President’s statement

In the name of God almighty and graceful, I will be forever grateful for the unique opportunity granted me to be one of those in charge of diligently working to develop Damietta University and move it forward. It is indeed a huge responsibility, and I pray to God to guide me in fulfilling its duties with the help of my faithful partners and colleagues.  

It is my utmost pleasure to work with my partners, whether colleagues or administrative staff, for our students’ best avail. Located in Damietta Governorate that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, the university is a charming and unique educational setting.  Damietta is the culmination of the River Nile, the Aorta of all African countries. It is also a unique liaison between the Mediterranean basin and the continent of Africa on the one hand, and the continent of Asia (about a hundred kilometers distant) on the other.

This unique location has made Damietta a matchless touristic site. Ancient history attests that Damietta is forever one of the main entry portals to Egypt. It chronicles notable activity in both foreign and internal trade, which urged the people of Damietta to thrive in fields such as agriculture, industry and fishing. Over history, Damietta has been famous for its sweet industry, furniture and woodworking industries, dairy products, footwear, textiles, marine services fishing and shipbuilding.

The people of Damietta have a long history of patriotism, defending their homeland against colonialists and invaders. Examples of such invasions include the French campaign and the Crusades during which the people of Damietta captured King Louis IX of France.

These characteristics have shaped the people of Damietta into the patriots and work lovers they are. They have a dynamic vision, a unique sense of belonging and a matchless work ethic and dedication.  Moreover, the charming nature of Damietta has also endowed its people with distinctive features. That is, they have goodwill and respect for science and arts, a typical feature of all inhabitants of ancient cities where culture, civility and civilization are deeply rooted and ingrained.  Furthermore, an endless list of distinguished scientists came out of Damietta; most prominent of which is Dr. Aly Musharafa.  It was also hometown for renowned writers, poets and artists such as Taher Abu Fasha, Farouk Shousha, Latifa El-Zayat, Aisha Abdul Rahman (Bint Al Shatii), Riad Al-Sunbati and many others, as well as leading figures in philosophy such as Zaki Naguib Mahmoud.

Recently, there have been attempts to revive Damietta’s days of glory. The new port of Damietta has been inaugurated to reactivate trade exchange and has ever since been considered one of the most important ports in the world. Measures are also taken to establish the Furniture City in Damietta to support small furniture manufacturers and traders and protect this historic industry from the negative effects of globalization and capitalism.

In the same context, Damietta University has been declared an academic institution after colleges had been affiliated to Mansoura University since 1976.  Efforts to establish faculties in Damietta continued until there amounted to eight faculties. Then, Damietta University got independent from Mansoura University in 2012 only to set out on a journey towards achieving the long-standing aspirations of the community.

The current University Administration seeks to achieve a number of overriding goals, supported with teamwork efforts of General Administration personnel and colleagues from different faculties of the university. The efforts exerted build on and complement former administrations’ for the best avail of the educational process. These goals go beyond the boundaries of conventional goals targeted by any university such as providing distinctive educational programs, publishing distinguished scientific research, and carrying out scientific, cultural, research-based and community-based activities that serve the process of enlightenment in the region. Rather, they address more fundamental, yet achievable, ambitions such as:

-         Completing construction work on the new university campus, which stretches on an area of about ​​200 acres.

-         Establishing new faculties. These include faculty of engineering to develop the industry sector and provide technical support to craftsmen; faculty of medicine to improve medical services in the governorate as well as neighboring governorates and overcome health problems, industrial diseases and occupational hazards; and faculties of tourism, hospitality and archeology, among others, that serve the civil community and the region at large.

-         Establishing Damietta University Hospital.

-         Activating electronic management, developing human resources and preparing future leaderships.

-         Supporting faculties to attain accreditation from the Quality Assurance Agency and promoting the university ranking at the international level.

Finally, thanks are due to all those who cooperate with the University Administration towards achieving these overriding goals.

University President

Professor Elsayed Mohamad Dadour