US-Egypt Workshop on "Nanostructured Materials and Nanotechnology", November 2005, Alexandria, Egypt

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA

Investigators

Abstract

0448208 El-Shall Description: This award is to support a "US-Egypt Workshop on Nanostructured Materials and Nanotechnology" to be held in Alexandria, Egypt in November 2005. The organizers are Dr. Mohamed S. El-Shall, Department of Chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Mostafa El-Sayed, Department of Chemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia and Dr. Medhat Seif-al-Nasr, President, Mubarak City for Science and Technology (MuSCAT) in Borg al Arab, Alexandria, Egypt. The workshop will be hosted by MuCSAT in Borg El-Arab, Alexandria and by the Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute (CMRDI) in Helwan, Cairo. These combined efforts will ensure a broad participation of the Egyptian scientists from multidisciplinary areas including Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science and Engineering and representing the different universities and research institutes in Egypt. The workshop objectives are to: 1. discuss utilization of the recent research in the synthesis, characterization and industrial applications of nanoparticles and nanostructured materials in both countries. A major focus of this workshop will be directed toward chemical and biological applications of nanoparticles and nanostructures. 2. address the fundamental science dealing with nanoscale phenomena and the environmental, educational, health, and societal impacts of nanotechnology, and 3. stimulate cooperative research in nanotechnology between U.S. and Egyptian scientists. The cooperative research is expected to lead to economic developments involving the private sectors in Egypt and the US. It is planned to invite 15 U.S. researchers from multi-disciplinary areas to interact with the Egyptian researchers over a five-day workshop. The focus will be on mixing fundamental problems with industrial and technological applications of nanoscale materials. The PIs will invite several industrial scientists from both countries to interact with the academic-based scientists. The synergism produced is expected to enhance the scientific collaboration between the two countries, which will take this field a step closer to realizing its enormous potential for novel nanotechnologies. Scope and broader impact: The workshop will allow scientists from the U. S. and Egypt to exchange their experiences, ideas, and information and to build collaborations to promote nanotechnology for the benefit of the public and private sectors. This will help facilitate economic development in Egypt and other regions of the Middle East. The workshop will advance the scientific and technological aspects of nanostructured materials. It will address new opportunities for research, discovery and invention based on the applications of nanoscale materials to fundamental, materials and biomedical sciences. This is expected to enhance the scientific knowledge in these and other related fields, and it may lead to new exciting technologies. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these joint scientific activities.