The Minister of Education and the Italian Ambassador visit the Salesian Institute “Don Bosco”

Today, Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education, and Ambassador Michele Quaroni, the Italian Ambassador to Cairo, visited the Salesian Institute “Don Bosco”, as part of the celebration of “International Italian Language Week”, which is organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs every year through embassies and consulates. And the Italian cultural representation offices, in cooperation with Italian language professors all over the world, to celebrate the Italian language and enhance its culture, as well as to celebrate the enrollment of girls for the first time in the institute.

In his speech, Dr. Reda Hegazy welcomed the Italian Ambassador, expressing his happiness at his presence among the activities celebrating “Italian Language Week in the World.”

The Minister praised the Don Bosco School, as one of the Italian industrial secondary schools in Egypt, which works to develop students’ cognitive aspects, technical skills, and personal aspects, which works to prepare students for the future, stressing that education is an inherent human right, so the Ministry works on the axis of accessibility.

Dr. Reda Hegazy said that the cooperation between the Ministry and the Italian side represents an affirmation of the strong and distinguished relations between the two friendly countries, which have gained more harmony and rapprochement under the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, to support the process of national and international relations in a constructive and positive manner, as Egyptian-Italian relations have developed since Many years have passed, and the scope of bilateral cooperation has expanded in a way that is not limited to strengthening economic, development, scientific and cultural partnerships, but has also expanded to include new sectors.

The minister added that in the modern era, the deep ties between Italy and Egypt have strengthened in several fields. Among them is the distinguished and intense presence of the Italian community in the cities of Alexandria and Cairo in the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century, and also the active movement of Italian Orientalism, a movement that extended for many centuries and is still continuing today.

The minister continued that cooperation extends to the field of education, as the Italian government provided Egypt in 2013 with 28 scholarships in the fields of learning the Italian language, antiquities, and agriculture, while Egypt provided 38 scholarships to learn the Arabic language, Islamic and Coptic studies, and antiquities for Italian students.

The Minister explained that the Salesian Institute (Don Bosco) represents a role model for Egyptian-Italian cooperation in the field of technical education. Due to the technical training and education opportunities it provides for students and their qualifications to work in technical fields, and in accordance with the cooperation protocol signed between the two countries, graduates of the institute can join various universities in Italy, and it is considered one of the oldest and finest technical education institutions in Egypt since its establishment in 1926.

The Minister confirmed that, in continuation of these efforts, it was agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding to teach the Italian language as an optional language within the framework of the second foreign languages that will be taught starting from the first year of preparatory school in government schools for the academic year 2024-2025, indicating that this comes within the framework of a plan to develop curricula. The preparatory stage, which will include adding a second foreign language to subjects in government schools, with a choice between several languages, including French and Italian.

The Minister indicated that a number of annual scholarships have been allocated to Italian language teachers and mentors for training on the latest teaching methods in Italy, and to prepare Italian language trainers in coordination with the Ministry, in addition to providing scholarships to students who excel in the Italian language to encourage them to continue studying the language.

Dr. Reda Hegazy expressed his aspiration during the coming period to more cooperation between the two countries, through activating new programs within the framework of achieving Egypt’s vision for sustainable development 2030, and the ministry’s strategy.

The Minister also stressed the Ministry's keenness to support the "Don Bosco" Institute to include girls and enroll them in the Institute for their first year of study, and to provide the opportunity to graduate skilled technicians in accordance with the requirements of the labor market.

At the conclusion of his speech, the Minister thanked and appreciated the Italian Ambassador to Egypt, and the officials of the Don Bosco Institute for the continuous support and coordination with the Ministry to contribute to improving the level of teachers and learners of the Italian language.

For his part, Ambassador Michele Quaroni, the Italian Ambassador to Cairo, welcomed Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education, and all attendees, praising the Italian and Egyptian cultures and their ability to offer a lot to each other through the exchange of cultures, and stressing Italy’s endeavor to achieve comprehensive growth in Egypt.

The ambassador said that soon the 100th anniversary of continuous and serious work at the institute will be celebrated, noting that we dream for young people of a future full of peace, and the Salesian Institute “Don Bosco” works to encourage young people and prepare them to enter the world of technology and work with modern knowledge and effective competencies, and for young people to acquire knowledge from During the workshops, which allow them to engage in tangible experiences in accordance with the current technological standards of the industry, and continuous communication with various companies and other educational institutes, allowing them to learn about technological developments and market needs.