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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 Port Said University
The Minister of Higher Education directs:
• Universities to prepare for the first semester exams of the current academic year.
• Activating the role of research centers and innovation, and entrepreneurship incubators within universities.
• Encouraging international publication in prestigious scientific journals.
• Supporting applied scientific research related to sustainable development plans.
• The Council adopts the model for the strategic plan of the sectoral committees to prepare a strategy for each committee.
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 Port Said University.
The Council thanked the Port Said University community, headed by Dr. Sherif Saleh, President of the University, for hosting the meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities.
Therefore, the Council congratulated Dr. Mahfouz Abdel-Sattar on his appointment as President of Hurghada University, wishing him continued success and guidance in the coming period.
Dr. Ayman Ashour stressed the need for universities to be ready for the first semester exams of the current academic year. He also emphasized the completion of all academic and administrative preparations. He pointed out the need for teaching staff members, associated staff, and administrators to be present throughout the exam period to ensure the smooth running of exams at universities and institutes.
The minister directed the activation of the role of research centers and innovation and entrepreneurship incubators within universities, encouraging international publication in prestigious scientific journals, and supporting applied scientific research related to sustainable development plans, in line with the objectives of the National Strategy for Sustainable Innovation.
The Council heard a report on the most prominent activities of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research during December, foremost among which was the meeting between Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, and the Minister of Higher Education to review the most prominent results of the "Alliance and Development" initiative, which aims to promote innovation and entrepreneurship through regional alliances that include universities, scientific research, industry, and entrepreneurs.
Under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, and in the presence of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, and a group of ministers, Dr. Ayman Ashour witnessed the launch of the International Exhibition for Marketing Research and Innovation Outputs IRC EXPO 2025, which is one of the most prominent national events in the field of supporting innovation and scientific research, and linking education to the needs of the industrial community. The minister also announced the results of the presidential initiative "Alliance and Development" competition, with the signing of agreements with the winning alliances, as well as reviewing the national vision for scientific research in Egypt, on the sidelines of Egypt's hosting of the General Assembly of the Annual Tripartite Conference of the Partnership between Academies.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in cooperation with the European Union Mission in Egypt, launched the "Egypt-EU Research and Innovation Week," which is the largest of its kind since Egypt joined the Horizon Europe program as a partner country, as part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Egyptian-European cooperation agreement in science and technology, marking a new milestone in scientific cooperation between the two sides.
The report stated that Dr. Ayman Ashour opened the 124th regular session of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt in Cairo, followed by the 23rd meeting of the Secretaries-General of the Arab States, attended by the Secretaries-General of the Arab National Commissions.
The report added that Dr. Ayman Ashour inaugurated the fifth forum of the Union of Russian and Arab University Presidents at the University of the Capital (formerly Helwan University). The first phase of construction of the university medical complex, one of the largest medical and educational projects currently underway to serve southern Cairo, was also inaugurated. The Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and its counterpart, the Russian Federation's Ministry of Higher Education and Science, signed a new package of agreements to support cooperation.
As part of his field visits, Dr. Ayman Ashour inspected the Higher Institutes Complex in Beni Suef, where the grand hall was inaugurated, and held an extensive meeting with teaching staff members on the sidelines of the Institutes Affairs Council meeting.
The report added that the minister paid an inspection visit to Mansoura National University and inspected several specialized academic and research facilities in several of the university's buildings.
The report stated that Dr. Ayman Ashour attended the graduation ceremony for the first batch of graduates from the new Mansoura National University, and certificates of excellence were presented to outstanding students at the university.
The report noted the inspection tour inside the Electronics Research Institute headquarters in New Nozha, where the minister visited the Science and Technology City to view the institute's products and applied models to support local industry, in addition to launching the city's official website. He met with several graduates of the institute's scholarship and training programs, took a commemorative photo with them. Then, he inspected the research products exhibition, which featured advanced models of scientific research outputs and technological applications.
Moreover, the report stated that Dr. Ayman Ashour attended a ceremony marking the addition of three new Egyptian cities (Cairo, Mansoura, and Shebin El-Kom) to the UNESCO Learning Cities Network for 2025, organized by the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO, following UNESCO's approval of the nominations submitted by the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO.
The report noted that Dr. Ayman Ashour witnessed the signing of a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the United Nations Development Program with the aim of "transforming Egypt into a sustainable, innovative knowledge society" to implement the national policy for sustainable innovation.
The report highlighted Dr. Ayman Ashour's opening of the conference of the Tourism and Hotels Sector Committee of the Supreme Council of Universities, which included a series of specialized workshops aimed at deepening scientific and practical discussion on various tourism issues.
Then, the report highlighted the minister's honoring of Egyptian university students who won as part of the Egyptian delegation that participated in the 10th World University Games in Barcelona, Spain, in which 32 countries and 44 international universities participated. The students who won the Sixth Islamic Solidarity Games, held in the Saudi capital Riyadh with the participation of 57 Islamic countries, were also honored.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in collaboration with the SIMAGO ranking, Elsevier, and the Arab Union of Scientific Research Councils, announced the results of the fourth edition of the SIMAGO ranking for research centers in the Middle East and North Africa. The list of the top ten centers in the Middle East and North Africa included four centers in Egypt: The National Center for Scientific Research (NCPR), the National Center for Engineering and Applied Sciences (NCESA), the National Center for Agricultural Sciences (NCAS), and the National Center for Medical Sciences (NCMS). The report added that the minister witnessed the signing of a partnership agreement and the launch of the "Raya" program to train university doctors in university hospitals on early diagnosis and treatment.
The report added that the minister witnessed the signing of a partnership agreement and the launch of the "Raya" program to train university doctors in university hospitals on the early diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases in children, in cooperation between the Supreme Council of University Hospitals and AstraZeneca Egypt.
The report also covered the announcement of the winners of the public lottery for the 2026/1447 AH Hajj season, from among the ministry's employees, including teaching staff members and administrators at all universities, institutes, research centers, and the ministry's general office.
The report added that Dr. Ayman Ashour attended the celebration organized by the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology on "Genome Day III and the announcement of updates on the Egyptian and Ancient Egyptian Reference Genome Project."
The report highlighted the minister's meeting with the students of the first year nominated for doctoral scholarships for the 2025/2026 academic year, funded in partnership between the governments of the Arab Republic of Egypt and France, as part of the executive scholarship program extending until 2030.
In addition, the report noted that the minister held an extensive meeting with the minister of the public business sector to follow up on developments in cooperation between the two ministries and discuss opportunities for expanding strategic projects that contribute to the development of the higher education and scientific research system and maximize the use of assets owned by public business sector companies. It also reviewed the details of the project to establish the first integrated university education city in the Delta region, which will serve the governorates of Gharbia, Dakahlia, Menoufia, Kafr El Sheikh, and Damietta, meet the growing demand for university and technological education, and fill the region's need for modern educational institutions that keep pace with global developments.
The report added that the minister chaired several important meetings, most notably: the meeting of the Executive Committee of Missions, the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Fund for the Care of Innovators and Talents, the meeting of the Electronics Research Institute, and the meeting of the Egyptian Sports Union Institute for Universities.
The report concluded with a review of the most notable meetings held by the minister with ambassadors, officials, university presidents, and foreign delegations. He met with the French ambassador to Cairo and his accompanying delegation to follow up on the latest developments regarding the university's new campus project, in addition to meeting with the vice president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and her accompanying delegation to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two sides in joint educational projects. As well as discussing ways to cooperate with the African Union Commissioner for Education, Science and Innovation, and discussing mechanisms for utilizing the Egyptian Knowledge Bank in designing multidisciplinary curricula and developing training programs that support the capabilities of researchers and youth. He also met with the British Ambassador to Cairo to discuss prospects for cooperation between the two sides. In addition, he explored ways to enhance cooperation with a delegation from the University of San Antonio in Murcia (UCAM) in Spain and met with a German expert from the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at Dresden University of Technology to discuss the implementation steps for the International Transport University project in Egypt.
The Council witnessed the signing of several cooperation protocols between Port Said University and Sadat City University, the National Water Research Center, the Petroleum Research Center, and the Suez Canal Container Company, to cooperate in the fields of scientific research, holding joint training courses, seminars, and workshops, exchanging scientific journals and magazines, and providing practical training for students and graduates to meet the needs of the labor market.
Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, media advisor and official spokesperson for the ministry, stated that the council approved the model for the strategic plan for the university education sector committees for 2025, to formulate and prepare the strategy for each of the sector committees.
The official spokesperson added that the council reviewed a report that included the strategic plan for Qena University (2024/2030).
The Council approved the launch of the third edition of the Egyptian Student Participation Survey at Egyptian universities, from January 2026 to the end of July 2026. The survey targets final-year students for the 2025/2026 academic year at Egyptian universities. The survey aims to measure the quality of educational services at universities, strengthen communication channels between students and their educational institutions, spread a culture of participation and constructive interaction on campus, and issue accurate indicators on the quality of education and academic and professional support, thereby contributing to the development of university education in line with international standards of quality and accreditation.
The Council was informed of the approval of the Port Said University Council to establish an Enjaz company at the university.
The Council also reviewed the 18th edition of the African Strategic Report, issued by the Faculty of African Studies at Cairo University, which provides an analytical reading of the overall political, economic, social, and evolutionary developments on the African continent.