The congress aimed to raise and improve the safety of food from the beginning of the food chain from farm to table. Under the patronage of Prof. Mohamed El-Kenawy, President of Mansoura University, the congress was attended by speakers from various universities and research institutes in Egypt, Arab countries and speakers from TiHo-Hannover. Under the framework of COSIMENA, the DAAD Cairo Office was pleased to facilitate the participation of the keynote speakers from TiHo-Hannover Prof. Josef Kampheus, Director of the Institute of Animal Nutrition, Dr. Amir Abdulmawjood and Dr. Andrea Becker, Food Safety and Control Department and Maritta Ledwoch, External Affairs Office.

Prof. Adel Abdelkhalek, chairman of the congress, pointed out that more attention should be paid to the challenges faced by numerous countries in the world in the field of food safety. Since food safety is linked to citizens’ health, it is one of the main pillars of national and economic security. He also stated that the congress aims to ensure a better future for the food safety system and consumer protection in Egypt along with the Arab countries. The University of Mansoura’s scientific contribution to veterinary medicine is already very high at a national level. The university also seeks to expand the horizons of international cooperation through seminars, workshops and conferences that encourage the development of medical fields and support further development, growth and sustainability.

In this context, Prof. Abdelkhalek thanked the experts of TiHo-Hannover for providing their international expertise and experience in the field which is of great benefit for the congress. This cooperation between Mansoura University and TiHo-Hannover already started in 2013 through a cultural, scientific and technical cooperation protocol. The agreement came after the visit of a delegation from Mansoura University headed by Prof. Mohamed Ahmed Yousef, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Dr. Sahar Abdul Rahman, a lecturer at the Viruses Department who got her M.D. degree from TiHo-Hannover in 2012. The agreement had been valid for five renewable years.