The Architectural Engineering Department at PUA’s Faculty of Engineering has established a landmark scientific and cultural cooperation agreement with Sapienza University in Rome’s Department of Architecture and Design. This strategic partnership was coordinated by Prof. Dr. Ramadan Abdel Maksoud, Department’s Academic Supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud Al Fakharany, and Dr. Doaa El Beheiry, Architectural Engineering Lecturer, with additional support from Assoc. Prof. Mona Naguib and Dr. Nourhan ElHaridi.
The collaboration with Sapienza University – ranked first in Rome and second nationally in Italy – bore its first fruits through the successful organization of the 13th Scientific Program in Rome. This inaugural activity under the agreement brought together academic leaders from both institutions, including Prof. Dr. Alessandra Capuano, Director of Sapienza’s Architecture Department, and Prof. Dr. Federica Morgia, Professor of Architecture and Urban Design. Seventeen participants engaged in the intensive program, comprising nine architecture students, postgraduates, and alumni from PUA, along with eight students from the Faculty of Arts and Design.
The program featured a keynote lecture by Prof. Capuano on “The Urban Landscape Between Retrospectives and Perspectives: Rome and Archaeology”. It also included four specialized lectures by Sapienza faculty members Andrea Valeriani, Fabrizio Toppetti, Anna Lei, and Fabio Balducci. This was followed by campus tours showcasing Sapienza’s laboratories, library, studios, and Alfonso Giancotti’s exhibition “Imaginary Realism”. By the end, three field visits to Rome’s Flaminio district, guided by Sapienza representatives Francesca Castelli and Fabio Balducci, focusing on its transformative urban renewal projects, were made.
This collaboration represents a significant step in PUA’s international academic outreach, particularly in architectural education and urban studies. The program’s success establishes a strong foundation for future joint initiatives between the two institutions, combining Egyptian architectural perspectives with Italian urban design expertise.