New Cairo: Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and President of the Supreme Council of University Hospitals, attended the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding aimed at enhancing the partnership between the Egyptian government sector, represented by the Supreme Council of University Hospitals, and the German private sector, represented by the global company Cognos. The event took place at the private education building in New Cairo.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the memorandum of understanding was signed on behalf of the Egyptian side by Dr. Omar Sharif Omar, Secretary of the Supreme Council of University Hospitals, and on behalf of the German side by Mr. Timo Tiekhaus, Chief Operating Officer of Cognos. Mr. Matthias Efting, Managing Director of Cognos, authorized the signing. The ceremony was attended by key figures such as Dr. Ahmed Anani, Advisor to the Minister of Higher Education for Health Policies, Dr. Ghada Ismail, Advisor to the Secretary of the Supreme Council of University Hospitals for Institutional Development and Human Development, and Ms. Dina Waked, representative of Cognos in Egypt.
Minister Ashour stated that this partnership aligns with the Egyptian state’s efforts to enhance international cooperation in medical education and scientific research, supporting the development of the university hospital system to meet global standards. This collaboration aims to improve health and educational services provided to citizens, as the system encompasses 145 hospitals across various medical specialties, serving approximately 25 million patients annually.
The partnership between Egypt and Germany is set to enhance human development within the Egyptian and African health sectors. It will offer locally accredited educational and training programmes, recognized by Germany and the European Union, to improve the workforce’s efficiency and qualifications in the health sector, including nursing staff, technicians, and administrators. This initiative is expected to elevate the quality of health services and provide equal job opportunities in the international market, particularly enhancing competitiveness in German and European markets.
Dr. Omar Sharif Omar highlighted that Cognos is the international arm of the German educational holding group Karl Remigius Friesen. The group manages five universities across 13 branches in Germany and Central Europe, alongside 100 technical schools specializing in the health sector in 30 German cities. Its influence extends beyond Germany to countries such as Luxembourg, Austria, and the Czech Republic, as well as East Asia and Africa.
Dr. Ahmed Anani confirmed that the next phase of the partnership’s development will involve offering comprehensive German study programmes through the Karl Remigius Friesen educational group. These programmes, under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Supreme Council of University Hospitals, will include Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the health sector, contributing to the development and qualification of human resources according to high international academic and professional standards.