Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Chairs Meeting of the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries Board
Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, chaired the meeting of the board of directors of the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, attended by Dr. Yasser Rafat, Deputy Minister for Scientific Research, Dr. Walid Al-Zawawi, Secretary of the Council of Centers, Institutes, and Research Bodies, Dr. Amr Zakaria, President of the Institute, Dr. Salah El-Din Masalhi, Head of the Lake Protection and Fish Resources Development Authority, and members of the board, at the institute's headquarters.
At the beginning of the meeting, the board of directors congratulated Dr. Ayman Ashour on his appointment as Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, wishing him continued success. The board also thanked Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar for his fruitful efforts in upgrading the higher education and scientific research system during his tenure as Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and congratulated him on his appointment as Minister of Health and Population.
The Minister stressed the importance of utilizing the institute's research to meet the state's needs, especially in the fields of aquaculture and lake development, as well as activating the institute's role in addressing the problems of ship grounding that cause a halt in navigation.
During the meeting, Dr. Amr Zakaria reviewed the institute's activities during the past period, noting that as part of the work to develop the research performance of the institute's researchers, the institute was included for the first time in the Scimago 2021 global ranking of research institutions, where it ranked 398 globally and third locally at the level of research institutes affiliated with the ministry according to the main research impact indicator.
The institute's president indicated the institute's progress this year in the same ranking (Scimago 2022), where it ranked first among research institutes in the Middle East and Africa, and 57th globally in the field of biology and aquaculture.
In this context, the minister praised the efforts of the institute for its progress in international rankings, calling for more work to reach advanced positions in various international rankings.
The meeting reviewed what was achieved by the institute in terms of activities, meetings, and workshops during the past period.
The meeting discussed the importance of establishing a gene bank and genetic resources for Egyptian aquatic organisms at the institute, as well as discussing the intellectual property policy when registering patents with the TISC Innovation and Intellectual Property Support Office affiliated with the institute.
The meeting also reviewed what was approved by the institute's councils regarding the general and specialized specializations of the permanent scientific committee for promotions at the institute.
The meeting reviewed the recommendations of the conference "Launching the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development in Africa and Small Island Developing States" held during the period May 10-12, 2022 in Cairo, during which the institute signed a number of technical, scientific and research cooperation protocols with each of the following: the Institute of Marine Sciences and Applied Geophysics (OGS) in Trieste - Italy, the University of the Red Sea in Sudan, and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI).
The council was informed of the institute's participation in the annual Portuguese Science Conference (Science Meeting 2022), and the 55th meeting of the Executive Council of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) in Paris, France, during the period June 14-17, 2022, as well as the participation of the institute's president in the United Nations Conference 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal, during the period June 26-July 2, 2022.
The council was also informed of the signing of a letter of intent regarding bilateral cooperation in the field of marine sciences and the blue sustainable economy between the institute and the University of Aveiro in Portugal, and the opening of the fourth China-Africa Forum on Marine Science and Technology, held during the period July 27-28, 2022 via video conference, and discussing the establishment of a China-Africa Cooperation Center for Marine Sciences and the Blue Economy.
At the level of internal cooperation, the council was informed of the signing of a cooperation protocol with the Atomic Energy Authority, and the issuance of a decision by the Prime Minister on the membership of the institute in the National Early Warning Cell for Tsunami Waves under the chairmanship of the Crisis and Disaster Management Sector and Risk Reduction at the Information Center and Decision Support Center, and training programs and support for cultural and social awareness, as well as the issuance of the third issue of the institute's quarterly cultural magazine Marine Sciences and Fisheries.
The council was informed of the training of the institute's branch in Alexandria for students of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport from July 24 to August 4, as well as the training of the institute's branch for inland waters and fish farms for students of the Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture in Meshtehhor, Benha during the period August 14-21, 2022.
The meeting discussed a number of issues related to the affairs of the institute's research staff, including promotions, appointments, and secondments.
Media Center Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
