Minister of Education Participates in the Celebration of "70 Years of Development Cooperation between Egypt and Japan

Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, participated today in the celebration of the 70th anniversary of development cooperation between Egypt and Japan, at the Egyptian Opera House.

This was attended by Ambassador Iwai Fumio, Ambassador of Japan to Egypt, Mr. Kato Ken, Head of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Office in Egypt, Dr. Hani Hilal, Secretary General of the Egyptian Partnership for Education, and representatives of a number of ministries and agencies.

From the Ministry of Education, Ms. Nevin Hamouda, Advisor to the Minister for Strategic Relations and Supervisor of Egyptian-Japanese Schools, attended.

In his speech during the celebration, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, stressed that Egyptian-Japanese cooperation in the field of education is a success story that has been ongoing for years, and reflects the vision of the political leadership in the two countries to enhance the quality of education and develop human resources.

The Minister of Education indicated that he returned today from his seven-day official visit to Japan, during which he held intensive meetings with various Japanese officials with the aim of strengthening the partnership and developing the Egyptian education system by benefiting from Japanese expertise.

The Minister of Education added that the most striking thing that caught his attention during his visit to Japan was the dedication and sincerity shown by Japanese teachers in their work with students, stressing that developing the student's personality is the basis for any successful education system.

The Minister confirmed that the Ministry seeks to implement the "Tokkatsu" model in various Egyptian public schools in cooperation with Japanese partners, given that it focuses on building character and developing leadership values ​​among students.

Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif pointed to the success of the applied technology schools model, which was launched four to five years ago, as these schools have become a pioneering model in technical education and vocational training, noting that during his visit he focused on strengthening partnerships with the Japanese private sector to establish applied technology schools in specialized fields that keep pace with the labor market.

The Minister also revealed a plan to enhance partnership with the Japanese side in educating people with special needs by benefiting from Japanese expertise in this field, appreciating what he witnessed during his visit to the Tokyo Center for Supporting Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (TOSCA), where he witnessed the programs provided for people with special needs, which include how to integrate psychological care into educational programs, which contributes to improving academic performance, enhancing students' mental health, and effectively integrating them into society.

At the end of his speech, the Minister stressed that Egypt and Japan have a long history and a rich cultural heritage, which makes them ideal partners for transferring this educational model to Africa and the Middle East, referring to cooperation during the coming period to present the cooperation model during the "TICAD 9" conference, saying: "If we want to make the future, we must plan for it together."

The Minister thanked the Japanese partners for their continuous support, stressing that there are ambitious plans to continue this cooperation in the future.

In his speech, Ambassador Iwai Fumio, Ambassador of Japan to Egypt, expressed his happiness to celebrate the 70th anniversary of development relations and permanent cooperation between Japan and Egypt, which represents a dear symbol of the enduring friendship, noting that this meeting is a pivotal step in the long-term cooperation that laid the foundation for the partnership being celebrated today.

The Ambassador also expressed his appreciation for the efforts made to enhance cooperation and partnership between Egypt and Japan, noting that today's celebration reflects the past, present and future relations between the two countries.

The Ambassador praised the economic growth witnessed by Egypt, expressing Japan's pride in this progress achieved, and the cooperation and joint development projects that contribute to enriching the lives of the wonderful Egyptian people, such as the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which will be a witness to the enduring friendship between the two countries, adding that the cooperation also extends to projects beyond infrastructure such as projects targeting sustainability, including the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), which is one of the leading research universities in Africa, in addition to the excellence of its Egyptian and Japanese professors in training the next generation of scientists and industry leaders, not only in Egypt, but throughout the region.

The Japanese Ambassador added that, realizing the importance of education, Japan's cooperation extends to all aspects of the academic system, from early childhood education to graduate studies, so that education remains a fundamental pillar of the partnership with Egypt.

For his part, Mr. Kato Ken, Head of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Office in Egypt, confirmed that Egyptian-Japanese cooperation in the field of education has witnessed remarkable progress, noting that the "Egyptian-Japanese Partnership in Education", which was launched in 2016, aims to develop human resources and enhance the quality of education.

He explained that this initiative included the establishment of 55 Egyptian-Japanese schools based on the Japanese educational model, which provided more than 160,000 Egyptian students with the opportunity to benefit from this distinguished experience. Japan also contributed to supporting the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), which has become one of the most prominent academic institutions in Egypt and the region.

Kato Ken added that Japan continues to provide specialized training programs to support the higher education system in Egypt, by introducing modern educational systems that meet the needs of the labor market and industry, which enhances the ability of Egyptian graduates to compete in the global work environment. He stressed that these efforts reflect Japan's commitment to developing education in Egypt, as one of the main pillars of sustainable development.

During the opening, a promotional video was shown about the development cooperation between Japan and Egypt over 70 years. Students from Egyptian-Japanese schools also presented artistic performances and an exhibition of drawings reflecting the 70 years of cooperation between Egypt and Japan. During the event, Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif witnessed a panel discussion entitled "Empowering Human Capital for Sustainable Growth", in which Dr. Hani Helal, Secretary General of the Egyptian Partnership for Education, Dr. Amr Adly, President of the Egyptian-Japanese University of Science and Technology, Dr. Rasha Sharaf, Secretary of the Education Development Fund of the Cabinet, Dr. Nabil El-Mogy, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saraya Middle East Industrial Investment Company, Mr. Murakami Seiyoshi, JICA Investment Expert, and Dr. Tsunoda Manabu, Advisor to the Head of the "E-JUST" Project, participated. They were interviewed by Mayada Magdy, Regional Coordinator at the JICA Egypt Office. The panel discussion addressed presenting expertise on how to invest in various projects and the importance of benefiting from cooperation with the Japanese side, in light of the strong strategic relations between the two sides. The attendees presented the development and challenges facing the Egyptian-Japanese University and achieving the goal of reaching advanced positions among world universities, whether locally, Africanly or globally. The new Japanese technical education system "Kozen" was also presented in Egypt, which provides a different model from the technical education system, providing the opportunity to qualify graduates for the labor market with high efficiency.