The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has launched a new initiative to support four new projects set up by the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST). The initiatives were created in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The four small-scale projects that are receiving JICA support were selected through an E-JUST call for innovative ideas, applications, and research actions against the global pandemic. JICA is providing the funding for the projects by supplying equipment, materials, and software, to a total value of $20,000.
The projects that have received funding are: the Role of a Laboratory Safety Committee in Controlling COVID-19 at E-JUST; Flow Test for COVID-19 Based on Nasopharyngeal Samples for Point of Care Applications; Computer Simulation Systems to Mitigate the Impact of COVID-19 Outbreaks; and a type of low-cost steriliser based on quantum dots technology.
JICA anticipates that these projects will contribute to supporting initiatives in Egypt’s scientific community in response to the coronavirus. It hopes that they will address social needs that have arisen from the pandemic, bringing together the knowledge held by Egyptian researchers and the support of the Japanese Government.
JICA has already been supporting E-JUST for over 10 years, since the university’s establishment 2010 in New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria. The university’s foundation was based on the bilateral agreement between the governments of Egypt and Japan, bringing the concept of a research-oriented university following international standards to Egypt.
With the support of Japanese universities, JICA has contributed to the establishment and operation of the university’s departments and schools, including the implementation of a practical engineering and lab education.
In this context, the new initiative supporting E-JUST’s response to the coronavirus will lead to the enhancement of the university’s advantage as a research-oriented university.
