Ain Shams University

Ain Shams University is the third Egyptian university, and was founded in July 1950 under the name of "Ibrahim Pasha University". Before it was first established, it comprised a number of distinguished faculties and academic institutes, which were later developed into a separate university.

On the 21st of February, 1954 the name of the university was changed to "Heliopolis", and then changed in the same year to its present name "Ain Shams", the Arabic for "Heliopolis", or "O'n", which was the oldest university in history.

The university is now located in the area of the Zaafaran Palace, built during the regime of Khedive Ismail. The Palace was used to host the administration offices of the Egyptian University when it was established in 1925. It was used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (as a guest house) for accommodating important visitors. The palace also witness the signing of the 1936 Treaty between Egypt and Great Britain. Finally, in 1952, it came to be used as the administrative headquarters of Ain Shams University.

The university includes 18 faculties and 1 higher institute in additon to 2 new faculties under construction. In 1950, there were only eight faculties: Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Commerce, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, and Women's college. In 1969, the Faculty of Education, known since 1880 as Teachers' college, became the ninth faculty in the university. In 1973 the Faculty of Al-Alsun was made the tenth member of the university. However, the history of this faculty dates back to 1835. In 1994, a decree was issued for the establishment of two more faculties; The Faculty of Pharmacy and The Faculty of Dentistry, the actual study was started the following year in both faculties. In the same year, it was decided to establish The Faculty of Computers and Information Sciences, and the study started the following year.