The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has signed two cooperation agreements with Ain Shams and Mansoura Universities, via video conference, in the applied research field.
Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, witnessed the signing ceremony on Tuesday.
The two agreements aim to enhance technical cooperation, harness all possibilities and exchange experiences between the Applied Innovation Center of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Ain Shams and Mansoura Universities.
They also aim to apply the latest technologies to develop innovative solutions to solve important practical issues in vital areas, to start implementing a joint applied research project to serve diabetic patients by building an integrated system for early detection of diabetic retinopathy using digital mechanisms and advanced artificial intelligence techniques in taking pictures of the eye and its analysis.
Amr Talaat said that the cooperation between the Applied Innovation Center established by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the two universities to employ artificial intelligence technology in diagnosing diabetic retinopathy is an extension of the constructive cooperation between the Ministries of Communications and Information Technology and Higher Education and Scientific Research by adding a new axis in joint cooperation projects, which is the private in the field of health care.
For his part, Ashraf Abdel Basset said that this agreement is a model for cooperation between the Artificial Intelligence Center at Mansoura University and the Ministry of Communications with the aim of implementing applied research projects using the latest digital technologies to provide innovative solutions that help patients.
This project is one of the fourth generation applications in Egyptian universities and the applications of the industrial revolution, which use data analysis to reach innovative solutions, adding that the university established the Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence last year 2020, in line with the national strategy for artificial intelligence.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has established the Applied Innovation Center with the aim of developing the application of modern ICT technologies, including artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, blockchain, Internet of things, big data analysis, robotics, and 5G.
These advanced technologies are used to devise solutions to the challenges faced by society, the center also aims to develop human capital through the participation of young people in projects to implement these solutions while creating the appropriate climate for the growth of innovative start-ups. The Center cooperated with Alexandria University in implementing an applied research project that resulted in launching a campaign for early detection of diabetic retinopathy using artificial intelligence technology in Alexandria Governorate.
