Minister of Education Witnesses Launch of Initiative to Enhance Community Capacities in Artificial Intelligence
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, and Ms. Mirna Aref, General Manager of Microsoft Egypt, witnessed today the launch of a joint initiative to enhance community capabilities in artificial intelligence and modern technologies through an "Innovation Hub." The initiative aims to prepare students to become future experts and improve the quality of teaching and learning. This comes within the framework of the long-standing strategic partnership between the two parties.
The event was attended by Dr. Ahmed Daher, Deputy Minister; Dr. Ayman Bahaa, Deputy Minister; Dr. Ahmed El-Mohammadi, Assistant Minister for Strategic Planning and Follow-up and Supervisor of the Central Administration for the Minister's Office Affairs; and a number of ministry leaders and Microsoft Egypt representatives, including Mr. Amr El-Masry, Director of the Education Sector; Mr. Mohamed Kassem, Head of the Government Sector; Engineer Mohamed Sami, Technical Advisor; Engineer Kenzi Adly, Data Analysis Services Manager; and a group of experts and specialists in artificial intelligence and digital technology.
At the beginning of his speech, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education, emphasized that integration between the education and technology sectors has become an urgent necessity to ensure a modern learning experience that aligns with international standards.
The Minister explained that this partnership enhances the Ministry's ability to integrate artificial intelligence into the curriculum, providing students with new opportunities to acquire critical thinking, analytical skills, and creative problem-solving.
The Minister of Education indicated that this initiative will enrich the educational process through advanced digital educational tools, such as interactive artificial intelligence applications, which help students improve their comprehension of academic subjects, in addition to providing educational content tailored to each student's individual needs.
The Minister also emphasized the Ministry's efforts to empower teachers to use technology effectively in classrooms by providing specialized training programs in cooperation with Microsoft. These programs enable them to acquire digital teaching skills and enhance their ability to employ modern tools in more interactive ways.
He added that the partnership will contribute to developing teachers' capabilities to lead the digital transformation in schools through advanced programs focused on intelligent data analysis and blended learning applications.
For her part, Ms. Mirna Aref, General Manager of Microsoft Egypt, expressed her pride in the strategic partnership with the Ministry of Education, which spans over 20 years.
She emphasized that education is the cornerstone of nation-building, adding that Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif has a real vision and tangible steps on the ground to develop the education system.
She added that Microsoft has succeeded in providing advanced technical tools that have contributed to providing productive services to more than 23 million students and more than 1.5 million teachers through the "Unified Account" platform, which provides an integrated digital identity with the Ministry's various systems. Digital applications have also been developed that allow more than 105,000 Egyptian students residing abroad the opportunity to stay connected to their educational institutions through an integrated learning experience.
She explained that Microsoft has expanded its partner ecosystem to include more than 50 companies specializing in developing educational and digital services, contributing to improving the learning and exam experience for approximately 1.8 million students using advanced technology solutions. A project will soon be launched to support schools for excellence in science, technology, and engineering (STEM), by providing Microsoft Surface devices to ensure a comprehensive and advanced learning experience.
Ms. Mirna Aref emphasized that Microsoft is focused on empowering teachers, with more than 2,000 Microsoft-certified innovative teachers serving as technology ambassadors in 27 Egyptian governorates, representing an unprecedented achievement on the African continent.
She also highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence technologies in supporting the Ministry by analyzing big data, extracting insights that aid decision-making, and enhancing operational efficiency in educational institutions.
Regarding future plans, she emphasized Microsoft's commitment to supporting the digital transformation in education, noting that the collaboration includes launching innovative initiatives, such as the development of the virtual study assistant "Ask Fahim," which uses artificial intelligence to help students improve their academic achievement.
For his part, Mr. Amr El-Masry, Education Sector Director at Microsoft Egypt, reviewed the most prominent partnership projects with the Ministry, including the restructuring of the Ministry's Office 365 platforms, which serve 23 million students. He also highlighted support for students who win international competitions, the electronic exam platforms, and the "Ask Fahim" smart assistant, the first of its kind in the education sector in Africa. He also discussed the "Learn with Us" and "Our Children Abroad" platforms, which serve more than 105,000 Egyptian students abroad, in addition to the teachers' platform, which contains information specific to them, and the electronic exams platform, which is one of the most prominent success stories in this partnership.
In a related context, Engineer Mohamed Sami, Technical Advisor at Microsoft, reviewed the importance of using artificial intelligence technology in education, highlighting the role of the partnership in launching the Innovation Center, which contributes to developing the capabilities of teachers and students to use these tools effectively to improve their performance in line with labor market requirements.