English 
Professor Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, President of Alexandria University, and Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, Ambassador of the European Union to Egypt, attended the closing meeting of the Water Entrepreneurship Training Program in cooperation with the European Union, titled "Youth in Water: Shaping the Future" (EU for Water ln Egypt Aqua Dialogues). The meeting was attended by Dr. Roshdi Zahran, former President of Alexandria University and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Alamein International University, Dr. Walid Abdelazim, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Essam Wahba, Vice Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, Dr. Wael El-Meghlani, Vice Dean for Education and Student Affairs, Dr. Abdel Hamid El-Zoheiry, Professor at Cairo University and National Coordinator of the Prima Project, Dr. Walid Haqiqi, Head of the Planning Sector at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mr. Ahmed El-Wakil, President of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, Dr. Dina El-Gayar, Director of the Project Management Unit at Alexandria University, in addition to a number of European Union ambassadors and consuls, and a group of water researchers and students.
In his speech, Dr. Konsowa welcomed Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst and her accompanying delegation to Alexandria University. He thanked the European Union for its unlimited support and cooperation with Alexandria University through the Alexandria University Centre of Excellence for Water. He emphasized that this project has become a distinguished scientific institution that conducts scientific research with various partners in the water sector, in addition to training and qualifying scientific cadres and establishing partnerships with specialized water bodies. Dr. Konsowa said that today's meeting places the responsibility on young researchers, specialists and experts at the Centre of Excellence for Water at Alexandria University to find innovative solutions to the problems of water poverty, diversify water sources and secure the per capita share of water in the future, in light of the major challenges facing the Egyptian state.
Dr. Konsowa also called on specialists to invest in ideas, innovation and harness the energies of youth in Egypt, noting that Alexandria University firmly believes in launching youth initiatives in order to transform challenges into real opportunities, support entrepreneurship and innovation incubators, and encourage creative ideas of researchers. He stressed that the university was not to be separated from its geographical environment, as it adopts an ambitious strategy to cooperate with the industrial sector and harness all scientific research to serve industry.
From this standpoint, Alexandria University established the Technology Park to link the outputs of scientific research to industry and turn it into applied research that serves the industrial sector, in addition to establishing start-up companies to support the pioneering ideas of young researchers and create a generation of youth to be leaders through their creative ideas to solve the problems facing their society. In conclusion, Dr. Konsowa stressed the necessity of continued cooperation between the European Union and Alexandria University through projects and programs supported by the European Union in Egypt.
Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst thanked the Alexandria University administration for hosting the fifth edition of the EU-Egypt Water Dialogues, emphasizing her pride in being at Alexandria University, a "beacon of knowledge and innovation," one of the largest universities in the Middle East and a prominent figure among the top universities.
Eichhorst noted that Egypt, like many countries around the world, faces major water challenges. She emphasized that water scarcity remains one of the most important challenges facing Egypt, and that climate change, rapid population growth, and urban expansion are exacerbating these challenges. She emphasized the need to provide creative and innovative Egyptian youth with the opportunity to find innovative solutions to these challenges and water problems. She noted that the European Union is committed to supporting Egypt's water security through initiatives such as the "Aqua Water Dialogues," which we are witnessing today. She emphasized that the European Union proudly stands with Egypt as a loyal partner and a strong supporter of sustainable and innovative water solutions, as this initiative helps students and youth launch real projects that contribute to solving various challenges.
Dr. Walid Haqiqi presented an overview of the challenges facing water resources, water scarcity, and climate change affecting all countries around the world, including Egypt. He also spoke about water cooperation between the European Union and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. He also spoke about Cairo Water Week, which is held annually and brings together international water experts with a focus on the Arab region and the African continent. He noted that Cairo Water Week provides an opportunity for young researchers to communicate directly with industry professionals and present their research ideas.
Dr. Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry presented an overview of the Prima project, explaining that it includes 20 countries, including 12 from the European Union and 8 from the Mediterranean basin. He noted that the project provides the necessary funding for competitive projects in the fields of water, food, agriculture, and energy. He confirmed that the project fund has a budget of up to 700 million euros to finance these projects. He invited young researchers to submit their ideas, with the deadline for applications set for July 2025.
The meeting included an open dialogue and discussion session, where young researchers had the opportunity to ask questions, present their research ideas, and learn how to obtain support and funding for these ideas.
