By Sarah Saad
Special passing-out parade at Egyptian Military Academy
Egyptian Military Academy Director Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem congratulated the Egyptian people for the graduation of a new batch of cadets from the academy.
The time of graduation this year is distinguished as it coincides with Egypt’s celebration with the golden jubilee of the October 6 War victory, which is considered the most important educational lesson for cadets.
In exclusive remarks to The Egyptian Gazette, Lieutenant General Salem said that cadets are meticulously chosen to be fit enough to join the military Academy and become officers in the Egyptian Armed Forces.
“The Military Academy opens its door to anyone who deserves it without any connections. Cadets have to sit stringent entrance requirements that meet specific physical, health and psychological terms. They have to undergo personality, medical, physical fitness, confrontation and psychological tests. Selection criteria are based on integrity and equality,” Salem said.
“There is weekly follow-up by phone calls from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the Supreme Commander of the Egyptian Armed Forces, to make sure that all educational, training, health and sports requirements are regularly updated in accordance with international advancements.
“The academy’s main goal is to produce an officer who is capable technically, practically, physically and psychologically of leading his unit,” Salem added.
Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief General Mohamed Zaki, who is also Minister of Defence and Military Production, is keen to provide all means for the academy to reach high levels medically and educationally and ensure that tis cadets are better qualified to be officers in the Armed Forces.
The Air Force College gears up to modernise Egyptian Air Force
Air Vice-Marshal Medhat Kamel, Deputy Director of Egyptian Military Academy for the Air Force College, told the newspaper that the college was founded in 1936, making it the oldest facility of its kind in the region.
Modernising the Egyptian Air Force necessitated developments inside the academy, starting with admission tests, psychical, psychological, scientific and practical preparation of personnel.
On the occasion of the graduation of batch 90 in aviation and aeronautical sciences, Air Vice-Marshal Kamel told this newspaper that the Air Force College’s joining of the Egyptian Military Academy contributed to upgrading its educational programmes.
“Cadets can benefit from military studies either in aviation or aeronautical sciences,” Kamel said.
“On graduating, cadets receive bachelor’s degrees in their respective fields of study which include management of aviation and airports, aviation and aeronautical sciences, aeronautical military sciences, and aviation information management systems,” he added.
Naval College cadets trained inside and outside Egypt
Staff Rear Admiral Ashraf Mohamed el-Musharafi, Deputy Director of the Egyptian Military Academy for the Naval College, said that cadets have to undergo practical training throughout their four years of study.
“This practical training is divided into two parts. One is done in the operations theatre in Egypt either with the northern fleet on the Mediterranean Sea or in the southern fleet on the Red Sea. They are trained how to use the latest weaponry, safeguard vital targets and the national economy. While the other is outside Egypt through joint training with other countries to enhance the capacities of cadets and help them reach professionalism by exchanging expertise with other naval colleges,” el-Musharafi said.
“This is in addition to the theatrical curricula, divided into six groups, which were updated to match the developments in the modern armament systems and naval equipment,” he added.
El-Musharafi told this newspaper that the Naval College has signed a co-operation protocol with Alexandria Bibliotheca, whereby cadets have access to more than 600 digital books and research papers.
“This aims at raising the consciousness and increasing cadets’ knowledge,” he said.
“Graduates from the Naval College obtain a bachelor degree in politics, or military and naval sciences.
Attaining highest standards
Major General Doctor Ayman Mohamed Shawqi, Director of the Faculty of Medicine in the Egyptian Armed Forces, explained that the study is currently five years and two years of internship. This year, the fifth batch graduated, which is the last batch in (6+1), and the sixth batch, which is The first batch (5+2).The subjects are like any subjects in medical colleges in Egypt, in addition to military medical subjects such as, space medicine, field surgery, and disaster medicine, in addition to the military subjects taught in military colleges as well as sports training.
He pointed out that the study system is distinguished by the seriousness of study and work on developing scientific and physical skills and education.
The college also fosters co-operation with various medical colleges in Egyptian universities, including medical colleges in Cairo, Alexandria, Ain Shams, and Al-Azhar universities.
“We also have partnerships with the Academy of Scientific Research, Hospital 57357, and the Magdy Yacoub Foundation, in addition to co-operation with international universities such as the American Michigan Medical College, which allows the college graduate Obtaining two certificates from Medicine in the Egyptian Armed Forces and Medicine in Michigan, USA.”
There is also collaboration with the College of Medicine in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates along with co-operating with big-name scientific institutes.
Building a military mindset
Major General Mohamed Salah Mohamed el-Turki, Deputy Director of the Egyptian Military Academy for the Military College, said that the educational and training programmes in the Military College are being developed in order to achieve their primary goal of building a conscious, military personality that is capable of thinking and analysis to make decisions.
“The Military College reinforces cadets’ professional, cognitive, and physical aptitudes while continually upgrading its educational and practical training,” el-Turki said.
Graduates from the college are awarded a bachelor degree in economics, political science and military sciences.
Air Defence College educational programmes continually updated
Major General Ehab el-Fayoumi, Deputy Director of the Egyptian Military Academy for the Air Defence College, said that the college trains its cadets on state-of-the-art weaponry.
The Military Technical Academy (also known as the Armed Forces Technical College), located in Heliopolis, trains technical officers for all armed forces, thus reducing the need for foreign technical advisers. The Military Technical Academy’s admissions office had more stringent entrance requirements.
Space engineering added to Military Technical Academy
Director of the Military Technical College Major General Ismail Mohamed Kamal said that the space engineering specialisation has been added to the college, which has designed an ambitious programme in this field. The college has two other specialisations in engineering and military sciences.
He added that there is co-ordination with a Chinese University to work on an educational satellite.
General Kamal noted that the Military Technical College is the second Egyptian engineering college to be given institutional accreditation from the Cabinet’s National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education (NAQAAE), and the first Egyptian college to obtain the programme accreditation from the NAQAAE.
Military College graduates reaching full potential
Staff Major General Akram Salah el-Din Mahmoud, Director of the Military Technological College, congratulated the graduating students and their parents, and also congratulated the Egyptian people on the occasion of the anniversary of the golden jubilee of the October 6 victory. He said in a special statement to The Egyptian Gazette, on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony, that the Military Technological College was established on July 4, 2022 by a decision of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the President of the Republic and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, within the framework of the Supreme Commander’s keenness to develop education and technological development in Egypt.
He noted the college’s vision to qualify technical officers at the highest level of competence and skill in order to keep pace with the tremendous development in modern weapons and equipment, calling on graduates to be constantly informed of everything new to keep pace with technological development.
