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Quoted from the official website of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Minister of Higher Education chairs meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities at Alexandria University
• Minister of Higher Education praises inclusion of 26 Egyptian universities in Times World Ranking 2026
• Minister of Higher Education praises the diverse cultural activities in university celebrations of the October victories
• Launch of the presidential initiative “Tamkeen” for the academic year 2025-2026 to support disabled students.
The Council reviews several reports on:
• The efforts of the committee formed to transform Egypt into a regional and international center for education, scientific research, and innovation
• Mansoura University's experience in internationalizing higher education
• The coordination of public universities for the academic year 2025/2026
The Supreme Council of Universities held its regular meeting, chaired by Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in the presence of Dr. Mustafa Refaat, Secretary of the Council, and the members of the Council, at the headquarters of Alexandria University.
Then, the Council thanked the Alexandria University family, headed by Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, President of the University, for hosting the meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities.
Dr. Ayman Ashour also congratulated the university professors who were included in the President's decision to appoint them to the Senate, which reflects the confidence of the political leadership and state institutions in university professors and their national role in supporting the development process.
Therefore, the minister praised the active role of universities in organizing numerous cultural events and seminars on the 52nd anniversary of the glorious October victories, by hosting icons of thought, culture, national security, and modern media with university students, and highlighting the lessons learned from them.
The minister praised the achievements made in terms of international university rankings, including the inclusion of 26 Egyptian universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2026, and the presence of nine Egyptian universities among the top 1,000 universities in the world. The minister stressed the need for universities to continue supporting researchers to increase scientific publications in prestigious scientific journals to raise the ranking of Egyptian universities in major international rankings.
Moreover, the minister indicated that the “Tamkeen” initiative will be activated for the 2025–2026 academic year, with events taking place from October 25 to 30 at universities in the seven regions. These events will include extensive awareness campaigns aimed at promoting the services offered by support centers for disabled students and raising awareness of the culture of inclusion and equality among students, faculty members, and teaching staff. He explained that the events will continue each Thursday in November 2025 to ensure sustained community interaction and expand participation within the university community. The activities will conclude on Thursday, December 4, 2025, coinciding with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebrations.
As well, the Council heard a report on the most notable activities of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research during October. The Minister noted that, in the presence of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, it was announced that Egypt had officially joined the Horizon Europe program for research and innovation, the European Union's flagship program in the field of scientific research and innovation. Egypt became the first Arab country and the second African country to join the program, in a historic step that marks a new chapter in scientific diplomacy and international cooperation between Egypt and the European Union. It also affirms the shared political will to strengthen cooperation in the areas of knowledge, innovation, and sustainable development.
In the presence and honor of Mrs. Entissar Al-Sisi, the Egyptian President`s wife, the Minister participated in a ceremony honoring the top technical education students for the 2024/2025 academic year, held under the slogan “I am a technician and proud,” in the presence of a group of ministers, where the minister announced the allocation of 34 full scholarships to the top technical education students for the academic year 2024/2025.
The minister also highlighted his visit to France to participate in the 222nd session of the UNESCO Executive Board. He also paid a visit to the Egyptian House at the International University dormitory in Paris and met with several Egyptian students at French universities and educational institutions. Dr. Ayman Ashour also held several meetings, where he met with a delegation from Gustave Eiffel University in France and visited the Alescis educational group in France to discuss mechanisms for enhancing academic cooperation and exchanging experiences. He also visited the National School of Architecture in Grenoble (ENSAG) and toured several research laboratories within the school.
Dr. Ayman Ashour also participated in the 222nd session of the UNESCO Executive Board meeting held at the organization's headquarters in Paris, which witnessed the announcement of Dr. Khaled El-Anany's election as Director-General of the organization. The minister also participated in a ceremony honoring Dr. Khaled El-Anany at Helwan University on his election as Director-General of the organization.
Under the auspices of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, the Prime Minister, Dr. Ayman Ashour participated in the first International Conference on Artificial Intelligence held at Cairo University. The Minister also participated in the first ministerial session of the conference to outline the future of artificial intelligence, with a view to raising institutional performance efficiency and national plans to integrate it into all sectors of the state. In this context, the Minister praised the success of the conference, which was attended by a group of ministers, experts, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and industrialists. Dr. Mohamed Sami Abdel-Sadiq, the President of Cairo University, explained that the conference contributed to the exchange of distinguished opinions and ideas, with more than 80 panel discussions and forums organized, with the participation of more than 350 keynote speakers and specialized experts, in a unique event attended by more than 20,000 participants. The conference succeeded in creating a common language of dialogue between academia and industry to develop a shared vision for the future of artificial intelligence.
As well, Dr. Ayman Ashour chaired the meeting of the Fulbright Board of Directors, which discussed the results of Fulbright grants for graduate students, professors and professionals from the two countries, as well as the programs implemented by the authority to host American experts and professors in Egyptian universities and ministries in various fields, in addition to reviewing the programs implemented by the authority to host American experts and professors.
In addition, Dr. Ashour witnessed the conclusion of the Egyptian-French Forum for Scientific and University Cooperation, the 10th session of the Egyptian-Chinese Joint Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation, the closing session of the Graduation Projects Competition as part of the 8th Cairo Water Week, the graduation ceremony of the 19th class of Senghor University in Alexandria, which coincided with the celebration of its 35th anniversary, the launch of the National Strategy for Urbanization and Green Building, and the opening of the Chest Diseases Conference.
Therefore, the minister held several important meetings, most notably the first meeting of the Permanent Coordination Committee to unify and coordinate visions between hospitals affiliated with the Ministries of Higher Education and Health and Population, the World Research Council regional meeting for the Middle East and North Africa, the board meeting of the Scientific Research and Technological Applications City, a meeting with the French ambassador in Cairo, and a meeting with the Italian ambassador in Cairo.
Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, the ministry's media advisor and spokesperson, said that the council approved the nomination of Dr. Mohamed Sami Abdel Sadek, the president of Cairo University, Dr. Ahmed Al-Menshawi, the president of Assiut University, and Dr. Ashraf Hnijal, the president of Suez University, as members of the Council of National Universities for the academic year 2025/2026.
Dr. Sherif Khater, the president of Mansoura University, Dr. Nasser El-Gizawy, the president of Benha University, and Dr. Essam Farahat, the president of Minya University, were approved as members of the Council of National Universities for the academic year 2025/2026.
The Council also reviewed the efforts of the committee, chaired by Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, President of Alexandria University, to promote Egyptian universities across various platforms by producing diverse digital content that addresses target groups both domestically and internationally.
Then, the Council listened to a detailed presentation by Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, the President of Alexandria University, on the committee's efforts to transform Egypt into a regional and international center for education, scientific research and innovation, contributing to building a knowledge economy and attracting students and researchers from all over the world, by encouraging public universities to establish partnerships to grant dual degrees with prestigious universities, internationalize public universities and establish branches outside Egypt, export the brand of Egyptian education and re-establish its historical status, increase the number of foreign students enrolled in Egyptian universities, link scientific research with international publication, and increase the number of international students enrolled in Egyptian universities.
In addition, the Council listened to a detailed presentation by Dr. Sherif Khater, the President of Mansoura University, on Mansoura University's experience in internationalizing higher education during the past three years. The presentation included a review of the steps taken by the university to internationalize higher education, expanding academic partnerships with prestigious international universities, reviewing international models of international universities with extensive experience in internationalizing higher education, reviewing the current status of the university and performance measurement indicators, and highlighting the proposed policies and strategies to expand the internationalization of higher education.
The Council listened to a detailed presentation by Dr. Gouda Ghanem, the Head of the Education Sector and General Supervisor of the Coordination Office, about the coordination work for the academic year 2025/2026. The report included a presentation on the most prominent work accomplished by the Office of Coordination of Admission to Universities and Institutes for 2025, as the Coordination Office succeeded in distributing 1,022,622 male and female students from Egyptian secondary school students, schools of excellence in science and technology, Nile International Certificate, Arab and foreign equivalent certificates, Al-Azhar Secondary and technical certificates to public universities and institutes through the electronic coordination website.
In this context, the Council thanked the team of the Coordination Office, under the supervision of Dr. Gouda Ghanem, for their outstanding efforts during the various stages of coordination.
After that, the council also thanked Cairo University, headed by Dr. Mohamed Samy, the President of the University, for hosting the coordination office and providing all forms of support and facilities necessary for the work of the coordination office.
Then, the Council thanked the Secretariat of the Supreme Council of Universities, under the supervision of Dr. Mostafa Refaat, the Secretary of the Council, for providing all forms of technical support for the work of the coordination office.
The Council also thanked the General Department of the Ministry's Media Office and Spokesperson, under the supervision of Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, the Ministry's Media Advisor and Spokesperson, for its prominent role in educating students on how to coordinate and provide guides and explanations to students during the coordination stages.
Therefore, the council listened to a presentation by Dr. Omar Sherif Omar, the secretary of the Supreme Council of University Hospitals, on the follow-up of permanent maintenance work at university hospitals to ensure the continued provision of adequate health services to citizens.
The council was informed that the Benha University Council has approved the guidebook of the university's psychological support unit, as a specialized entity concerned with the mental health of students and workers within the university.