President stresses worthiness of linking education to development
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has called for larger national focus on converting scientific research outputs into economically-valuable products in support of the national economy, together with fostering the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
The president’s call came in the course of a meeting he held on Monday with Prime Minister Dr Moustafa Madbouli, Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Dr Ayman Ashourand Education and Technical Education Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif.
The meeting aimed to review key topics and files handled by the two Cabinet ministries, including their current coordination on the new baccalaureate system for qualifying pre-university students, Presidency Spokesman Mohamed el-Shennawy said.
In remarks during the meeting, President Sisistressed the importance of fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, aligning scientific research with national development plans, and redressing any shortage in academic skills. These measures, the presidentindicated, would solidify Egypt’s pioneering status in the field of education.
In a presentation he gave during the meeting, Higher Education Minister Ashour provided an overview of the increased enrollment in specialisations such as artificial intelligence, digitisation, computing, and technology at Egyptian universities.
“For the academic year 2024/2025, enrollment in these specialisations rose by 40 per centcompared to the previous year,” Spokesman Shennawy quoted the Higher Education Minister as saying.
Additionally, Dr Ashour outlined the Higher Education Ministry’s plans for establishing the Egyptian Academy of Mathematical Sciences to enroll math-talented students. In response, President Sisi emphasised the importance of these disciplines, referring to their alignment with labour market demands and their role in driving technological progress which is the driver of development for any country.
Dr Ashour also highlighted the Higher Education Ministry’s plans to open branches of Egyptian universities abroad in partnership with the private sector, without imposing financial burdens on the state. Such plans, he explained, come within the framework of a trend to internationalise Egyptian education and export its services.
By the academic year 2025/2026, Minister Ashour noted, 10 new private universities will join Egypt’s education system, increasing the total number of private universities to 30. Regarding the overall setup of the country’s higher education, Dr Ashour said that 116 universities, including governmental, private, community, technological, and foreign universities, are now operating in Egypt. These academic institutions, he added, offer their educational and research services through as many as 1079 faculties and colleges.
Following this presentation, President Sisi gave directives for ensuring that world standards be observed in equipping all branchesof Egyptian universities, including private ones, Spokesman Shennawy said, adding that the president stressed in this connection that such institutions comprise the scientific and practical specialisations of relevance to technology, artificial intelligence, digitisation, and engineering.
Discussions during the meeting also covered the process of coordination of enrollment in universities and higher education institutes and the efforts under way to increase the number of foreign students.
In this respect, President Sisi called for sustained efforts to position Egypt as a destination for quality higher education, attracting students from around the world Shennawy said.
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