With the advent of 2021, the Center of Excellence in Translation and Localization of the Faculty of Al Alsun & Mass Communication, organized its first webinar titled “Interpreting: Theory and Practice during COVID-19 and Beyond” on Saturday, January 2, 2021.
The faculty discussed the impact of the pandemic on interpreting as a profession and a field of research. The list of speakers included the accomplished freelance interpreter/translator Rehab Salah, the talented freelance interpreter/translator Aya Tohamy, and Dr. Sama Dawood, Associate Professor of Translation and Interpreting, the Faculty of Al Alsun & Mass Communication, MIU. Our distinguished alumnus, Ahmed Towman, Head of Translation and Interpreting Department at AFAQ Consultancy for Leadership Development, UAE, was also among the speakers of the webinar.
The session was moderated by Dr. Hanan Sharaf, Assistant Professor of Linguistics, and Ms. Maha Ashraf Assistant Lecturer, at the Faculty of Al Alsun & Mass Communication. The talks were followed by an interactive Q &A session where participants shared their views and raised some relevant questions. More than 100 attendees participated in the webinar including professors, interpreters, and students.

Misr International University’s Al-Alsun Department organized a Scientific Day on Monday 18/4/2016. Students had the opportunity to present their different talents: photography, poetry-writing, and short-story writing. Distinguished students and alumni were awarded in recognition of their academic achievements.

In its efforts to bring new developments to its staff and students, Al Alsun Department of the Faculty of Al Alsun and Mass Communication has bought the license for Trados SDL Studio 2019, the most popular Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) software.  

Introducing this tool in translation classes will bring new dimensions to the learning experience of the students and will better prepare them for the job market.  This software is also useful for staff members who are interested in organizing and preparing their translation projects in a more professional manner. To this end, Al Alsun Department organized a two-day workshop on December 8 and 10, 2020 to introduce Trados SDL Studio to the staff members, in collaboration with its partner iTranslate Group. The workshop was moderated by Mr. Mo’men Rawi, Project Manager at iTranslate Group, and delivered by Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed, Senior Translator at iTranslate Group.

Education First Foundation and Balanced Education Services and Training (BEST) offered graduates of the Faculty of Al-Alsun and Mass Communication an opportunity to join the Teacher Certification Professional Development Program certified by Florida Atlantic University (FAU).
Seven MIU Alumni joined the program which was held at New Generation International Schools from November 14, 2020 to December 19,2020. Workshops were held each Saturday / 6 hours per day, for 6 consecutive weeks.
After successfully finishing the program, Dr. Salma el Bakry Chairman of Education First Board and Mr. Nabil Michel CEO & Academic Consultant of Balanced Education Services and Training handed in the program certificates to MIU Alumni participating in the program.

According to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre “Heritage is what we have received from our ancestors. Our duty is to preserve it for transmission to future generations”. Heritage represents an integral component of our culture and identity. To this end, the graduation project for Al-Alsun Department senior students intended to shed light on the Islamic monuments, from the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, that do not receive much attention in 5 areas round Cairo: Darb el Labana, Souq el Selah, Saliba Street, Bab Al-Wazir, and Muhammad Ali Street.

The Cultural Heritage Conservation through Language project aimed to utilize skills and knowledge students gained along the past years to create content that can help in culture and heritage preservation. As the Graduation Project marks the final milestone in their undergraduate academic journey, it also aimed to make to strengthen the students’ 21^st Century Life Skills (already practiced with various intensity in previous courses) to equip them to face the challenges of the job market.  These skills mainly focus on the 4 Cs: Critical thinking, Collaboration, Communication and Creativity.

Students employed their writing and translation skills to provide valuable and interesting information on Islamic antiquities in the designated areas in both Arabic and English, raise awareness of their historical background and significance, and encourage underprivileged kids to realize the cultural value of their surrounding environment and take action to preserve it.

Each group of students prepared infographics, a brochure, and a website to promote for their chosen area.

The Department of Al-Alsun course instructors, Assoc. Prof. Sama Dawood and Ass. Prof.  Hanan Sharaf, conducted the Cultural Heritage Conservation through Language project in collaboration with Professor Heba Safi, Professor of Architecture at MIU and Director of the House of Egyptian Architecture, Professor Sabry el Adl, Professor of History at MIU, and Ms. Heba Khattab, graphic designer, form the Department of Mass Communication.

Projects will be donated to the House of Egyptian Architecture as part of MIU community service.

On the 16^th of December, the Faculty of Al-Alsun hosted Dr. Nihad Mansour, Associate Professor of Translation, Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University. Dr. Nihad gave a lecture entitled “Interpreting is not Translation” in which she discussed the ‘golden rules’ of interpretation and interpreting as a profession.

Dr. Mansour has a long experience in teaching translation, interpreting and TAFL modules and she is a very experienced conference interpreter.

The Department of Mass Communication of the Faculty of Al Alsun and Mass Communication organized its Second Graduate Student Conference on “Comparative Media Studies” on December 12, 2020.   

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic that we face as a global community, the conference was virtual this year.  The one-day conference provided an interdisciplinary platform for scholarly interaction and a sounding board for young scholars (particularly MA and doctoral students) to present their work and get feedback.  The conference also offered emerging scholars the opportunity to discuss and exchange research ideas and innovative theoretical insights with participants from different backgrounds. 

Keynote speakers included Dr. Shaun Shafer, Interim Vice Provost and Associate Vice President of Curriculum and Policy Development, at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, the USA and Dr. May Telmissany, Associate Professor of Arabic Studies at the University of Ottawa, Canada, and Director of ACANS, the Arab Canadian Studies Research Group. 

A number of Mass Communication professors from different universities participated in the Conference and shared their knowledge and insights with the speakers.  Conference topics included media convergence and social change, media economics, health and environmental communication, drama and media production, and new trends in integrated marketing communication.  The conference attracted a large number of participants from different public and private universities. 

MIU Theatre and the affiliated Mass Media Club performed their first theatrical play “One equals Two” in the OOA hall on April 12.
The play portrays the schizophrenic character of modern man and how it affects our lives in different ways. Twenty students from different faculties participated in the play under the supervision of MMC academic advisor Dr Nevine Abolawafi. It was directed by Tamer Karam.
Professor Ahmed Emad, MIU Vice President for Students Affairs, attended the play along with guests, students and their parents.
The establishment of MIU’s first theatre team is considered an important step on the path of participation in the Universities Theatres Annual Festival as well as domestic and international theatre competitions in the future.