English 
Within the framework of coordination between Alexandria University and the Agricultural Bank of Egypt to enhance aspects of cooperation to contribute to achieving sustainable development and supporting the national economy, Professor Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, President of Alexandria University, and Mr. Alaa Farouk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Bank of Egypt, met to discuss ways of cooperation between the two sides in the fields of agricultural development, livestock development, and land reclamation in the border governorates and new development areas. The main headquarters of the Agricultural Bank of Egypt hosted the second session of the discussions, and the results of the first meeting that brought together the two sides at the headquarters of Alexandria University were confirmed.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Sami Abdelsadek, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Bank of Egypt, and several university leaders and bank officials.
During the meeting, Dr. Konsowa stressed that the meeting comes with the aim of enhancing cooperation between the results of scientific research produced by Alexandria University in the fields of agricultural development, livestock development and land reclamation, and making the most of the financing opportunities provided by the Bank and opening new horizons for investment and stimulating production in new development areas. He emphasized the importance of integration and cooperation between the university and the Agricultural Bank of Egypt, which helps provide a local product capable of competing in global markets.
Dr. Konsowa stressed that the university is also keen on promoting the culture of entrepreneurship and developing students’ skills in this field, as it has established several innovation and entrepreneurship centres and career development centres, in cooperation with the American University in Cairo. He added that Alexandria University has modified and developed its study programs to include courses specifically for entrepreneurship, and to enhance the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit among students, with the aim of developing students’ skills in the field of entrepreneurship and enabling them to transform their ideas and plans into real projects that contribute to the development of the local economy and the creation of job opportunities.
Mr. Alaa Farouk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Bank of Egypt, expressed the bank’s keenness to strengthen ties and continue cooperation with all state institutions, enabling the bank to exercise its development role in serving all productive sectors, especially in the agricultural sector and livestock development, to support the national economy and achieve sustainable development. Farouk praised the level of relations with all universities and research centres to benefit from the academic expertise of those bodies in achieving agricultural development, stressing that Alexandria University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world and a scientific beacon replete with great academic expertise in various fields. He pointed out that the successive meetings with the President of Alexandria University aim at creating new cooperation opportunities between the bank and the university, to achieve the maximum benefit from the partnership that combines the university’s academic expertise with the financing opportunities provided by the bank, thus opening new horizons for investment and stimulating production in new development areas.
He added that this comes in addition to the bank’s contribution to supporting and financing national initiatives and projects to support agricultural production, in implementation of the directives of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, to achieve comprehensive development, maximize the benefit from the agricultural sector, and enhance its contribution to the national economy.
Farouk stressed that the Agricultural Bank of Egypt also aims to cooperate with Alexandria University in promoting financial inclusion, spreading financial culture to all university categories, stimulating business entrepreneurship among students, and encouraging them to launch their small and medium enterprises in the fields of agriculture, agricultural processing, and digital and technological innovation, in order to activate its role in developing the capabilities of young people and providing them with financing opportunities that contribute to providing job opportunities and improving the standard of living within their communities.