Date:
04/01/2016
I-Note Number:
IUIN32
Information Note
Contact:
Katie Britton – Policy Officer
Title
Update on Egypt
Middle East and Africa
Action
katie.britton@international.ac.uk
For Information
Audience
Middle East and North Africa Community of Practice; Directors of
International; Newton Fund Community of Practice
Executive Summary
This information note provides details of recent developments in Egypt,
including details of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the
governments of the UK and Egypt, a recent delegation organised by the
International Unit and the British Council, and outlines potential
challenges and opportunities.
Annexes

The IU- British Council October Delegation briefing

Powerpoint Presentation of New Giza opportunity

SCU powerpoint on UK Egypt Collaboration
Executive Summary
1. The International Unit’s engagement with Egypt has gathered apace in the last twelve months with three
outbound delegations. The IU and MENA Community of Practice Chair both attended the inaugural
Egypt-UK Higher Education Policy Dialogue in Cairo in March which set out to identify possible areas for
further collaboration. This was followed in August by another visit alongside colleagues in BIS in
preparation for the successful outbound delegation which occurred between the 12 and 15 October 2015.
2. The IU is continuing to engage with activities in Egypt and particularly in supporting the outcomes of the
October delegation and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Egyptian
governments in November 2015. We are also involved in scoping interest in Transnational Education
opportunities in Egypt and will continue to circulate prospective TNE opportunities, such as in New Giza,
to the sector. Egypt will continue to remain one of the IU’s main focuses within the MENA region, thanks
in no small part to its pivotal historical, economic, political and social affairs role in the region.
3. In the coming year the IU will engage with the British Council and UK Government on the UK-Egypt Year
of Research Innovation and Education and will keep the sector up-to-date with opportunities relating to
this. In reference to the Education MoU, the IU will play its part in the development of particular research
collaboration opportunities in areas related to health and cultural heritage. These areas will also benefit
from an increase to the Newton-Mosharafa fund, opportunities which the IU will remain committed to
sharing with the sector. The IU will also support the development of the Higher Education Regulatory
Funding Authority, which will tangibly improve the autonomy of Egyptian Higher Education Institutions.
1
Context
4. Egypt is the second most populous country on the African continent with around 88.5m people living in
the country. It also has a young population and as such investment in education is a key priority for the
current administration. Egypt has the third largest economy in Africa behind Nigeria and South Africa with
1
a current GDP of $286.5 billion, and is defined as a Lower Middle Income country by the World Bank .
However, despite having an economy of great potential, in recent times significant political instability has
had a major impact with unemployment and poverty both key national issues. Nonetheless, it is still seen
as one of the strongest countries in the Middle East and Africa for academic research and provides a
pivotal role in the affairs of the region.
Developments & Opportunities
5. Egypt is undoubtedly a country with a real mixture of challenges and opportunities. The ongoing political
instability in the region is cause for concern and unemployment and poverty rates have both risen since
the 2011 revolution with poverty increasing to 26.4%. Nevertheless, with 49.5% of its population under
2
25 Egypt appears committed to strengthening and reforming the Higher Education sector and has
identified the UK as a key partner in this reform. This commitment will have a trickle-down effect on the
educational, entrepreneurial and employment environments within the country.
6. In recent years the government’s investment in scientific research has increased with a constitutional
commitment to bring spend up from 0.2% to 1.0% of GDP. Science and Technology Development Fund
(the Egyptian equivalent of Research Councils) provides research grants through competitive calls. They
are well funded (an annual budget of around £500m). However, the sector lacks the capacity to deliver so
many grants, and in recent years STDF has returned more than half its budget unspent.
7. Along with a strong financial commitment to education, particularly in STEM subjects, there is already a
strong and lasting partnership between the UK and Egypt. Further British-Egyptian higher education
engagement will help Egypt build a university system that raises educational standards, give institutions
the independence they need to innovate, and enjoy strong international connections.
Memorandum of Understanding
8. Following collaboration between the International Knowledge and Innovation (IKI) team at BIS, the
International Unit and with the British Council, British Embassy in Cairo and the Supreme Council of
Universities, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by British and Egyptian Governments in
th
London on 6 November 2015. The MoU comprises several high impact aims.
1
World Bank data http://data.worldbank.org/country/egypt-arab-republic?display=graph#cp_wdi accessed 2
November 2015.
2
CIA World Factbook- Egypt https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html accessed 2
November 2015.
2
9. The principle aim of the MoU is to establish ongoing and significant dialogue policies and methods across
the areas of research, innovation and education between Egypt and the UK. This is in line with the aims
of the Year of Research, Innovation and Education in 2016. The Memorandum also details specific
priorities within these three areas of interest.
Development of a Funding and Governance Model for Egypt
10. One of the main aims is to establish a working committee to develop a new Higher Education funding and
governance model for Egypt. The ambition for this is to institute major structural reforms to enhance the
effectiveness of Egyptian Higher Education. An action plan for its development is due to be submitted to
the relevant authorities in both countries by April 2016.
11. In particular, the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU), which formulates Egypt’s education policy has
sought to focus partnerships between the UK and Egypt in the following areas:

Designing and developing a new higher education body, and new policies and systems, to
provide greater autonomy for universities. The structural reform component of this activity will be
established as HERFA (Higher Education Regulatory Funding Authority) which will focus on new
funding models and regulatory regimes as well as improving the autonomy of higher education
institutions. This will be achieved through work with BIS and UK standards bodies.

Improving research infrastructure through work with RCUK.

Developing a new model of HE Quality Assurance with UK standards bodies.

Developing a National Quality Teaching Framework, working with the Higher Education
Academy.

Developing a data set and the data management needed for decision making at sector and
institutional level, working with HEFCE.
12. These projects will be ultimately managed by the SCU and chaired by Ashraf Hatem, Secretary General
of SCU. UK support will come from the Department of Business Innovation and Skills and a team of
experts from the UK Sector.
13. Due to the sheer number of projects within the development of HERFA and the scale of changes
proposed, the intention is to stagger these projects over a five-year period.
New Higher Education Assessment System
14. The UK and Egyptian governments have agreed to support the activities of the Cambridge English
Language Assessment Admission Testing Service in the development of a suite of university admissions
tests for use by Egyptian Higher Education Institutions.
3
15. This will initially be a ten year programme to deliver institutional capacity building for assessment in higher
education and is due to start in January 2016.
Professional Development
16. Both parties have also agreed to share examples of good practice in order to build pilot programmes to
build capacity in continuing professional development for Higher Education professionals in the Egyptian
sector. Areas of shared interest will include leadership and management training, specialist professional
training in research and innovation management and development of teaching excellence.
Collaboration Portal
17. There is a shared interest in the development of a “portal” through which mutually beneficial collaboration
opportunities between the UK and Egypt can be raised and considered by interested institutions.
Specifically, this will enable partnerships with UK universities at an institution level to facilitate greater
staff and student mobility as well as providing information on potential research collaboration
opportunities. It is anticipated that the portal will act as a matchmaking service for research at project and
institutional level.
Health Education
18. A number of joint projects will be undertaken on all aspects of education and training for health
professionals.
19. This section of the MoU also contained an agreement to facilitate partnerships in order to address major
health challenges faced in both countries. This is likely to be achieved through a number of methods:
training of health care professionals, institutional engagement to deliver joint programmes on people
exchanges, and curriculum development and assessment.
20. Specifically, this section of the agreement also seeks to enable the development of a programme to train
medical trainees in England with the expectation that students would then be supported by the Egyptian
Government and return to Egypt to practice.
21. Work to build these opportunities will be conducted alongside the Ministry for Health in Egypt and
professional medical bodies in the UK, including Healthcare UK.
Heritage Science and Management
22. This section of the MoU set out agreements surrounding the sharing of best practice in Heritage Science
and Management. Primarily this agreement aims to build capacity and also to support the social and
economic sustainability of heritage sites and cultural institutions. The support will be directed towards
respective world leading cultural institutions and research within the UK and Egyptian Higher Education
sectors.
4
23. Specifically, the underpinning of educational structures in this area of focus will enable support of the
highest quality work and the greatest social benefit across these areas.
24. Importantly, agreements in this area reflect the national funding priority for research by Egypt as well as a
continuation of UK engagement in Egypt which is already in place at institutions such as the British
Library and British Museum.
TVET Opportunities
25. The UK and Egyptian governments have also agreed to explore and develop approaches around TVET to
promote effective provision for young people, including capacity-building and training across the whole
spectrum of TVET provision- including administration, funding approaches and training standards.
26. Although not expected to be part of the first tranche of reforms it is expected that the capacity-building
outcome of this agreement will enable Egyptians wider access to globally recognised vocational
qualifications.
Newton-Mosharafa Fund
27. The Newton Fund is part of the UK’s official development assistance. Its aim is to develop science and
innovation partnerships that promote the economic development and welfare of developing countries. The
fund is £75 million each year from 2014. The Government has recently announced that this funding has
been extended beyond the initial five years to continue until 2021. The fund supports bi-lateral projects
across fifteen nations: Egypt is currently the only country representative within the MENA region.
28. The Newton-Mosharafa Fund is part of the Global Newton Fund but exists specifically as an innovation
partnership programme between Egypt and the UK and aims to build capacity in the Egypt science
sector. It is named after the English mathematician and physicist Sir Isaac Newton and the eminent
th
Egyptian theoretical physicist Dr Ali Moustafa Mosharafa whose work in the first half of the 20 century
assisted in the development of Quantum Theory and Einsteinian Theory of Relativity.
29. The agreed funding structure for Newton-Mosharafa was previously £4million per year for five years, with
£2million coming from each country. However, the signing of the MoU in November, this figure has been
increased by £1.5million on both the UK and Egyptian sides for this year. The funding on the UK side
comes from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. In Egypt, the funding is contributed by the
Ministries of Scientific Research, and Higher Education. It is further intended that all of the projects
proposed under the reform agenda will be co-funded, following the Newton-Mosharafa model. The UK
recently launched the Newton-Mosharafa science and innovation fund and this year tripled funding for
Chevening scholarships.
5
30. In 2014-15 the fund enabled 64 students to enrol on PhD programmes via scholarships, facilitated 9
research partnerships between institutions in the UK and Egypt to collaborate on research worth a total of
£300,000 and allowed 350 researchers to participate in bilateral workshops and conferences.
31. In 2015-16, the second year of the project, it is intended to fund further PhD scholarships plus initiatives
including researcher connect training (facilitating researchers to engage in international research
conversations) and capacity building for innovation and knowledge exchange, particularly between
university research and the private sector.
32. Further information regarding the Newton-Mosharafa fund can be found via the British Council’s Newton
Mosharafa funding brief.
Capacity Building in the Sector
33. Egypt has a fairly strong research sector compared to benchmark countries. However, capacity is one of
the major issues currently facing the Egyptian higher education system and translation of research
outputs to economic gain has been minimal. The sector is failing to sufficiently serve the needs of the
country in order to compete in a globalised economy.
34. Areas where capacity build-up is particularly required have been identified and include commercialisation,
innovation management, science park establishment and industry-academia collaboration schemes.
35. Similarly, very little research is currently done within industry: Global Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) do
not carry out research and development activities in Egypt while Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
(SMEs) currently lack the knowledge, desire and understanding to do so.
Egypt and Erasmus+ Funding
36. For the region in general and Egypt in particular, Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (ICM) Funding
offers an opportunities for UK HEIs to engage staff and students which could lead to research
collaboration either as a lead partner country or in collaboration with other European partner countries.
37. The 2016 round of applications for Erasmus+ (ICM) Funding is currently open: the deadline for
submissions is 2 February 2016. Egypt falls within the South Mediterranean envelope of the European
Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) which for 2016 submission has the largest proportion of available
funding compared to any other envelope.
38. For countries in the South Mediterranean envelope, which includes Egypt, a minimum of 90% of the
available budget must be used for incoming student or staff mobility from the Partner Country, in order for
the bid to be eligible for funding.
6
Collaboration between Egypt and the UK
39. As evidenced by the signing of the MoU Egypt has identified the UK’s higher education system as the
model on which to base its wide reaching reforms. To that end, two high profile delegations from the UK
HE Sector have visited Egypt in 2015. Furthermore, 2016 has been designated as the ‘Egypt-UK Year of
Research, Innovation and Education’. This has been designed specifically to strengthen the relationship
between the two nations in the areas of research, innovation and education and will be maintained
through high level bi-lateral discussions regarding collaboration opportunities in this area.
Existing University Collaborations
40. A number of UK institutions are already engaged with Egypt both through collaborations in research and
at institution level for example including:

The British University of Egypt- which delivers London South Bank University, Loughborough University
and Queen Margaret University qualifications.

Heriot-Watt University, which has a partnership with Ain Shams University, to deliver its MBA programme.

Cardiff Metropolitan University has a well-established and highly successful partnership with the Arab
Academy including the delivery of an MBA programme.

Imperial College is working with the Egyptian National Liver Institute on Newton-funded institutional link.

Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA) University in Cairo awards dual degrees with two UK Universities.
Degrees are awarded jointly with the University of Bedfordshire in mass communication, languages, and
art and design while degrees in engineering, pharmacy, computer sciences, biotechnology and
management sciences are awarded jointly with the University of Greenwich.
British Council and TNE Opportunities in Egypt
41. The British Council has long recognised Egypt’s position as an important link between the Middle East
and Africa but during the Mubarak period (1981-2011) activity by the British Council and by individual UK
universities was limited. However, since 2011- and following the investment of other countries such as
Germany in scholarships and collaborative programmes- the British Council set in motion a phased
programme of development to create a shared Egypt/UK International Higher Education strategy.
42. This phased programme has already resulted in the development of a network of senior contacts in key
countries and a series of study visits between the UK and Egypt.
43. The British Council is now undertaking a project to research the current and potential market for UK
Transnational Education (TNE) programmes in Egypt amid a growing appetite for this kind of engagement
with the UK sector.
7
44. Egypt is already reaching out in kind with TNE opportunities, for example, the New Giza University
campus and Knowledge City opportunities which were cited in the previous Community of Practice paper.
The New Giza brief can be found as an annex to this document.
IU Engagement with Egypt
45. Building on pre-existing university and British Council links the International Unit engagement with Egypt
has grown significantly over the last 12 months.
46. Initially, a delegation led by Dr Ashraf Hatem, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Universities
(SCU), met with the IU in September 2014. During the visit, the Egyptian Minister for Scientific Research
signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Newton-Mosharafa Fund with Greg Clarke, the then
Minister for Universities, Science and Cities at BIS on September 12 2014, in the presence of the Director
of the IU. For reference a copy of the SCU presentation “Forging the Future: UK Egypt Collaboration” can
be found as an annex to this document.
47. On the 8 December 2014 the International Unit invited Professor Hussain Essa (President Ain Shams
University), Professor Yasr Sakr (President Helwan University) and Dr Mansour Kabbash (President
Aswan University) to speak at the MENA Community of Practice on the subject of the challenges and
opportunities in Egypt. The topics of this presentation were the building on Newton-Mosharafa in the
wake of the MoU, HE reforms and raising Egypt’s profile in the UK sector.
48. In 2015 the IU has undertaken a further three visits to Egypt. On 3 and 4 March, the IU MENA Policy
Lead and Chair of the MENA Community of Practice attended the inaugural Egypt-UK Higher Education
Policy Dialogue. This event was designed to build on identifying areas and ways in which the UK and
Egypt might collaborate in the future. The majority of Egypt’s state universities’ Presidents attended along
with representatives from relevant Ministries and other members from the HE sector.
49. In August, the Assistant Director of Policy HE IU, Dan Shah, and the Head of International Knowledge
and Innovation at BIS, Claire Durkin, travelled to Egypt to conduct a scoping mission and preliminary
meetings in anticipation of the October delegation of UK universities and wider sector representatives to
Egypt. These meetings were conducted with university presidents and deans of major Egyptian Higher
Education institutions, as well as directors of key cultural sites and confirmed a deepening interest in
closer collaboration with the UK. Dan Shah and Claire Durkin also conducted a local TV interview
discussing the UK’s interest in Egypt. The visit also enabled dialogue with prospective and private HE
developments including at New Giza and Knowledge City.
October Delegation to Egypt
50. The delegation to Egypt, led by Chief Scientific Adviser at the Foreign Office, Professor Robin Grimes,
with the International Unit and British Council took place between 12 and 15 October 2015. During the
8
four day visit IU delegates met with four leading universities and research hubs. Delegates also attended
a Higher Education Event which provided opportunities for institutional networking with Egyptian
institutions to discuss international collaboration.
51. Delegates attending came from the following institutions:

Edge Hill University

Aston University

University of Bath

Cardiff Metropolitan University

London South Bank University

University of Dundee

University of Hull

University of Aberdeen

University of Surrey
52. The visit gave delegates the opportunity to visit a number of a number of universities and cultural and
scientific institutions including the Arab Academy for Science and Technology (ASST), Alexandria
University, Borg El Arab, Ain Shams University and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
53. The high level discussions which took place between delegates, representatives of the Egyptian higher
education sector and the Supreme Council of Universities at the Higher Education Event helped to inform
the design of the MoU which was signed by the Egyptian and UK governments in November.
54. Additionally, Dan Shah and Claire Durkin met with the new Minister for Higher Education Ashraf el-Sheehi
and the Minister for Health and Population Ahmed Rady.
55. An extract from the briefing document for this event can be found as an annex to this note.
Additional Information on Egypt
Political Background
56. Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt for thirty years prior to the uprising of 2010. Egypt’s current President, Abdul
Fattah al-Sisi, came to prominence as a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF),
which governed after the fall of Mubarak.
57. Formally Commander-in-chief of the armed forces President Sisi resigned from the military on 26 March
2014 in order to run for President, nine months after he helped to remove the elected president,
Mohammed Morsi. Mohammed Morsi’s party, the Muslim Brotherhood, is now banned in Egypt and Morsi
9
has since been handed a death sentence following trial convicting him of involvement in a mass prison
break during the 2011 revolution.
58. More recently, the first round of elections for the new government began on 17 and 18 October 2015, with
a second round held in mid-November. However, a sense of electoral fatigue is high among voters, and
particularly among young Egyptians, with turnout from the first round of elections only 26.7%. The
second, which began on the 21 November was again met with an apathetic electorate, with less than a
third of the electorate turning out to vote with final run-off elections held on the 1 and 2 December.
59. Nonetheless, the “For the Love of Egypt” coalition- a loyalist electoral alliance led by a former intelligence
will enter parliament with all 120 seats allocated, supporting President Sisi’s return to office.
3
60. There have been a number of ministerial reshuffles in recent times. Most recently the Ministries of
Scientific Research and Higher Education were merged into one with Ashraf el-Sheehi sworn in as
4
th
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research on 19 September 2015 - the 11 Minister for Higher
Education since the 2011 revolution. The former Minister of Higher Education El-Sayed Abdel Khalek was
replaced following a series of disputed decisions related to admission to higher education and was very
5
unpopular with student unions and academic staff .
61. President Sisi’s visit to the UK as a Guest of the Government coincided with the decision taken by the UK
Government to suspend all flights out of Sharm El-Sheikh following the Russian Metrojet Flight 9628 air
disaster. This followed intelligence received by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre that the cause of the
6
crash may have been a bomb in the hold of the aircraft - a theory that has since been upheld by the
7
Russian authorities .
Egyptian HE Sector
Governance
62. The Egyptian education system is the largest in the region, and is relatively centralised. There are two
parallel educational systems operating in Egypt: the modern secular system and the Al Azhar Islamic
system. The secular system is administered by the Ministry of Education (MOE) at all levels and consists
of both public and private schools. Al Azhar schools use a similar curriculum but with a greater emphasis
3
Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-election-idUSKBN0TN25L20151204#IZtBAb2xBImop1st.97
accessed 11 December 2015.
4
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/141862/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-Sherif-Ismail-cabinet-with--newfaces-sworn.aspx accessed 2 November 2015.
5
University World News http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=2015092413574632 accessed 2
November 2015
6
BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34742273 accessed 6 November 2015
7
The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/17/egypt-plane-crash-bomb-jet-russia-securityservice accessed 18 November 2015
10
on classical Arabic and Islamic studies. This system has undergone a number of reforms to align it with
8
the mainstream system .
63. The Supreme Council of Universities (SCU) is chaired by the Minister of Higher Education. It formulates
university education policy, coordinates university programmes, determines how many students may be
admitted to the various faculties each year, and advises the government on university financial affairs. It
is managed by a Secretariat but all university Presidents are also members.
64. The right to free education is protected by the Egyptian constitution and university education is largely
sponsored.
65. Quality assurance and accreditation in higher education is carried out by the National Authority for Quality
Assurance and Accreditation of Education (NAQAAE), which is part of the Arab Network for Quality
Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE). A five year assessment by NAQAAE is mandatory for higher
education institutions.
Enrolment and Retention Rates
66. Higher education is provided by universities (Jâmi`a), which offer both academic programmes as well as
higher professional education. Egypt has 23 state-run universities, and there are currently 33 private
universities. Most private universities are recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education with both public
and private institutions having a considerable amount of freedom in setting their curricula.
67. Entry to University is based on the results of the Thanaweya A’ama (General Secondary School
Certificate) and is highly competitive. An average mark of 70–75% is required to meet matriculation
requirements although some university faculties (e.g. engineering and medicine) may demand higher
9
grades .
68. Egypt currently has over two million students- the overwhelming majority of which study at its 23 public
universities (with only around 60,000 students are enrolled in private universities). 8% of students are
currently enrolled on PhDs with the Supreme Council of Universities aspiring to increase this to 12% by
the year 2020.
8
UK NARIC Country Profile- Egypt accessed 2 November 2015.
UCAS International Qualification Profiles https://www.ucas.com/sites/default/files/2015-internationalqualifications.pdf accessed 2 November 2015.
9
11
10
69. In 2013 510,363 students graduated from institutions in Egypt. 52.1% of these were female . However,
unemployment rates run at nearly 40% and on average it takes five years for an Egyptian graduate to find
11
stable employment .
70. Enrolments in Higher Education are much higher for Humanities and Social Science subjects compared
12
to STEM subjects (64.0% compared to 17.6%) .
Mobility
71. According to UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics (IUS), 19,744 Egyptian students were outwardly mobile in
2014, accounting for approximately 2% of the total number of students in Egypt.
72. The most popular destinations for outwardly mobile were Saudi Arabia (21.2%), United Arab Emirates
(17.0%), USA (12.6%), France (6.9%) and the UK. HESA data from 2013-14 that 1,425 Egyptian students
13
were registered on a degree programme in the UK .
Egypt’s New Education Strategy
73. The current administration in Egypt has recognised that the higher education sector should a key role in
the development of the country economically, culturally and socially and is seeking to reform the system
accordingly. The two main objectives for reform are:

To produce a sufficient number of graduates with the requisite skills and knowledge to drive the
economy forward and contribute positively to society.

To improve the quality of the research and development carried out by the higher education
sector in Egypt.
74. These objectives have been established alongside a ten year vision by the Egyptian government to
transform Egypt’s universities into ‘modern, autonomous, research intensive, market-oriented and
student-centred organisations’ as well as equipping a young population with the necessary skills to join
the work force.
75. The government has also identified that a closer fit between curricula in universities in order to fit with
societal need is a fundamental area of reform, again for reasons relating to post-graduation employment
rates.
10
UIS Data http://data.uis.unesco.org/ accessed 2 November 2015.
http://www.britishcouncil.tn/sites/default/files/education_in_north_africa_-_hammamet_conference_2014.pdf
accessed 5 November 2015.
12
http://www.britishcouncil.tn/sites/default/files/education_in_north_africa_-_hammamet_conference_2014.pdf
accessed 5 November 2015.
13
http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Pages/international-student-flow-viz.aspx accessed 2 November 2015.
11
12
76. In order to facilitate this process significant increases in investment in the higher education sector were
written into Egypt’s new Constitution in 2014. However, the legislation that currently governs higher
education is more than 40 years old and has been identified as an area in need of additional reform.
Research Interests and Strengths
77. The Ministry for Higher Education and Scientific Research has identified the following areas as national
priorities for funding research:

Energy

Food

Healthcare

Water

Cultural Heritage
78. The Ministry is seeking to develop research in these areas, and Egypt’s existing research base has been
identified as strong in areas related to: microelectronics; sensor design; renewable energy; power
electronics and embedded systems; water treatment; chemistry; nanotechnology; and medical sciences.
Government Economic Input to Education
79. In September, the Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform Ministry announced an allocation of
approximately LE5.2 billion to develop university education. This was announced as part of a wider
package of funding for education which also included investment in vocation training.
80. Related perhaps to the recent merger of the Higher Education and Science Ministries the government has
identified scientific research as an important way to stimulate economic growth and has accordingly
increased investment in this area with a constitutional commitment to bring spending up to 1% of GDP.
81. Egypt’s current equivalent to Research Councils is the Science and Technology Development Fund,
which has an annual budget of £500m.
82. Egypt has bilateral funding agreements with most major developed economies as well as several major
Middle Eastern countries- one of biggest of which is the UK-Egyptian Newton-Mosharafa Fund.
Egyptian Students in the UK Sector
83. In 2013-2014, there were 14,710 students enrolled in UK programmes in Egypt as compared to 1,425
Egyptian students studying UK degrees in the UK. The vast majority of these students were undertaking a
first degree either by studying overseas but not at a campus of a reporting provider (remote distance
learning) or studying at a partner organisation.
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84. HESA data from 2012/13 shows that, unlike students who remain in Egypt for the duration of their
studies, the most popular subject areas for Egyptian students studying in the UK were Business and
Administrative Studies (28.2% of total students) and Engineering and Technology (19.1%).
85. Currently, there are no standalone UK HEI branch campuses operating in Egypt. However, there is a
growing appetite for Transnational Education opportunities between the Egypt and the UK, which are
currently being explored by the British Council.
86. Heriot-Watt University awards the largest number of degrees to students registered at an overseas
partner institute. The university has two Approved Learning Partners in Egypt: The American University of
Cairo, which delivers an MBA programme and Ain Shams University with delivers an MBA and MSc in
Human Resource Management.
87. There is one private UK institution based in Egypt. The British University in Egypt arose from a 1998
Memorandum of Cooperation between the UK and the Egyptian Governments and was formally
inaugurated in 2006. A group of UK universities, London South Bank University, Loughborough University
and Queen Margaret University, provide the academic direction, teaching and quality management
processes at this institution and offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across eight
faculties.
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Sources
http://www.topuniversities.com/where-to-study/africa/egypt/guide
https://www.ucas.com/sites/default/files/2015-international-qualifications.pdf
UK NARIC- Egypt Country Profile
https://www.nuffic.nl/en/library/education-system-egypt.pdf
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34565022
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34542128
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/141862/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-Sherif-Ismail-cabinet-with--newfaces-sworn.aspx
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/le93-billion-allocated-developing-education
https://www.lfhe.ac.uk/en/news/index.cfm/johnsegypt
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