Under the auspices of Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ashour, the minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the opening of the second meeting of the Advisory Council on the African Fisheries Reform Mechanism was held last Monday which was attended by Prof. Dr. Salah Alddin Moslehi, the Chairman of the Authority for the Protection and Development of Lakes and Fisheries, deputy of El-Quseir, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation. As well, the meeting was attended by Prof. Dr. Al-Sayed Abdul Azim Al-Sharqawi, the SU president, and Mr. Nick Nwankpa, the Director of the Office of the African Union.

Furthermore, Prof. Dr. Al-Sayed Al-Sharkawi hosted in Cairo the head and members of the delegation. Al-Sharkawi also reviewed with them the mechanisms for the launch of the second phase of the fisheries governance project to promote sustainable fisheries management and aquaculture in Africa, which is funded through the European Union.

The African Animal Resources Union Office is responsible for coordinating the project and four working groups to initiate reforms fisheries of the African Union have been divided and include (Governance, aquaculture, fish and investment trade, and small-scale fisheries). These groups develop the policies required to serve the fish sector at the African level and take advantage of the African Union's Centers of Excellence to serve the implementation of these policies. Egypt has been selected as Chair of the Working Group on Aquaculture.

Then, the delegation moved to the University headquarters in Suez on the morning of Thursday, 26 January 2022, to inaugurate the headquarters of the Centre of Excellence of the African Union. The delegation was met by Prof. Dr. Ali Hussein Atta, the SU vice-president for Education and Students Affairs, and Prof. Dr. Osama Kaddour, the dean of the Faculty of Fish Resources. As well, the delegation of the African Union of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) headed by Dr. Nick Nwankpa, the director of the Office of the African Animal Resources Union, 25 representatives from the members of the Office and local and international organizations, and representatives of the eight Centers of Excellence of the African Union working in the field of fisheries.

At the beginning of the meeting Prof. Dr. Ali Atta, the SU vice-president, delivered a speech in which he reviewed the potential of Suez University and multiple partnerships in several scientific sectors, including fisheries. He expressed his pleasure to select the SU Faculty of Fish Resources as the headquarters of the Office of the African Union and the various benefits this will provide to the University and the Office of the Union.

After that, the official delegation moved to the Faculty of Fish Resources, where they were met by staff members, employees, and students at the Faculty's Conference Hall. The first events of the visit began with a welcome and presentation on the Faculty of Fish Resources and its establishment date and potential. The delegation then moved to visit the factories, teaching halls, the aquaculture laboratory, and the outlet for the sale of the faculty's products, such as aquaculture integrative "Aquaponics", and General Student Laboratories "Chemistry Lab - Biological Laboratory - Microbiological Laboratory".

Moreover, Dr. Nick Nwanpa opened the headquarters of the African Commission's Centre of Excellence at the Faculty of Fish Resources. In statements to the Media Centre, Prof. Dr. Al-Sharqawi, the SU president, said that the selection of the SU Faculty of Fish Resources as a center of excellence in fisheries and aquaculture achieves a large number of objectives such as academic training in aquaculture and academic aquaculture, marine fisheries science and technology, aquaculture research, fish feed, and genetic traits In addition to transferring expertise, training and upgrading human competencies in aquaculture, fisheries, and aquatic species. Academic degrees (diploma, master's degree, doctorate) are awarded to interested African countries.

At the conclusion of the round, the delegation commended the potential of the various faculties, which match the largest scientific entities in the field of fisheries, pledging to provide financial and technical support for the start of projects in the fields of aquaculture and fish manufacturing, as well as supporting the faculty with its needs from modern scientific equipment.