Bioengineering Department - University of Louisville

Yesterday, we visited the final public university on our itinerary in Egypt—Alexandria University, one of the nation's most prominent public institutions renowned for its extensive international collaborations. This distinction is evidenced by its several branches outside Egypt—in Africa, Asia, and even the UAE—placing it among the world's most respected academic institutions.

The UofL team was thrilled to conclude our Egyptian tour with a visit to Alexandria University, led by Prof. Abdelaziz Konsowa, President of Alexandria University. Our visit began with a meeting that included Prof. Abdelaziz, the leadership of the engineering schools, former presidents of Alexandria (Dr. Kordi and Dr. Zahran), and Dr. Mostafa Elnanai, Dean of Computer Science at AlU. We discussed the current dual degree programs between UofL and Alexandria University, as well as the upcoming summer internship program for 2025. We also explored opportunities to expand these initiatives into master's programs and to develop additional undergraduate and graduate programs in fields such as business and nursing.

Additionally, the university expressed interest in partnering with UofL on a new innovation park at Alexandria University. This initiative is intended to serve as a catalyst for creating a knowledge-based economy in Egypt, with the hope that this model will eventually be adopted by other Egyptian universities to further enhance the national economy.

Following our productive meeting, we engaged with students from Alexandria University who are eager to join the current dual programs with UofL. Their insightful questions and evident enthusiasm underscored the significant impact of these international initiatives—a level of partnership that has taken years to build. This success is largely attributable to Dr. Kordi, who previously served as President of Alexandria University, and to Dr. Konsowa, who has continued to support these initiatives even as he assumed his new role as the founding president of AIU.

We concluded our visit by receiving formal recognition from the President of Alexandria University at both the presidential level and specifically from the Engineering Schools. Every visit to this esteemed institution reaffirms the warm, almost familial atmosphere among its longstanding, current, and future leaders—a dynamic ecosystem that has been instrumental in transforming leadership across generations and is key to the university's success.

In conclusion, our visit to Alexandria University marked a highly productive end to our tour of Egyptian institutions. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Kordi for his unwavering commitment and the exceptional organization of this visit, as well as to the leaders of Egyptian universities for their continuous efforts in creating promising opportunities for a bright future for Egyptian students. I also extend my sincere thanks to Prof. Ayman Ashor, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, for his dedication to enhancing the global recognition of Egyptian universities and transforming higher education as Egypt moves toward a knowledge-based economy. Finally, I am deeply grateful for the presidential vision that has invested in higher education, positioning Egypt as a hub of science and education in Africa and the Middle East.

We continued our visits to Egyptian universities by touring AIU University—a leading institution in international collaboration not only in Egypt but also across the Middle East and Africa. Under the leadership of Dr. Essam Kordi, President of AIU, the university offers Egyptian students international opportunities such as dual degrees, summer internships, student exchange programs, and more.
Our visit began with a meeting with AIU’s leadership, during which we discussed the final steps required for obtaining international accreditation. Following this, we toured the state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, which clearly demonstrated AIU’s commitment to equipping its students with the skills necessary for successful careers both domestically and internationally. This commitment aligns with the presidential vision of creating national universities to usher in a new era of higher education and scientific research.
After the tour, we met with former students and current candidates for the 2025 summer internship program at the University of Louisville (UofL). The enthusiasm and determination evident in their eyes showcased the significant impact these internship opportunities have had. Former students are dedicated to building on their UofL experiences to create bright futures, while the new candidates expressed eager anticipation to embark on this opportunity as soon as possible.
Later, we met with AIU students to discuss the new dual degree opportunities at UofL, which currently cover all engineering disciplines with the potential to expand into public health and business in the near future. Their insightful questions underscored a strong interest in these opportunities.
In conclusion, our visit to AIU was inspiring, reflecting six to seven years of dedicated work to establish a successful collaboration with UofL—a success largely attributable to Dr. Kordi’s unwavering commitment. I would also like to thank the entire leadership of AIU, including the board of trustees and Chairman Dr. R. Zahran, for their collaborative efforts with the AIU President in achieving this success in such a short time. Lastly, I express my gratitude for the presidential vision that has fostered the creation of these innovative educational opportunities, which will undoubtedly enhance the quality of higher education in Egypt.

This afternoon, we continued our university visits by touring New Mansoura National University—one of the four national universities established under the presidential vision to enhance higher education in Egypt. Our visit began with a meeting with Prof. Meawad El Kholy, the founding president of the university, who provided an overview of its history and highlighted the leadership’s efforts in constructing state-of-the-art facilities. These facilities are designed to equip students with modern tools, enabling them to acquire the skills necessary for success in both national and international job markets.

Prof. El Kholy also discussed with Dr. Kordi and Dr. Hoffman the steps required to launch dual degree programs with the University of Louisville (UofL) in all engineering and computer science disciplines. Following this discussion, he guided us to a student showcase where class projects and capstone projects were presented. These impressive displays underscored the innovation and talent of New Mansoura National University’s students.

Subsequently, we visited the conference hall, where we met students eager to participate in the dual degree programs with UofL. Their insightful questions and engaging presentations clearly demonstrated their enthusiasm for these international opportunities, as well as their strong command of English—a reflection of the university’s commitment to internationalization.

In conclusion, today’s visit marked a highly productive end to a day of fruitful engagements in the Delta region. I extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. El Kholy for his generous hospitality and for sharing his strategic vision in establishing this institution from scratch. I also appreciate Dr. Kordi for his efforts in uniting prominent Egyptian leaders within this consortium, which is a testament to the strength of our nation. Additionally, I am grateful to Dr. Hoffman and Dr Mostafa for their commitment to developing a collaborative plan between UofL and the Egyptian presidential vision for these new national universities, which will play a crucial role in advancing higher education and scientific research in Egypt.

Today we continued our visits to Egyptian universities by beginning an exciting visit to Mansoura University led by Prof. Sherif Khater, President of Mansoura University, along with the university’s leadership team. Prof. Khater began by discussing the current opportunities with the University of Louisville. He expressed his intent to launch dual degree programs in all engineering disciplines with both Mansoura University and National Mansoura University. In addition, he showed interest in establishing collaborations with the University of Louisville in nursing, humanities, arts, sciences, and political science, explicitly stating his commitment to creating opportunities for all Mansoura institutions across every field.
Following our discussion with the leadership, Prof. Khater escorted us to a meeting with Mansoura students who expressed great enthusiasm for these opportunities. Their questions clearly demonstrated a keen interest in seizing any chance to secure a promising future.
In conclusion, I would like to thank Prof. Khater for his generous hospitality and his dedication to his students' futures. I also extend my gratitude to Dr. Kordi for his unwavering efforts to provide Egyptian students with opportunities to enhance their higher education, as well as to the vice presidents of Mansoura University, the Dean of Engineering, and the Dean of the College of Computer and Informatics for today’s productive meeting. Finally, I appreciate Dr. Hoffman's efforts in clarifying and facilitating these exceptional educational opportunities between Egyptian universities and the University of Louisville.

After our visit to Benha University, we continued our tour of Egyptian universities with a visit to Menofia University. We were warmly hosted by the leadership, led by Prof. Ahmed Farag Elkased, President of Menofia University. During our visit, we discussed the steps for integrating Menofia University and Menofia National University into our current dual degree programs. Following our discussion with President Elkased, we held an engaging meeting with Menofia University students, as reflected in the photos taken during the event.
During the meeting, Dr. Kordi summarized the history of the program and highlighted the efforts undertaken by both the Ministry of Higher Education and AIU to establish this collaboration with UofL—efforts that span nearly five years of hard work by his team to create opportunities for Egyptian students. Dr. Mustafa then explained the program structure and detailed how Menofia University students can participate in these dual degree programs. Dr. Hoffman concluded by outlining the key aspects of the visa process and the timeline students must follow to begin their studies at UofL in the Fall semester.
In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to the leadership at Menofia University, particularly Prof. Ahmed Farag Elkased, as well as to the leadership at AIU, especially Dr. Kordi and Dr. Hoffman, for their dedication in creating these excellent opportunities for Egyptian students.

Today, we had the honor of meeting with the leadership of Benha University, represented by Prof. Dr. Nasser El-Gizawy, President of Benha University, and Prof. Tamer Samir, President of National Benha University. During our discussion, we explored activating the existing 2+2 dual program across all engineering disciplines and extending the dual degree agreement to include business programs. We also considered the opportunity to host undergraduate engineering students for internships at the University of Louisville this summer.

I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Nasser for his unwavering support of our collaboration with UofL and for facilitating such a productive meeting. His commitment to supporting Benha University students is truly commendable. Additionally, I extend my gratitude to Dr. Kordi for his significant efforts in establishing this consortium between national and state universities, and to Dr. Hoffman for making our collaboration with Egyptian universities a reality.

Today, we had a highly productive meeting with Prof. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. During our discussion, we explored several strategic initiatives, all aimed at establishing AIU as a hub for higher education in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Additionally, we discussed expanding our engineering programs in Egypt to include New Mansoura University and Menoufia University. We also explored the possibility of extending the dual degree programs to incorporate the School of Public Health.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Prof. Ayman Ashour for his dedication to strengthening collaboration with the University of Louisville and for his visionary efforts to advance higher education in Egypt. A special thanks to Dr. Kordi, the driving force behind this remarkable project, and to Dr. Hoffman for his invaluable contributions in developing the dual degree programs between UofL and Egyptian universities.

From today’s Seminar!

Hi All!

We’d like to invite you to join us tomorrow from 12-1 pm in BAB 125 for our guest speaker, Dr. Granch Tseghai.

His talk is entitled “Dry EEG Textrodes for Brain Activity Monitoring”. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

You may attend virtually, here: https://teams.microsoft.com/dl/launcher/launcher.html?url=%2F_%23%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%3Ameeting_NDQ5OWIxN2YtMTI2Yy00NmNkLWI0NmEtNzFjYjQ3MmQyZDAy%40thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522dd246e4a-5434-4e15-8ae3-91ad9797b209%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%252295809766-5693-4ac2-800c-7efd92ef96c9%2522%257d%26anon%3Dtrue&type=meetup-join&deeplinkId=cd8c16ce-00d6-4ed6-b3a9-e47ea8cd044a&directDl=true&msLaunch=true&enableMobilePage=true&suppressPrompt=true

We look forward to your attendance tomorrow!

From today’s Seminar!

We’d like to invite you to join us tomorrow from 12-1 pm in BAB 125 for our esteemed guest speaker, Dr. Mattia Prosperi, Associate Dean of AI and Innovation at the University of Florida!
His talk is entitled “When Artificial Intelligence Isn’t Reasonable: The Need to Disentangle Causes and Effects in Real World Data”. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Pizza will be provided after the seminar is finished.

You may attend virtually, here:

https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/ap/t-59584e83/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fteams.microsoft.com%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%253ameeting_NDQ5OWIxN2YtMTI2Yy00NmNkLWI0NmEtNzFjYjQ3MmQyZDAy%2540thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522dd246e4a-5434-4e15-8ae3-91ad9797b209%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%252295809766-5693-4ac2-800c-7efd92ef96c9%2522%257d&data=05%7C02%7C%7Ce8a55834648243e11bb808dd46c91c70%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638744551939454001%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=GzC1hL6EY8eU0GO7Ths0M%2F1fCebzmLch%2FcXoQDNpFMY%3D&reserved=0

We look forward to your attendance tomorrow!

Dear All,

It is with great pride and excitement that I announce a remarkable achievement by our Bioengineering students Hossam Balaha, Mohamed Khudri, Mostafa Abdelrahim, and our summer student, Ainhoa Osa, from the University of Deusto. Their paper at ICPR-2024 has been awarded the Best Student Paper in Track 6 of this prestigious conference. ICPR is globally recognized as one of the leading conferences in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and pattern recognition, making this accomplishment even more extraordinary.

We are incredibly proud of your success and the impact of your work. A special acknowledgment goes to Dr. Hossam Balaha and Ainhoa Osa for their outstanding leadership and dedication to this project.

Congratulations to the entire team on this well-deserved honor!

Best regards,

Ayman El-Baz, PhD.
Professor and Chair of Bioengineering Department

Please join us this Friday from 12-1 in BAB 125 for our Bioengineering Seminar Series with Dr. George Pantalos. His Seminar is entitled “Medical Devices for Research and Clinical Applications.” Please see the attached flyer for more details.
You may join the seminar virtually here.

https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/ap/t-59584e83/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fteams.microsoft.com%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%253ameeting_MzRhMTMxZTUtMWJhYi00MDUwLWIzY2EtNjY3ZDQwNDlmZWYx%2540thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522dd246e4a-5434-4e15-8ae3-91ad9797b209%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%252295809766-5693-4ac2-800c-7efd92ef96c9%2522%257d&data=05%7C02%7C%7C12de09c1495b47bb553408dd357bc4cd%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638725527896082861%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oQ7HNYQYpPPyB%2FUJWeG%2B9kMnajs4hooJi9vYZX%2Bn3FI%3D&reserved=0

We look forward to seeing you then!