20.05.2026 Visit of the Egyptian Cultural Counsellor Prof. Dr. Sameh Soror at Philipps University and CNMS

On 12 May, the Cultural Counsellor of the Egyptian Embassy, Prof. Dr. Sameh Soror, visited the University of Marburg. Prof. Soror is responsible for German–Egyptian academic relations as well as for supporting Egyptian students in Marburg.

In the morning, Prof. Soror met with the Managing Director of the CNMS, Prof. Dr. Bianca Devos, and other staff members of the centre for an exchange on possible cooperation in the field of Middle Eastern studies. Prof. Soror highlighted the importance of the Marburg Liaison Office at the DAAD external office in Cairo, led by Irene Khorazaty, which strengthens the University of Marburg’s presence in Egypt through various activities. It was agreed to further intensify cooperation with Egyptian institutions, particularly through discussions on joint degree programmes and research projects.

Following this, Prof. Soror visited the Centre for Synthetic Microbiology on the Lahnberge campus together with Prof. Dr. Albrecht Fuess (Islamic Studies), where he was received by the Vice President for Research of the University of Marburg, Prof. Dr. Gert Bange. Gert Bange presented the impressive achievements of Marburg’s microbiology research and its practical applications to the Egyptian Cultural Counsellor, who is a biologist by training and Dean of Pharmacy at Helwan University (Capital University). Prof. Soror explicitly praised the wide range of research opportunities that have recently contributed to Marburg’s international visibility, which also reaches Egypt. He expressed his willingness to support the organisation of symposia between Marburg and Egypt in the field of microbiology and other natural sciences.

The visit concluded with an evening lecture in the “Halqa Arabiya” series, organised by Dr. Christian Junge and Dr. Assem Hefny, which highlights the importance of Arabic as a language of science. Prof. Soror’s lecture on academic relations strongly emphasised Egypt’s interest in expanding cooperation with German partners. The talk was among the most attended in the series, and the numerous questions raised afterwards reflected students’ strong interest in strengthening international academic cooperation.