Under the auspices of Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, President of Alexandria University, and under the supervision of Dr. Ali Abdel Mohsen, Vice President for Education and Student Affairs, and Dr. Hani Khamis, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, the 18th and First International Session of the International Theater Department Festival for Specialized Theater Departments and Institutes opened yesterday evening, Thursday, July 10, 2025. Egyptian, Arab, and international troupes from academic arts institutions in Italy, Spain, Greece, the UAE, and Jordan participated. The session was named after the artist Fathy Abdel Wahab, in recognition of his distinguished career and creativity that illuminated theater and cinema in Egypt and the Arab world. The festival will continue until July 15.

In his opening speech, Dr. Mohamed El-Sudani, Vice Dean for Community Service and Environmental Development at the Faculty of Arts, welcomed the students, artists, and guests. He emphasized the importance of the festival as a bridge connecting theater students from around the world, providing them with a space to exchange experiences and develop their artistic and creative skills. He emphasized that theater at the university is not just a subject, but rather a cultural and humanitarian message that carries awareness and enlightenment to society.

For her part, Dr. Manal Fouda, Head of the Theater Department at the Faculty of Arts and President of the Festival, explained that this session is a unique opportunity to showcase distinguished experiences and discover promising young talents who contribute to revitalizing Arab and international theater, exchanging international experiences and cultures, and diversifying the level of theater studies at the Theater Department at the Faculty of Arts, which is the first department established in Egyptian universities to teach theatrical arts.

Dr. Gamal Yaqout, the festival director, expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this edition, emphasizing that theater will always remain a platform for enlightenment and creativity, and that Alexandria University will continue to support all arts, sciences, and cultures that contribute to shaping students' cultural and human personalities.

The opening ceremony was attended by a large number of prominent artistic and cultural figures, faculty members, and students from the Theater Department at the Faculty of Arts.