Both Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Dr. Osama El-Azhari, Minister of Religious Endowments, participated in the seminar organized by Helwan University on the “Correct Your Concepts” initiative, launched by the Ministry of Religious Endowments under the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and sponsored by Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly.
The event was attended by Dr. El-Sayed Kandil, President of Helwan University; Dr. Mostafa Refaat, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Universities; Dr. Karim Hammam, Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education for Student Activities and Director of the Leaders Preparation Institute in Helwan; Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, Media Advisor to the Minister and Official Spokesperson of the Ministry; and Mr. Mohamed Ghanem, Head of the Central Administration of the Minister’s Office. Also in attendance were a number of university leaders and a large group of students from public, private, national universities, Al-Azhar University, and higher institutes. The event took place at the Arts and Culture Complex at Helwan University.
Minister of Higher Education’s Remarks
Dr. Ayman Ashour emphasized that the seminar represents an important step within the presidential initiative to build the New Republic on foundations of awareness and belonging. He praised the Ministry of Religious Endowments for launching the “Correct Your Concepts” initiative, noting that it aligns with the Ministry of Higher Education’s efforts to promote national awareness among youth, support national initiatives, and empower universities to prepare an enlightened generation capable of facing challenges and contributing to Egypt’s renaissance.
He highlighted the importance of awareness amid the rapid transformations and growing challenges the world faces today, stressing that addressing intellectual, social, and technological challenges, as well as those related to identity and belonging, requires being conscious, inquisitive, attentive, and proactive.
Dr. Ashour also reviewed the Ministry’s efforts to foster religious awareness and strengthen national identity among students. These efforts include awareness seminars in collaboration with Al-Azhar, the Ministry of Religious Endowments, and Dar Al-Ifta to promote moderation and tolerance; organizing awareness competitions and short films; integrating the book “Tolerance and Dialogue with the Other” into university curricula; hosting intellectual and national figures; and organizing programs and camps to enhance patriotism and national belonging among youth.
Minister of Religious Endowments’ Remarks
For his part, Dr. Osama El-Azhari thanked Dr. Ayman Ashour and the leadership of the Ministry of Higher Education and universities for their sincere efforts to strengthen cooperation between the Ministries of Endowments and Higher Education in spreading awareness and correcting misconceptions.
He reviewed the origins of the “Correct Your Concepts” initiative, explaining that it began as an awareness campaign to spread enlightened thought and evolved into a national project involving all ministries and state institutions under the direct support of the Prime Minister. The initiative aims to correct negative behaviors and misconceptions that affect moral, religious, and social values, in cooperation with relevant institutions to identify and address harmful societal behaviors.
Dr. El-Azhari stated that the initiative targets a wide range of issues and misconceptions that influence daily life and ethical and religious values. These include social and behavioral problems such as extremism, fraud, law violations, child abuse, drug abuse, bullying, mistreatment of people with disabilities, road misbehavior, bribery, family disintegration, suicide, football fanaticism, extravagance, and social media addiction. The initiative thus serves as a national project to rebuild public consciousness and reinforce moral values in society.
He added that the initiative includes a profound religious component designed to correct distorted religious concepts associated with extremism. It presents topics through a well-studied plan grounded in calm scientific reasoning and modern visual and media tools, transforming the initiative into an integrated national project for building a new, enlightened public consciousness that restores trust in values and instills hope among citizens.
Dr. El-Azhari further noted that the initiative aligns with the state’s vision for building the New Republic, launched by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, emphasizing that correcting misconceptions is a fundamental pillar in building the Egyptian citizen and protecting society’s awareness from intellectual confusion and misinformation.
Helwan University President’s Remarks
Dr. El-Sayed Kandil, President of Helwan University, affirmed the university’s strong commitment to its enlightening role in confronting extremism and misconceptions. He stressed the need for joint efforts among state institutions to spread enlightened thought and protect society—especially youth—from destructive ideologies.
He explained that the university strives to offer a comprehensive cultural and religious discourse that combines authentic religious values with scientific knowledge, thereby contributing to the development of an enlightened national awareness capable of distinguishing truth from misinformation and strengthening national belonging.
Dr. Kandil highlighted that university students are the first line of defense against extremist ideas, urging them to arm themselves with knowledge, embrace constructive dialogue, and actively participate in building Egypt’s future. He reaffirmed that Helwan University will remain a beacon of enlightenment, a haven for intellectual awareness, and a source for preparing generations capable of leading the nation toward progress, prosperity, and stability.
Open Discussion and Student Participation
During the seminar, Dr. Osama El-Azhari engaged in an open dialogue with university and institute students, listening to their views and questions on key topics such as the role of critical thinking in shaping behavior, the influence of social media and artificial intelligence on youth awareness, and the role of young people in carrying the message of awareness.
The discussion fostered an atmosphere of constructive engagement between the ministers and the students, focusing on issues of awareness, enlightened thought, and youth responsibility in safeguarding society from false and harmful ideas.
Event Organization
The event was organized by the Students for Egypt Family – Helwan University, led by Dr. Mohamed Helmy, the family’s faculty advisor, in cooperation with the Helwan University Students’ Union and the General Administration for Student Welfare, under the supervision of Ms. Nashwa Ali Mostafa, Director-General of the Administration.
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