2022-10-24
A distinguished career in serving in the field of scientific research and industry commenced by Prof. Amr Amin Adly, President of Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, from the Faculty of Engineering Cairo University and University of Maryland, before assuming a series of high-level leadership- local and international positions. During his tenure as Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research for Universities Affairs in 2018, he was keen to develop an integrated strategy to link future jobs with scientific disciplines. In addition, during his term as Vice President for Graduate Studies he adopted a system to encourage scientific research and international publishing. In his career, he presented the scientific research system with many applied research projects during his tenure as Executive Director of the Science and Technology Development Fund, in addition to his consultations that had a great impact on the Egyptian Scientific Research System during his tenure as an Advisor to the European Union Commission in the field of research and technology funding, as well as his work as an Advisor to the Basic Sciences and Engineering Program at the UNESCO Regional Office in Cairo. Furthermore, he has received many international and local awards, including a first-class Medal of Science and Arts from President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in 2017, the State Appreciation Award in Engineering Sciences in 2016, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland, USA. In his interview with” Al-Ahram”, Prof. Amr Amin Adly was eager to provide a comprehensive prescription for the advancement of the scientific research system where he shed light on the opportunities offered by scientific cooperation with Japan and his strategic plan developed to promote that cooperation through E-JUST. It is the result of a joint cooperation between the Egyptian and Japanese governments to be a starting point towards wider horizons of scientific, research and industrial cooperation between the two countries. The following is the detailed interview: How do we build bridges of genuine scientific cooperation with developed countries in the fields of science and technology? In Egypt we have eminent calibers and scientists; most developed countries want to use many distinguished Egyptian competencies, due to demographic developments. According to these demographic projections, there are a lot of job opportunities available in Europe. Expectations indicate that by 2040 every single young European applying for job will have 2 retirees, so this opportunity must be seized and not lost, because in Egypt, on the contrary, there is a huge amount of young people who need job opportunities. It is not harmful that it is part of the opportunities that we must consider in terms of how we seek jobs in these countries. It is also considered a soft power, and some countries are aware to this fact; like India that is proud its citizens are heading the biggest international institutions in the world. Perhaps it is in our interest to build bridges of cooperation with developed countries to send many graduate students to the study abroad in these countries and to benefit from these accumulated experiences and to start many different areas of cooperation and offer employment opportunities. Are we ready to send those competencies to the world? Indeed, Egypt is ready to become a stock of competencies and export them to a large number of countries. Here comes the importance of the availability of quality education and internationally classified universities where it is easy for our graduates to travel to obtain personal scholarships for graduate studies, away from the scholarships granted by the state. Every young person who can get a personal scholarship to travel abroad is saving the state at least 2 million pounds. In doing so, the person has a very high chance of attaining a job in the same country where he/she obtained their postgraduate studies, as well as becoming bridges to build cooperation between Egypt and developed countries in various fields of research and education. It is in Egypt's best interest to have joint educational programs between its universities and universities in European countries, to increase cooperation in higher education, and to raise the ranking of Egyptian universities. Does that mean that we reconsider the target of education? There are two perspectives towards education: the first is that it is a service, and the second is that it is an industry. We have an example in the UK, as it attracts many international students to study at its universities, because the expatriate student is fully aware that the certificate they will receive is essentially an investment. Once they get this certificate it is easy to find jobs in many countries. This investment has a return since they will be able to pay back the amounts, they spent to get this certificate from their salary after graduation in a very short period. What opportunities do we have to build more comprehensive bridges of scientific cooperation with the world's major educational institutions? There are opportunities to build bridges of cooperation through international projects run by the European Union, where Mediterranean countries have the right to participate. These opportunities are not limited to cooperation in research, some are concerned with the purchase of laboratory equipment, and therefore it is an opportunity for universities to prepare advanced laboratories at the expense of these projects without burdening the state budget. How would you rate our experience in scientific cooperation in the field of graduate studies with Japan? In our experience of collaborating with Japan, the student working on his doctoral thesis travels to Japan for 6 to 9 months with the Japanese supervisor of his thesis. We also have a center for liberal arts and culture as it is sometimes useful in cultivating a culture of scientific research ethics in working with foreign researchers. In addition, there is some scientific research that can only be conducted in Egypt and therefore this is considered an aspect of cooperation, as well as the fact that Japan has come to view Egypt as the gateway to communication with Africa; therefore, part of the joint scientific research with Japan focuses on the needs of the state such as wastewater treatment and so on. It is worth mentioning that in other Egyptian universities with medical specialties we find that there is cooperation with regard to Nile Basin diseases and some diseases that are only prevalent in this region such as Schistosomiasis, to name a few. So, how do we maximize the opportunities of this cooperation and make the most out of it for Egypt? There are many Egyptian researchers known abroad who publish much international research, and some abroad may think that these researchers have a laboratory and an integrated research team behind them, from the quality of the research they prepare. These researchers are the stars of universities and the honorable façade, and through them bridges of cooperation can be built to achieve the greatest benefit to Egypt. It is necessary to highlight, empower and support these competencies, especially young people, to facilitate the process of research cooperation and the establishment of many dual and joint educational programs. Also, the need for the regulations to be similar or as close as possible to the regulations in the countries interested to work with cooperate companies to maximize the benefit of this cooperation. E-JUST is a public university with an agreement between two countries and aims to expand the scope of scientific cooperation between the two countries in general. What are the most important axes of scientific cooperation offered by this university at the current stage? E-JUST has a joint administration between both sides by virtue of its bylaws, there is a JICA Office, which is a body concerned with international cooperation in Japan. Also, at E-JUST we annually seek the help of at least one faculty member from Japanese universities at different periods. The method of teaching at E-JUST is the same as in most universities in Japan. Even the way classrooms are set up and the logistics equipment of the lecture halls are all made to be used flexibly in more than one way within a single classroom similar to Japan. In addition, the study programs at E-JUST are very similar to programs of universities in Japan, and therefore, a bachelor's student who spends a full year or semester in a Japanese university has no difficulty studying. On the contrary, the programs themselves complement each other to achieve the greatest benefit. I believe that E-JUST is the most important of the joint projects between the two countries. There are 4 national projects in Egypt in partnership with Japan: Suez Canal Bridge, Opera House, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology and the Grand Egyptian Museum. The university came to support all aspects of cooperation and is even intertwined with some of the aforementioned projects. For instance, there is an agreement with the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Japanese side that includes the use of sophisticated laboratories within the university to support any technical work on the museum's antiquities. The university also receives many Japanese researchers to study at the Liberal Arts and Culture Center to study courses in Islamic and Arab Culture. Japan has distinguished E-JUST as an educational beacon, a center for scientific research and a supporter of industry in the entire continent of Africa. Regarding this, it allocated 150 master's scholarships to African students through the TICAD 7 Conference three years ago. This decision exceeded everyone's expectations at the university, and in the last conference, they allocated doctoral scholarships as well, as they found that more than 10 thousand African students applied for the 150 grants. Naturally this is something we take pride in, and it emphasizes the university's leadership in higher education. Among the statistics and results of these grants are 32 international research papers from E-JUST issued with the participation of African students and 6 patent registration applications involving African students were filed. What support does the University receive from the Egyptian government? The Egyptian government supports the University with unprecedented support and investment amounting to more than 10 billion pounds, mainly the cost of establishing and furnishing one of the greatest eco-friendly scientific edifices, besides salaries of all Egyptian staff and operating expenses. The Japanese side is funding the salaries of all Japanese professors, experts, workers, and training, allocating grants to upgrade managers' competencies, and preparing unparalleled factories in the Middle East at a cost of more than $50 million. The University is also one of the facades of the General Administration of Missions, and the University's postgraduate scholarships reach 95%, whether funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, the Japanese side or international companies and factories such as Mitsubishi and Toyota. What makes the University stand out from the rest? It has many qualities, for example, there is an annual evaluation mechanism with very high standards for university administrators and faculty members. In addition, we collaborate with Japanese experts in creating job descriptions for each administrative position, as well as preparing a list of conditions of the required specifications for each administrative job. Also, determining responsibilities for each employee to prevent friction, and this is unprecedented in the majority of educational institutions in Egypt and a major reason for the success and progress of any institution is the ease of managing work without the presence of any penalties. Does cooperation in E-JUST’s system involve the creation of joint research teams of scientists from both countries? Of course, all research has a partnership between the two sides. There are 4 areas for cooperation with industry, the first of which is the university’s consulting center which helps provide solutions to the constraints facing the industry. The second is the Industry Training Unit; in this hub there are many training contracts with Egyptian industry companies and Japanese companies in Egypt. Besides, the university's training courses are designed to qualify senior leaders in these industrial enterprises. The third is the Measurement Services Unit, where the University has devices that could cost up to 10 million pounds. Companies can use them for measurement and researchers can also use them for their scientific research. The fourth is the incubator and start-ups currently being formed within which the Japanese side has provided funding to organize a competition between faculty and postgraduate students, to embrace the best ideas for creating startups. What are your future aspirations for scientific relations between Egypt and Japan through E-JUST? The most important thing I look forward to is the expansion of scientific exchange, sending the university's graduates on missions for master's and PhD degrees. Also, growing cooperation in the field of international publishing and conducting joint scientific research, reinforcing the point that the Egyptian graduate from the university is essential in the global labor market. More importantly, maximizing the university's consultancy effort for the industry and supporting similar consultancy centers as in some Japanese universities. I also look forward to starting joint educational programs with the Japanese side even if they are part of the Egyptian student's studies in Japan. What is the purpose of the series of conferences recently organized by the university particularly the International “Dragon” Forum? The Dragon Forum is a conference, a marathon, and an exhibition that the university is keen to organize annually and invite individuals from the industry and science. It invites university students who have specializations associated to the Forum's themes to acquire extensive training and experience that will help them after their graduation. We are keen to organize our scientific conferences in a way that maximizes the use of their outputs. With regard to this year's forum, we received a letter from the Ministry of Transport to be a partner in this year's event. The Ministry identified the topic of the Forum to discuss the issues of electric mobility and technical topics related to the design and manufacture of electric vehicles and the challenges facing Egypt's qualification for this type of vehicle. For our part, we invited the industry, science experts and students to attend the Forum. We also organized an exhibition of student innovations in this field with the support of the Academy of Scientific Research. At the Forum, we are eager to listen to and benefit from the views of leading scientists and industry specialists in the field. We have succeeded in concluding the Forum with a result that confirms Egypt's ability to enter this field quickly. I believe that we have the ability to manufacture an electric car with 70% of the specifications of electric vehicles produced by the world's major companies. Our car’s price will be less than 50% of the price of the global car, from my experience in the industry. It is also my view that the commencement of concrete steps in this area in parallel with foreign firms' call for industrialization will not be harmful at all but may be useful and we must recognize that access to the summit does not come without practical and on-the-ground experiences and practices. And why can we not compete in specifications as well? My experience with the world of industry confirms that we are able to develop our capabilities rapidly; we may not currently have the full experience accumulated by some global companies that entered this field early and invested years, money and experts, but we have scientists who are able to develop quickly and keep up with everything that is modern. How can Japan's extensive experience in this area be utilized? If you mean cooperation with Japanese industrial companies, the answer will not be easy, as every industry is keen to protect its innovative secrets. No industrial company reveals the secrets of its industry to anyone, but Japanese scientific expertise can be used to develop certain components of electric vehicles, such as, car engines through a research project carried out by a joint Egyptian and Japanese research team and we have scientific patent precedents common to Egyptian and Japanese university scientists but not in this area. Has E-JUST moved from producing scientific research to transforming it into applied projects? There are a large number of outstanding research projects and nearly 80 applications for patents, despite the recent establishment of the university and the graduation of only one batch of its alumni so far on the bachelor’s degree level. Professors and researchers of the most productive category of scientific research have published in international journals yet it has not been shown in some scientific classifications since we have not graduated more than two batches of students on the bachelor's degree level. While the number of university researchers is only about 90, the average rate of each researcher's publication is approximately 4 per year. In the rankings of SCImago scientific research the university was ranked between first and fifth among Egyptian universities in innovation in the last four years, indicating that we are a research university in the first place which includes a genuine Japanese partnership in management and scientific research. What prevents all research production from being linked to patents and cooperation with the industry? It is normal in the scientific research system to start from strong scientific publication and the association of scientific research with solutions to society's problems. However, there are obstacles that may prevent this from being disseminated to all scientific research systems in Egypt; for instance, when I was in the administration of Cairo University in the Faculty of Engineering, we received around L.E.100 million in contracts with the industry per year. Approximately 20 million were in research and development, almost 50 million were in industry consultation and about 30 million were in measurements in the faculty's laboratories. What is remarkable is that part of the 50 million in consultation is in reality research and development, however they cannot count for research and development in the university, because when the industry requests our consultation to solve the problem or develop devices or equipment, we as researchers in those cases reinvent the wheel again, since the secrets of the device that we seek to develop are not revealed to us. We cannot produce research on the development that we do, which means that there are many activities that we do that involve research and innovation that are not counted within the research and development system. The fact that there is a separation in Egypt between scientific research and the industry is not true. The truth is that there is cooperation and great efforts that need to be increased, yet it does not appear in the form of scientific production for the aforementioned reason. Personally, I have been involved in developing multiple heavy industry factories and companies with research teams from my colleagues. Based on your follow-up and familiarity with the scientific research system and universities during your tenure as Deputy Minister of Higher Education, do you think that the number of applied universities in Egypt is currently sufficient? There must be a boom in the industry, and the thriving booms of industries and factories need universities to develop their work, because they do not have real research and development units. Applied universities are a locomotive for the industry; we always need to increase the number of these types of universities for sure. When the industrial sector trusts these universities it will be a strong supporter for them, but the problem is in the ability of convincing the industrial sector of economic feasibility, as the industrial sector thinks about the return in advance and when it pays a pound it waits for it more. Do you consider scientific research funding is sufficient in Egypt? I think the Egyptian state is doing what it does and doing as much as it can to finance the scientific research system and what is currently allocated will have great returns if it is well used. In my experience, I say who cannot achieve with very little, doesn't deserve great funding. We must not forget that we are in a country facing many needs and priorities. Therefore, it is the state’s right to ask about the return from the budget it provides for scientific research. Of course, every scientific research that has international value is an addition even if it is scientific research in the theoretical studies sector because international publishing increases confidence in Egyptian universities. However, when we talk about scientific research that serves the industry, I think that funding should come from the surpluses of industry profits. The industrial sector should be supportive of scientific research, as well as universities should increase the confidence of the industrial sector in their potential and convince the state of the revenues resulting from scientific research.
