Egypt's is set to start this year's edition of a programme to promote political leadership in university students nationwide through a simulation model of the European Union at Ain Shams University under the sponsorship of several ministries. The workshops will start on 27 December and will involve eight weekly sessions from 2pm to 6pm every Friday. The initiative is sponsored by the ministries of youth, sports, culture, and foreign affairs, as well as the EU delegation in Cairo. The simulation model will offer political, economic, and cultural knowledge to build up students' awareness and educate them using Arabic, English and French. The programme, which is in its fourth year, comprises models of four councils; the European Union, the European Investment Bank, the Euro-Mediterranean Council and the European Court of Human Rights. Last year, the model launched a charity campaign for renowned cardiologist Magdy Yacoub's Children Hearts Hospital, where they collected donations through a cycling race in Cairo. Participants in the model also launched a campaign for Ahl Masr Hospital to spread awareness about diseases and how to prevent them. The programme's opening and closing ceremonies in 2016 were attended by several prominent figures including Anne Koistinen, first counsellor and head of the EU's Political, Press and Information Department; Reham Al-Bughdadi, Executive Director of the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation; Ambassador Ivan Surkoš, head of the EU delegation to Egypt; and Ambassador Jamal Bayoumi, a former aid to the Egyptian foreign minister. This year, the model, held in Ain Shams University's Faculty of Law, is opening its doors for students to apply for participation. On Monday, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued a decree establishing the National Academy for Youth Training and Rehabilitation in several governorates, which came shortly following the World Youth Forum in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh last month. Since 2016, several national youth conferences were held around the country to tackle issues relevant to Egypt's young people, including enhancing their political participation and preparing them for future leadership roles.
