On 24 October, Prof. Dr. Matija Strlič, Heritage Science Lab Lead, Prof. Dr. Andreja Žgajnar Gotvajn, Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Dr. Polonca Ropret, National Coordinator of E-RIHS.SI, and Prof. Dr. Abdelrazek Elnaggar, Coordinator of the Slovenian-Egyptian Heritage Science Platform (SloveNile) met with a high-ranking Egyptian delegation: Prof. Dr. Gina El-Feky, President of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology in Egypt (ASRT), Prof. Dr. Mohamed Diaa Zein El-Abedin, President of Ain Shams University (ASU), Prof. Dr. Mamdouh Eldamaty, former Minister of Antiquities in Egypt and Egypt’s representative on the E-RIHS Enlargement Board. The meeting was also attended by other members of the SloveNile research group from Egypt.
The meeting built on the existing research cooperation in the development of the Egyptian National Node of the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS.EGY). The Egyptian delegation learnt about the Slovenian experience, context and consortium as well as access and funding mechanisms.
Prof. Dr. Ayman Ashour, the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, through Prof. Dr. El-Feky, stressed the importance of this cooperation, which will help facilitate research and scientific collaboration between Egyptian heritage institutions and European research centres dealing with heritage science. The Minister emphasized the importance of Egypt’s presence on the international stage through participation in European initiatives for heritage science and innovation. The letter of intent signed between E-RIHS.SI, UL, ASRT and ASU will open new horizons for academic and scientific exchange in the fields of education and research and enhance funding for joint research with different countries around the world.
Prof. Dr. El-Feky pointed out that the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology is constantly seeking to expand the circle of international partnerships with prestigious scientific research institutions around the world in order to raise the level of education and scientific research and strengthen Egypt’s position internationally. She added that the agreement with E-RIHS.SI promotes the exchange of professors, researchers and students, as well as the exchange of academic materials and information, in addition to organising conferences, seminars, lectures and workshops. For his part, Prof. Dr. Diaa Zein El-Abidin confirmed that an agreement has been reached with E-RIHS.SI to organise a series of joint training programmes for practitioners and academics in Egyptian museums and cultural heritage institutions between 2024 and 2025. These programmes will cover topics such as heritage sustainability, wood science, spectral analysis of archaeological materials and applications of isotopes in archaeology.
The HSLL team is proud to be playing a small role in this important development, supporting inter-university collaboration and collaboration between two national nodes of E-RIHS.
