Dr. AymanAshour, Minister of higher education and scientific research and chairman of the Egyptian National Committee for UNESCO, met with StefaniaGiannini, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for the education sector, to discuss ways to enhance joint cooperation and exchange experiences for the development of higher education, scientific research and the development of technical and professional skills, on the sidelines of participation in the meeting of the Executive Board of UNESCO at its 215th session to deliver Egypt`s speech in Paris.
During the meeting, the minister reviewed the efforts of the Egyptian state to develop the higher education and scientific research system, and the ministry`s various initiatives aimed at supporting and enhancing international cooperation in the field of university education, pointing to the expansion of Egyptian universities in signing cooperation protocols with prestigious international universities to grant dual degrees.
Dr. Ashour added that 4 international private universities have been established, and these universities offer modern study programs with double degrees in partnership with well-established international universities, and 12 private universities have been established emanating from public universities and began studying there during the academic year 2022/2023 and provide modern and distinguished Inter-study programs, as well as starting studying at 10 technological universities in the framework of attention to the path of technological education and qualifying graduates to compete in the local, regional and international labor market and meet the needs of future jobs.
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The minister pointed to hosting branches of foreign universities in the new administrative capital to provide distinguished international education on Egyptian soil, and to motivate students to study in Egypt instead of traveling abroad in search of international education, pointing out that these universities offer modern study programs that keep pace with the needs of the future labor market.
For her part, the assistant director-general of UNESCO for Education welcomed the efforts exerted by the Egyptian state to develop the higher education and scientific research system, pointing out that the organization can provide technical assistance and support to develop human capabilities in various fields, through training university professors to benefit from the initiatives put forward by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during the world forum for higher education and scientific research hosted by Egypt in December 2021, and also welcomed the possibility of Egypt benefiting from the UNESCO initiative "Campus Africa", which aims to establish an advanced infrastructure in the field of scientific research.
In a related context, Dr. AymanAshour held a meeting with Ernesto Otton, assistant director-general of UNESCO for the culture sector , and the meeting discussed opportunities to expand the scope of university cooperation with UNESCO through the implementation of capacity-building programs in Egyptian universities in the field of heritage preservation and other scientific sectors and disciplines, including the possibility of training faculty members, the auxiliary body and students to ensure the qualification of graduates to the requirements of the labor market, as well as enhancing cooperation with UNESCO university chairs.
For his part, the assistant director general expressed the openness of the organization and welcomed the joint cooperation with the Ministry of higher education and scientific research in capacity-building programs, exchanging experiences in the fields of tangible and intangible heritage and enhancing communication with museums to support and encourage tourism in Egypt.
The two meetings were attended by Ambassador AlaaEldin Youssef, ambassador of Egypt to France, permanent representative of Egypt to UNESCO, and Dr. Ashraf al-azzazi, head of the Cultural Affairs and missions sector and supervisor of the Egyptian National Committee for UNESCO.
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It is worth mentioning that these meetings aim to strengthen and support joint cooperation between Egypt and the participating countries of the UNESCO executive board, especially in the fields of Education, Science and culture, exchange scientific and cultural experiences, and support the development of the higher education system and scientific research in order to serve the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (Egypt`s Vision 2030). .