05/12/2023 Mass Communication Faculty Organizes Seminar on "Media and Shaping Awareness of Citizenship Rights" The Faculty of Mass Communication Cairo University organized a student symposium on Monday morning, a symposium entitled “Media and Forming Awareness of Citizenship Rights,” under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Mohamed Othman Elkhosht, President of Cairo University, and Prof. Dr. Mohamed Sami Abdel Sadiq, Vice President of the University for Society Affairs and environmental development, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Hanan Gunaid, Dean of the Faculty of Mass Comm, Cairo University, and in the presence of journalist Ola Al-Shafi’i, editor-in-chief of Youm7, Dr. Laila Abdel Majeed, former Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Mahmoud Youssef, Dr. Salwa Al-Awadly, Vice Dean, and Dr. Thuraya Al-Badawi, Head of the Public Relations and Advertising Department. In her speech, Dr. Hanan Gunaid, Dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication at Cairo University, said that participation and effectiveness in electoral events requires the cooperation of all members of the nation, community solidarity in this matter, without it being limited to being individual or linked to entities and institutions, as it requires  responsibility in participating in the elections, and raising awareness of the rights and duties of citizenship among its students, which is something to which the Cairo University administration is committed, according to the directives of the University President, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Othman El-Khosht. The Dean of the Faculty stressed the importance of awareness of the state and protecting it from any plan against Egypt, especially those plans that threaten the homeland from various aspects, including calls for plans to displace Palestinians from the Palestinian territories, which President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi responded to. this requires awarness and positive participation and citizenship values that support the efforts of the President and the Egyptian state to face of these dangers surrounding us. In his speech, Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Youssef, Professor in the Department of Public Relations and Advertising, said that the values of citizenship contribute to bringing about true development and confronting plans to destroy homelands, indicating that effective participation in electoral elections that contribute to shaping the features of the nation first requires education and awareness that enables members of society to move forward. And the act of citizenship through participation, and that the media is directed accordingly to work to raise awareness and educate the public and develop their awareness of citizenship rights and how to activate those rights related to active participation in political decision-making. For her part, journalist Ola Al-Shafi’i, editor-in-chief of Al-Youm7, said that the political situation during the current period governs the priority of strengthening the values of citizenship, especially since what is happening around Egypt in Libya, Gaza and Sudan puts us before a historic responsibility to be at the heart of one man, and we must line up behind the nation, especially when there are electoral elections that Egypt is currently going through in the Egyptian presidential elections, which constitute the features of the new republic. The editor-in-chief stressed during her speech that the most important thing at this stage is participation and alignment around the nation and participating positively, noting that the elections are an exercise of the constitutional right and that segments of society, especially students, must have an awareness of the events taking place in the region, and what is happening based on evidence and facts pushing the Palestinians to head towards Egypt confirms that there is a conspiracy against Egypt. Dr. Laila Abdel Majeed said that what is happening in the surrounding region reveals the extent of the pressure on the Egyptian state, especially in the Palestine crisis and the push of the people of Gaza towards Egypt, explaining that raising the level of awareness among the public is an important step in making known the extent of the challenges that Egypt is witnessing. Prof. Dr. Laila Abdel Majeed, Academic Head of the Quality Unit, added that social media platforms during election periods are surrounded by false news with the aim of confusing and spreading frustration and rumours, and it is important to pay attention to this matter to prevent rumours. The head of the Academic Quality Unit continued that participating in the presidential elections is extremely important, because the electoral vote is important and must be respected and adhered to, and choosing the head of state must be a good choice when voting, explaining that students have an important role in spreading awareness to everyone around your circles to raise awareness of the importance of participation and making an impact. In turn, Dr. Muhammad Salman Taye, professor at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, said that the presidential elections are important and as a political event that is classified globally as the second most important political event in the world after the decision to war, explaining that there are three types of political elections, which are presidential, legislative, and local, adding that elections are an expression of democracy. The parliamentary and municipal councils to manage the affairs of the state and society are an important process and we must carefully choose, because they decide to delegate the matter to a person to manage the general policy of the state. The political science professor continued that elections are a reflection of democracy and respect for freedoms in the world, stressing that citizenship means a package of rights and duties, and the obligation to participate in attending elections is a national duty, and it is also a right under the constitution because it is an inherent political right بالندوة.