The research focuses on the root causes of terrorist activities "that targets destroying state institutions, society, the civic and political dynamism of citizens, values and assets of society," the press release said.

The project encompasses four key axes — political, economic, social and cultural — with each axis examined in terms of the cost of terrorism, its causes and ways to counter it.

“[Terrorism] posed an existential threat to Egypt, particularly with terrorist activities peaking in 2014 and 2015, causing Egypt to be placed on the list of countries most vulnerable to terrorism,” the press release added.

The seminar will discuss the preliminary findings of the research and response strategies to enhance the pillars of the modern state. It is the first in a series of symposia meant to expand dialogue on the project.

The project will also tackle the ideologies and extremist values of terrorist groups that serve as a base to legitimise their acts of terrorism.

Representatives of the concerned ministries that support the research project as well as professors and experts concerned with the same field of study will attend the seminar.

ECSS General Manager Khaled Okasha and Gamal Abdel-Gawad, a member of the ECSS advisory board and head of the project — will be among the speakers.

Howaida Adly, professor of political science at the National Center for Social and Criminal Research and Abdel-Fattah El-Gebali, an economic expert and the chairman of the Media Production City will tackle “the economic and social cost of terrorism” during the first session of the seminar.

This will be followed by a commentary by Ahmad Zayed, professor of sociology at Cairo University and member of the Senate.

The session will be moderated by Gamal Abdel-Gawad.

The second session of the seminar will see remarks by Moustafa El-Feki, the political thinker and director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.  

Professor Samir Morcos, the Egyptian writer and thinker, and Professor Fouad El-Saeed, a researcher specialising in political culture studies will address “the political and cultural dimensions of terrorism” during the second session.

Abdel-Moneim Said, head of the ECSS advisory board, will moderate the second session.

In recent years, Egypt has adopted a comprehensive framework to confront terrorism and extremist thought, which is based on security as well as awareness-raising mechanisms.

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has repeatedly called for reforming religious discourse in order to end religious misconceptions and eradicate extremist thought.

Egypt has also pushed for serious and urgent cooperation in Africa to combat cross-border terrorism, founding the Sahel and Sahara Counterterrorism Centre in Cairo to coordinate the efforts of the 20 Sahel-Saharan states (CEN-SAD) to face such threats.