Prof. Ahmed Ghallab Mohamed– President of Aswan University stated that within the framework of the close cooperation between Aswan University and Portuguese universities, Aswan University participated in a symposium about the cultural relations between Egypt and Portugal at the Supreme Council of Culture, which was organized by the Supreme Council of Culture in cooperation with the Foreign Cultural Relations Sector within the “Cultural Relations” initiative which through it the Egyptian-Portuguese relations were celebrated.
Prof. Ahmed Ghallab, President of Aswan University, added that the session was moderated by Dr. Hisham Azmy- Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Culture, who emphasized the joint cooperation between Portugal and Egypt over all levels and fields.
Ambassador /Manuela Franco – Ambassador of Portugal in Cairo mentioned that the history of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Portugal, while the communication periods (since 1942) and the interruption period (the sixties of Nasser’s role in supporting African independence movements in Angola and Mozambique) in addition to the current close relations.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Adel El-Alfi– the Egyptian ambassador in Portugal, presented a report on the recent achievements of the Egyptian-Portuguese relations, the reciprocal governmental visits between the two parties, and the importance of signing cooperation protocols in all fields, especially his confirmation that the Egyptian-Portuguese relations witnessed a strong momentum after the exchange of presidential visits for the first time in the history of relations. Between the two countries, when President El-Sisi visited Portugal in 2016 and Portuguese President Marcelo de Sousa visited Egypt in 2018. Ambassador Adel El-Alfi praised the cooperation Egypt is witnessing in the field of Portuguese language teaching, referring to the visit of Dr. Ahmed Ghellab Mohamed, President of Aswan University, and Dr. Majed Al-Jabali, President Department of Portuguese Language in Aswan in 2019.
Dr. Katrina Bello – Professor of Islamic Philosophy at the American University – referred to the Islamic history of Portugal and the exchange of Portuguese scholars with the American University in Cairo.
Dr. Majed Al-Jabali – Head of the Portuguese Language Department at Aswan University reviewed the geopolitical position of the Portuguese language and the possible aspects of cooperation between the Egyptian and Portuguese cultural institutions, and gave an overview of the stages of introducing the Portuguese language and its literature in Egyptian universities, starting with its introduction as a second language in the Faculty of Al-Alsun at Ain Shams University during the Deanship of Prof. Makarem Al-Ghamry and passing through the establishment of the first BA in Portuguese Language and Literature at Aswan University in 2015 until the graduation of three batches, and the transfer of the experience to Al-Azhar University and the last celebration in 2019 with the opening of the Portuguese Language Department at the Faculty of Al-Alsun at Ain Shams University.
In response to the question of a number of journalists about the Portuguese interest in the Arabic language, Dr. Majid Al-Jabali explained that Arab features are present in Portugal and the names of its cities, especially in the south where the Ojarvi region’s name means the west as a sign of the west of Andalus, also Sioux Falls city which its name means the ruins of the integrated Arabic Andalusian city .