ICT Minister Attends Graduation of Assistive Technologies Summer Internship Program
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat attended the graduation ceremony of university students who successfully completed the Assistive Technologies Summer Internship Program, organized by the National Academy of Information Technology for Persons with Disabilities (NAID) at its headquarters in Knowledge City, New Administrative Capital.
The eight-week program brought together more than 165 senior students from ten leading Egyptian universities, including Egypt University of Informatics, Cairo University, Helwan University, Beni-Suef National University, Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, Nile University, New Cairo Technological University, the Egyptian Russian University, Benha National University, and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport.
Students specialized in computer science, engineering, and related fields participated in four main tracks: Mechanical Design and Manufacturing, Biomedical Engineering, Mixed Reality, and Computer Vision & Computational Algorithms. Through lectures, workshops, and practical training in NAID’s specialized labs, participants developed proposals for innovative graduation projects in assistive technologies.
In his remarks, Talaat highlighted that the establishment of NAID reflects MCIT’s commitment to localizing the assistive technology industry by supporting startups, SMEs, and entrepreneurs to create solutions that empower persons with disabilities. He stressed that responsibility for advancing this sector is shared among government, the private sector, civil society, and academia.
The Minister also pointed to MCIT’s efforts to expand Digital Egypt Innovation Hubs across the country, which house technology incubators and offer digital capacity-building programs for youth. He noted that the second generation of these incubators focuses on specialized ICT fields, including assistive technologies, providing a strong foundation for future innovation.
“Success in the ICT sector is measured by its ability to generate tangible societal impact,” Talaat said. “By leveraging assistive technologies, we empower people with disabilities, enhance local competitiveness, and open pathways for promising startups.”
NAID Chairman AbdEl-Monem El-Sharkawy underscored that the Summer Program is part of the Academy’s vision to support and localize assistive technology through an integrated framework combining academic programs and industry collaboration. Delivered by NAID experts, university professors, and international researchers, the program aimed to equip students with both technical knowledge and practical exposure to development stages in the field.
The program concluded with a competition in which students presented 44 project proposals, evaluated by a panel of over 15 university faculty members. During the ceremony, the ICT Minister honored the winning teams for their outstanding innovations, alongside lecturers, trainers, and judges who contributed to the program’s success.
In a special moment, Talaat paid tribute to Major Ahmed Abdel Latif, a hero of the Armed Forces, who shared his personal journey with assistive technologies, inspiring participants and reinforcing the program’s mission to empower persons with disabilities.