Projects
Specialist Topics
Water Sector
The topic "Water” focused, in general, on "Integrated Water Resources Management" IWRM, one of the major questions of Egypt. The activities of the German - Egyptian Water-Group within the framework of the Year of Science intensified and broadened the foundations of scientific cooperation in academic research as well as in professional academic and practical training between Egyptian and German universities and research institutions. Institutional cooperation in joint topics in the field of water research will therefore be intensified and focused on maintaining these bilateral scientific collaborations and the exchange of ideas.
Water is one of the most prominent natural resources of Egypt. A survey of world renewable fresh water categorizes Egypt to be among the countries to be water scarce by the year 2025. More than 90 % of the fresh water used in Egypt comes from the Nile River, which has a fixed annual yield, and the rest are from renewable and non renewable aquifers in the Eastern and Western Egyptian deserts as well as in Sinai region beside some rainwater which represents a minor amount. Water demand and water use is a most sensitive factor of regional and local development.
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Material Sciences
Materials are the stuff from which all things are made. It has been central to the growth, prosperity, security, and quality of life of humans since the beginning of history. Material sciences involve the preparation and characterization of materials to ensure that they have the properties required for a particular application. Classes of materials include plastics, glass, ceramics, metals, intermetalllics, semiconductors, polymers and composite materials. Materials science has undergone a revolutionary transformation in the past two decades. It is an interdisciplinary field that has grown out of chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering. The basis of all materials science involves relating the desired properties and relative performance of a material in a certain application to the structure of the atoms and phases in that material through characterization. The major determinants of the structure of a material and thus its properties are its constituent chemical elements and the way in which it has been processed into its final form. Key properties of materials include their mechanical behavior, electrical, magnetic optical and thermal characteristics, chemical stability and other physical properties such as density and grain structure. It also involves processing and production methods.
Only in the last 25 years, and especially in the last decade, has the intellectual foundation of the field that we call materials science and engineering begun to take shape and to achieve recognition. This has occurred just as the field itself is expanding greatly and contributing significantly to society. Materials Science encompasses the study of the structure and properties of any material, as well as using this body of knowledge to create new types of materials, and to tailor the properties of a material for specific uses.
Without new materials and their efficient production, our world of modern devices, machines, computers, automobiles, aircraft, communication equipment, and structural products could not exist. Thus, the field of materials science and engineering (MS&E) affects quality of life, industrial competitiveness, and the global environment .
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Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy Sources in Egypt
Solar Energy
Egypt as one of the sun belt countries endowed with high intensity of direct solar radiation ranging between 2000 – 3200 kWh / m2 / year from North to South. The sun shine duration ranges from 9 – 11 hours with few cloudy days all over the year. The German Aerospace Centre (DLR) has estimated the economically proven solar energy potential for Egypt as 73,656 TWh/year. Utilization of solar energy can be achieved by different technologies such as flat plate collectors for residential/industrial solar water heating or photovoltaic/ concentrated solar power systems for electricity generation. Sea water desalination can also be achieved using solar thermal processes.
Wind Energy
The area west of Suez Gulf from South of Soukhna to Hurghada, specially Elzait Gulf has an excellent wind regime exceeding 10 m/sec for most parts of the area. This area is considered to be one of the best uninhabited desert regions that can host about 20000 MW installed capacities of wind farms. Other areas such as Owaynat, Sinai and the north coast exhibit moderate potential with wind speeds in the range of 5 to 7 m/s.
Biomass
Biomass resources in Egypt that can be used for energy production are classified into the following categories: non- Plantation biomass, fuel crops (energy plantations) and municipal waste. The estimated total amount of biomass is of the order of 60 million ton/y; their gross calorific value is about 855 million GJ, which is equiva lent to about 20 million toe/y.
Need for Research and Development
For commercial implementation of technically mature Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs), financial, economic, social, marketing, institutional and policy barriers have to be removed. International cooperation in Research and development (R&D) is essential for developing technologies such as photovoltaics technology and concentrated solar power and for achieving price competitiveness with conventional power generation schemes. As a matter of fact, some of the RETs are technically mature and approaching commercialization in the near future, such as wind energy, solar water heating and biomass energy. The large scale utilization of renewable energy sources will result is fossil fuel savings and reduction in environmental pollution from greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants resulting from fossil fuel burning.
Press articles: article 1, article 2
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Medical Sciences
The German Egyptian scientific ties in the field of medicine and health sciences have a deeply rooted tradition. Schistosomiasis (bilharziasis) being discovered by Theodor Bilharz, a German scientist who was working in an Egyptian institution teaching Egyptian students and serving in the Egyptian army may only symbolize such a cooperation. For at least more than two centuries a continuous and an extensive professional and academic exchange between the two countries has existed. Mutual interests and good intentions are driving forces for maintaining such an intensive cooperation. Bearing this in mind we have all reasons to look in the future optimistically.
Maximillian Theodor Bilharz (1825-1862), the German Professor at the Medical School in Cairo and discoverer of the causative parasitic agent of schistosomiasis; one of the most prevalent diseases in Egypt.
Wilhelm Griesinger (1817-1868), the renowned German neurologist and psychiatrist was the second dean of the Medical School in Cairo and author of the famous article: Clinical and anatomical observation of diseases of Egypt.
The year of science should give us an opportunity to review and to learn from this long history of cooperation, to foster existing relations between German and Egyptian scientists and students and to explore further potentials of mutual work.
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Biotechnology
Very few areas of research have undergone such a dramatic development as Biotechnology. Almost every single aspect of life science research is affected by progress in Biotechnology. The impact of the availability of new genetic and genomic tools is also highly relevant for industrial, medical and environmental applications. For this reason, Biotechnology is of major interest to Egypt and Germany.
Joint activities within the Egyptian-German Year of Science highlight some of the successful co operations between Egypt and Germany in this area. During the year 2007, a series of workshops were organized to bring together the leading scientists, young investigators and students active in the field of Biotechnology.
Press article: article_1.
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Social Sciences
All societies today are defined to a large extent by their attitude and reaction to the worldwide processes of change. This is true both for the political and economic players and for individuals in their particular environment as they react directly to social change. The consequences arising from this situation present a challenge to the social sciences and the humanities in particular. Differing cultural and social conditions, however, require a variety of strategies to cope with these consequences in individual countries, specifically Germany and Egypt.
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