out that the assessment tool of the MOSAIC competition was prepared based on standards similar to those of global innovation and knowledge indicators with the addition of some items that fit the needs and requirements of the evaluation within the educational and research institutions of the Arab Republic of Egypt. He stated that five main axes representing the inputs and outputs of innovation and cooperation with industry were reached.

Dr. Diaa Khalil added that these main axes included 17 domains which in turn contained 93 sub-indictors to assess innovation and cooperation with industry. He indicated that the MOSAIC competition was launched in its first edition for the academic year 2022-2023 by addressing all universities and research centers at the national level. 39 governmental and private universities were nominated and 12 research centers, institutes and institutions totaling 51 universities and research centers. He also confirmed that the final evaluation was performed, the winners at the level of all axes in general were determined and the winners at the level of each axis of the evaluation were also determined.