Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ayman Ashour directed that universities must continue to be engaged in community service in cooperation with the presidential “Decent Life” rural development initiative.
Chairing a regular meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU) at Alexandria University on Saturday, Ashour also urged universities to exert more efforts to eradicate illiteracy in coordination with the General Authority for Adult Education, while cooperating with the ministry’s center for supporting talented persons and geniuses to organize useful sports and cultural events for students nationwide.
Congratulating Ashour on his appointment as minister of higher education and scientific research, former Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar thanked the ministry’s officials and the council members for their fruitful cooperation with him over the past five and a half years.
Ashour instructed the bodies concerned to adopt certain programs to fulfill the needs of talented persons and geniuses, improve their abilities, inculcate a sense of loyalty in them, and educate them about the dangers of extremist ideologies.
He also emphasized the importance of linking research plans at each university to the challenges facing the province where the respective university is located, to serve the State’s plans for comprehensive and sustainable development.
During his speech at the council’s meeting, Ashour reviewed the main features of his ministry’s executive plan to improve the national higher education and scientific research system.
He said the plan involves offering educational opportunities that are relevant to labor market needs, building partnerships with top international universities, and giving more attention to interdisciplinary study programs, while introducing new programs designed to meet labor market’s needs at the local, regional, and international levels.
The plan also includes working for pushing the Egyptian universities up in the international ranking lists, maintaining improvement efforts at university hospitals, developing quality of education at universities and institutions, and embracing digital transformation at universities, the minister added.
It also aims at supporting foreign students studying at the Egyptian universities in such a manner that boosts Egypt’s soft power in the higher education industry, Ashour pointed out.
Source: State Information Service Egypt