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Ain Shams University receives the 2021 UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy for promoting empowerment of learners in rural areas

10/11/2021

6 November 2021 – In a special awarding ceremony convened today, Ain Shams University was conferred with the prestigious 2021 UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, in recognition of its innovative literacy project targeting learners from rural areas in Egypt.

President Mahmoud El-Meteini accepted a medal and diploma on behalf of the University. Present during the ceremony were H.E. Dr Tarek Shawky, Minister of Education and Technical Education; Dr Nazar Hassan, Officer in Charge of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States; Dr Ghada Abdelbary, Secretary General of the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO; Dr Ashour Al-Amry, Head of the General Authority for Adult Education; Dr Eslam Mohamed Elsaeed, Director of the Adult Education Centre of Ain Shams University; and Dr Ashraf Moharam, Director of the UNESCO Regional Centre for Adult Education.  The University’s vice presidents, deans and faculty members were also in attendance.

In his remarks, H.E. Minister of Education Dr Tarek Shawky highlighted that the Prize is a recognition of Egypt’s march towards achieving Egypt’s vision of eradicating illiteracy by 2030. H.E. underscored the Ministry’s efforts to reach underserved communities by partnering with higher education institutions to jointly implement technology-enabled literacy and adult education programmes.

UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education Ms Stefania Giannini and Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Egypt H.E. Liao Liqiang delivered congratulatory messages through pre-recorded videos.

“This project is proof that digital platforms can unlock new learning opportunities for individuals with no or low literacy skills, particularly learners from rural areas. I see this as a leading example of a higher education institution being at the service of communities to share knowledge and advance human dignity and development.”

- Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education

 

In conjunction with the awarding ceremony, a panel discussion was held around the theme of International Literacy Day 2021 – Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide.

In collaboration with the Adult Education Authority, Ain Shams University trains its students to act as literacy teachers and provides them with a range of incentives to encourage their participation in the project.

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked an increased focus on technology and distance learning in Ain Shams University’s literacy programmes. The University combined the use of print material, television, text messages and online platforms such as YouTube to widen the reach of its literacy programmes.

Supported by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, UNESCO established the Confucius Prize for Literacy in 2005 in line with its mandate to promote youth and adult literacy. The Prize recognises initiatives advancing functional literacy and technological environments for adults in rural areas and out-of-school youth.