The Supreme Council for Education and Student Affairs held its regular meeting, chaired by Dr. Mostafa Refaat, Secretary of the Supreme Council of Universities. It was attended by Dr. Ashraf Hnijal, the SU President, and members of the Council at the SU headquarters.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Mustafa Refaat thanked the SU family, headed by Dr. Ashraf Hnijal, for hosting the Council meeting. He congratulated Dr. Ezz El-Din El-Husseini on his appointment as SU Vice President for Education and Student Affairs, wishing him continued success. He also congratulated the Council and the great Egyptians on the 52nd anniversary of the glorious victories of October 6.

For his part, Dr. Ashraf Hnijal welcomed the attendees, expressing his delight and that of all university staff at hosting this distinguished gathering of academic leaders. He also thanked the vice presidents of universities for education and student affairs and the Supreme Council of Universities for their joint efforts in developing the education and student sectors at Egyptian universities.

The Council congratulated Dr. Ismail Ibrahim on his appointment as Acting President of Kafr El Sheikh University. The Council also congratulated the new members who were appointed by presidential decree to the position of Vice President for Education and Student Affairs, namely Dr. Mostafa Mahmoud, Vice President of Minya University for Education and Student Affairs, Dr. Hamada Mohamed, Vice President of Beni Suief University for Education and Student Affairs, Dr. Mahmoud Ali, Vice President of Al-Arish University for Education and Student Affairs, Dr. Ashraf Mohamed as Vice President of South Valley University for Education and Student Affairs, and Dr. Ahmed Adel as Vice President of Alexandria University for Education and Student Affairs. The Council congratulated Dr. Ahmed Emad on his appointment as Assistant Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research for Student Life.

The Council discussed several topics, including a letter from the Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education for Student Activities and the Director of the Leadership Preparation Institute regarding the launch of the National Reading Project in its fifth year. It is being implemented by the Scientific Research Foundation in support of quality education. The Council listened to a presentation by Dr. Abdo Ibrahim and Mr. Ibrahim Al-Deeb on the mechanisms for university students to participate in the Intellectual University Student Competition through the project's official website.

https://nationalreadingprogramme.com/

In continuation of the implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Drugs and Reduce the Risks of Abuse and Addiction, which was launched under the auspices of the Egyptian President, the Council heard a presentation from Dr. Amr Othman, Director of the Addiction Control and Treatment Fund, on the most dangerous types of synthetic drugs (GHB) and the repercussions of the phenomenon of abuse and addiction.

On the sidelines of the meeting, a cooperation protocol was signed between Suez University and the Anti-Addiction Fund to open a new branch of the 16023 hotline and operate medical clinics at the SU Faculty of Medicine to treat addiction patients for free according to international standards. The service aims to treat approximately 3,000 patients annually in Suez and neighboring governorates, while providing infectious virus testing for the groups most vulnerable to infection.

The Council reviewed the report submitted by Dr. Mohamed Attia, Vice President of Mansoura University for Education and Student Affairs and Chairman of the Committee formed to study the improvement of service quality in university dormitories, which included a questionnaire to measure the quality of services in university dormitories in various Egyptian universities, which will be circulated to Egyptian universities; to develop the accommodation system and services provided to students in the areas of housing, nutrition, maintenance, cleanliness, security, and medical services.

The Council reviewed an awareness video prepared in collaboration between the General Administration for Education and Student Affairs and the Electronic and Knowledge Services Center of the Supreme Council of Universities, addressing the role of universities in addressing the phenomenon of street children and reflecting the humanitarian and social vision of the Supreme Council of Universities in addressing this phenomenon. https://youtu.be/q_lVjvdibB0 .

The Council listened to a presentation by Dr. Omar Salem, Director of the Electronic and Knowledge Services Center at the Supreme Council of Universities, on the new additions made to the platform for registering student activities (psychological support centers, centers for disabled students). He also reviewed the statistical data added to the Council's statistics platform, relating to the following students benefiting from the Takaful and Karama programs, as well as data on the children of martyrs and injured persons enrolled in universities (public, private, and national universities), and data on students with disabilities of various categories at public universities, to support decision-makers and develop university education policies.

The Council also heard a presentation by Dr. Mohamed Bahiri, advisor to the National Alliance for Information Technology and representative of the National Alliance for Civil Development Work, on the advantages and features of the “Insan” platform for volunteer work, its legal and institutional framework, and its role in promoting a culture of volunteerism and empowering youth and civil society organizations to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals and investing the energies of university youth in volunteer work.

The Council approved the unified guidelines for psychological support units and centers at Egyptian public universities (Policy and Procedures Manual for Psychological, Social, and Family Counseling Centers), which were reviewed by Dr. Karim Hammam, Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education for Student Activities and Secretary of the Social Studies Sector Committee. In this context, the Council agreed to standardize the name of the centers to be “Center for Psychological and Social Support and Family Counseling,” emphasizing the role of universities in building individuals and developing their intellectual, psychological, and social abilities through providing psychological and social support and counseling services, spreading a culture of mental health, as well as supporting vulnerable groups and disabled people, and activating psychological awareness and prevention programs within the university community.

The Council was also informed of several topics, including:

• The report of the Higher Committee for Aptitude Tests for the academic year 2025/2026, which included the total number of applicants for the tests and the percentages of those who passed and failed, as well as an analytical comparison between the results of the aptitude tests for 2024 and 2025. and detailed statistics at the level of colleges, sectors, and universities.

• The official launch of the presidential initiative “Tamkeen” aimed at raising community awareness of the rights of disabled students, scheduled to be implemented during the period from October 25 to 30, 2025, emphasizing the importance of university cooperation in implementing its activities and the need to provide a comprehensive assessment of the readiness of university buildings to accommodate the needs of disabled students.

• Finalization of the “University Student Charter” prepared by the Supreme Council of Universities to develop distinguished, creative, and responsible students who contribute to the development of society through knowledge and ethical commitment. The charter aims to inform students of their rights and duties within the university community and to strengthen their sense of responsibility towards themselves, their university, and their community. It also encompasses the general principles of university behavior and ethics, with each university issuing its own detailed code of ethical standards to reinforce its values and ethics, without superseding the laws and regulations in force.

• Approval by the Benha University Council of the student code of conduct and ethical and behavioral rules for students at Benha University.

The Council approved the launch of the third edition of the Egyptian Student Survey Engagement (ESSE) for Egyptian universities, which will run from December 2025 to July 2026. The survey targets final-year students in the 2025/2026 academic year at Egyptian universities. Universities begin sending data on final-year students in university faculties for the 2025/2026 academic year from October until mid-November.