The Opening of Persons with Disabilities Services Center at Mansoura University
Today on Tuesday 15th December 2020, Persons with Disabilities Services Center was opened at Mansoura University which was establish as a part of Public University Scholarships program in cooperation among Mansoura University, USAID, AMIDEAST and Dream company to support the complete participation of the persons with disabilities in University's life.
The attendees were: Prof. Ashraf Abdel-Basset, the President of Mansoura University, Prof. Mohamed Attia ElBayoumy, the Vice-President of the University for Education and Students' Affairs, Prof. Ashraf Sweilam, the former Vice-President of the University, Mrs. Quincy Dermody, the Director of Public University Scholarships program, Higher Education Initiative, AMIDEAST, Mr.Ramez Maher, the Representative of Dream Company, Prof. Nabil Blat, the engineering Consultant of the University's President, Mr. Usama Mousa, the General Secretary of the University, the Associate Professor, Samah Khamees, the Director of the Center, and the Associate Professor, Eman Abou ElFadl, the Deputy Director of the Center.
Prof. Khaled Abdel-Khafar, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Egypt confirmed during a recorded word by him that the project is a turning point to offer education easily in all universities for persons with disabilities as those students may face some difficulties during the study or in joining some faculties. Thus, the role of the Ministry of Higher Education comes through the participated universities in the first model to offer all its possibilities as well as its experiences to achieve the right of persons with disabilities in education and life. Further, he noted that AMIDEAST and Dream Company exerted exceptional efforts in communicating with the universities along with USAID to achieve a supportive organization to achieve this great project.
Prof. Ayman Ashour , the Deputy of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Egypt said that the center was establish thanks to the exerted efforts and this leading project is under the public university scholarships program and it is considered one of the factors of the U.S-Egypt higher education initiative. Besides, the project receives full support from the ministry, and the participation of all partners guarantees the success of the experience.
Prof. Ashraf Abdel-Basset expressed his utmost glad towards the opening of the center for persons with disabilities as the center was a dream and becomes a real one. The employees of the center were nominated to help those people for innovation and show their talents. Furthermore, he noted that every person has a talent and the center is working to illuminate and develop these talents to merge them to the society. Besides, he thanked all persons who participated in establishing the center to offer its various services and the center works in partnership with other universities inside and outside Egypt.
Prof. Mohamed Attia noted that the university continues in offering its services to the students with disabilities in all fields and offering the courses via the electronic platforms. Besides, he stressed that our students with disabilities have special needs and we are working on offering all services and providing them the accommodation in university's hostels and organizing activities for them as the university's role is to stress on the importance of persons with disabilities in the society.
Mrs. Quincy Dermody, the Director of the Public University Scholarships, Higher Education Initiative, AMIDEAST expressed her glad to open the second center as a part of the public university scholarships program, higher education initiative regarding establishing centers for persons with disabilities in five Egyptian universities (Assiut-Mansoura- Alexandria- Ain Shams- Cairo). She stressed on the importance of the role of these centers in achieving the communal merge for students with disabilities to the university's life normally, and the opening of these centers is considered the first step followed by supporting the training programs to continue the work at these centers.
The representative of USAID during her recorded word noted that the opening of the center is considered an essential achievement and a turning point in the Egyptian public Universities. Further, USAID works on encouraging the equality and merging the persons with disabilities inside the society to achieve the principle of participation and equality. USAID seeks to provide those persons with disabilities with opportunities and skills to help them present their talents. The University's centers for career development offers programs for the needs of the students with disabilities. Besides, these centers offer seminars for the students that shed light on many available job opportunities to help them in their career life. She added that the scholarships program for students with disabilities encourages the students to get these scholarships. Besides, the services centers for persons with disabilities prove that there is no impossible. Mr.Ramez Maher, the representative of Dream company added that the opening of the center is considered a historic moment at Mansoura University to merge those persons with disabilities and qualify the companies to offer job opportunities for them through providing comprehensive services to achieve a complete educational place and working on continuing training as well as career training to offer job opportunities for them inside the society.
Dr. Samah Khamees expressed her glad towards opening the center which was establish in partnership to qualify unique students and care for self-confident persons and merge them into the society and offer all services to overcome all different disabilities as the center offers the physiological and domestic support to solve any problem that is related to persons with disabilities.
