Education: the Best Investment
A British Egyptian Education Conference
The programme of the conference to take place simultaneously in London and Cairo
Each session has a panel of four or five speakers (who will speak for 10 minutes each) and a
moderator who will make the opening remarks, chair the questions from the floor, and summarise
points for action.
TIMES GIVEN ARE FOR LONDON: Cairo is one hour later.
Speakers in blue will be participating in Cairo, those in black in London.
Tuesday 18th September 2012
0830
Registration
Tea and coffee will be available
0930
Opening Session
This short session will set out the themes and objectives of the conference.
Speakers:
The Rt Hon. Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, Chairman of the British Egyptian
Society
Professor Hossam Kamel, President of Cairo University
The Grand Imam Sheikh Al Azhar, Dr Ahmed Muhammad Tayeb
HE Mr Hatem Seif El Nasr, Egyptian Ambassador to the UK
1015
Session 1: What Should the Relationship be between Education and Employment?
This session will address the best ways of ensuring that schools, colleges and
universities equip their students with the attitudes and skills required to meet the
needs of business, industry, and employment. This session will also take life skills
into account.
Moderator:
Dr Assem Allam, Chairman of Allam Marine and Trustee of the British Egyptian
Society
Speakers:
Mr Hatem Dowidar, Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone Egypt
Professor Lorna Unwin, Professor of Vocational Education and Deputy Director of
the LLAKES Research Centre, Institute of Education, University of London
Mr Hisham Ez Al Arab, Chairman and Managing Director, CIB Bank
Professor Heba Nassar, Vice President, Cairo University
Ms Christine Ozden, President for the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean,
Pearson
1130
1200
Coffee
Session 2: How is Education Policy Best Designed and Implemented in a
Democratic Society?
This session will engage political parties from both countries, with addresses from
ministers of education and political officials responsible for the implementation of
education. It will summarise the issues to be faced in designing and implementing
education policies in democratic societies.
Moderator:
The Rt Hon. Baroness Symons, Chairman of the British Egyptian Society
Speakers:
HE Dr Ibrahim Ghoneim, Minister of Education, Arab Republic of Egypt
Professor Sir Michael Barber, Former Head, Delivery Unit, 10 Downing Street
Professor Amr Hamzawy, Leader, Freedom Egypt Party
The Rt Hon. Lord Knight of Weymouth, former Labour Education Minister
1330
Buffet lunch
1430
Session 3:
How Can Teacher Education and Professional Development for
Primary, Preparatory and Secondary Schools be Improved?
Both countries recognise the centrality of the role of the teaching profession and the
need to provide teachers at all levels of the system with pre-service education and
training and continuous professional development. There have been a number of
collaborative programmes in this field between Egypt and Britain and between
Egypt and other international partners. This session will also address issues
concerning the education of girls.
The session will open with a short film about teachers’ perceptions in Egypt and the
UK.
Moderator:
Professor Mohsen Elmahdy Said
Former Executive Director, Projects Management Unit, Ministry of Higher Education
Speakers:
Professor Chris Husbands, Director of the Institute of Education, University of
London
Professor Soheir Hewala, Dean of the Institute of Educational Studies, Cairo
University
Dr Michael Milanovic, Chief Executive, University of Cambridge ESOL
Professor Malak Zaalouk, Director of the Middle East Institute for Higher Education
at the American University in Cairo
Dr Ramadan Mohamed Ramadan, Director, Professional Teacher Training
Academy, Cairo
1545
Tea
1615
Session 4: How Can Teaching Skills at Universities be Improved?
This session will look at ways of improving the quality of teaching in higher
education, drawing upon the experiences of both countries.
Moderator:
Dr Hassan Hakimian, Director of the London Middle East Institute, SOAS,
University of London
Speakers:
Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice Chancellor, University of Glasgow
Professor Mohamed Aboulghar, Leader, Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Cairo
Dr Ahmed Shawki, Managing Partner, Mazars Mostafa Shawki, Cairo
Dr Mary Read, Dean, School of Education, University of Hertfordshire
1730
Session closes
Wednesday 19th September 2012
0830
Registration
Tea and coffee will be available
0930
Session 5: How can vocational education and training be made more
effective?
This session will address both the ways in which vocational education and training
meets the needs of industry and employment and how standards of teaching can be
improved in the sector.
Moderator:
Professor Heba Handoussa, Former Managing Director of the Economic Research
Forum for the Arab Countries, Cairo
Speakers:
Professor Kathryn Ecclestone, Professor of Education and Social Inclusion at the
Birmingham University School of Education
General Mohamed Helal, Head, Technical Vocational Education and Training,
Cairo, Egypt
Professor Tom Schuller, Director of Longview and former Head of the Centre for
Educational Research and Innovation at the OECD.
Eng. Ahmed El Banhawy, International Assistance Program Manager, Industrial
Training Council
1045
Coffee
1115
Session 6: Are Universities Responding Adequately to the Needs of Business
and Industry?
This session will cover the ways in which universities respond to the requirements
of business and industry and the best kinds of relationship to create between
universities and industry.
Moderator:
Mr Peter Mackenzie Smith, Trustee, British Egyptian Society
Speakers:
Professor Hussein Mohamed Eissa, President, Ain Shams University, Cairo
Professor Ken Mayhew, Professor of Education and Economic Performance,
Oxford University
Dr. May ElBatran, Head of Education Committee, Egyptian Junior Business
Association
Mr.Andrew P. Long, CEO and Executive Director, HSBC Bank Egypt S.A.E.
Professor Mustapha Kamel Al Sayyid, Professor of Political Science, Cairo
University
1245
Buffet Lunch
1345
Session 7: How is Education Best Managed and Financed?
The session will examine the ways in which education is managed and financed in
both countries and the opportunities for continued dialogue between governments
and institutions in future.
Moderator:
Professor Hazem El Biblawy, former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
Speakers:
Dr Reda Mosaad, First Under Secretary, Ministry of Education, Arab Republic of
Egypt
Professor The Rt Hon Charles Clarke, Secretary of State for Education, 2002–2004
and Home Secretary 2004–2006; Visiting Professor in the School of Political, Social
and International Studies, University of East Anglia.
Professor Hossam Badrawi, MD, MP Cairo University.
Previous Chairman of Education Committee, Parliament of Egypt, 2000–2005
Chair of Board of Trustees British University of Egypt
The Rt Hon. Baroness Blackstone of Stoke Newington
Minister of State for Education and Employment (1997–2001) and Minister of State
for the Arts (2001–2003). Former Vice Chancellor, University of Greenwich
Chairman, The British Library Board
1515
Tea
1545
Session 8: Working Together in Future
What are the areas of education in which the UK and Egypt can collaborate most
effectively? What plans are there for future projects and programmes? Do the most
effective communications and relationships exist between Egypt and the UK in this
area? How will initiatives identified at the conference be carried forward?
Moderator:
Professor Magdy Ishak Hanna, Vice Chairman, British Egyptian Society
Speakers:
HE Dr Mostafa Mossad, Minister of Higher Education, Arab Republic of Egypt
Mr Alastair Burt MP
Minister for the Middle East, Her Majesty’s Government
Professor Sir Magdi Habib Yacoub
Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Imperial College, London
Mr James Watt CMG
Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador to Egypt
1715
Close of the Conference
Please note that the Shadow Moderator in Cairo will be Dr Ismail Ghita, School of Education,
Strathclyde University and in London it will be Mr Terence Bishop, Member of the Supervisory
Board, British Egyptian Society.