Minister of Education Discusses Cooperation with European Investment Bank
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, received a high-level delegation from the European Investment Bank (EIB) on Monday to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and support efforts to develop the technical education sector and expand applied technology schools.
The EIB delegation included Mr. Lionel Rabay, Director of the European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Department, Mr. Ulrich Brunnhuber, Head of Operations for the Middle East and North Africa, and several other bank officials. Ms. Dalia Sadek, Assistant Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, also participated to follow up on coordinating cooperation with the EIB.
Representing the Ministry of Education and Technical Education were Ambassador Yasser Othman, Advisor to the Minister for International Relations and Agreements; Dr. Amr Basila, Head of the Central Administration for Technical Education Development and Director of the Applied Technology Schools Operation and Management Unit; and Ms. Iman Yassin, Director of the General Administration for International Relations.
At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif commended the fruitful cooperation with the European side on various educational projects.
Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif reviewed the Ministry's efforts over the past months, which included the extensive implementation of a package of fundamental reforms aimed at addressing several challenges facing the education system.
The Minister also noted the introduction of programming and artificial intelligence curricula for the first time in the first year of secondary school, in cooperation with Japan through the "Kiryo" platform. He emphasized that the Ministry aims to ensure secondary school students master programming skills, given the increasing reliance on programming in various jobs across different sectors.
Minister Abdel Latif further outlined the Ministry's vision for developing the technical education sector through partnerships with the private sector and expanding collaborations with international companies to offer technical education graduates internationally accredited certificates. He highlighted the existing cooperation with Italy in 89 applied technology schools, as well as the collaboration with Austria in the hospitality and hotel management field. He also mentioned ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation with Germany and Singapore, with the goal of expanding the network of applied technology schools across various specializations through international partnerships.
The Minister affirmed that Egypt has 1,230 technical education schools, which the Ministry is working to upgrade and equip according to international standards. He noted that the technical education sector represents a golden opportunity for cooperation with the European Investment Bank (EIB), given the growing global need for skilled labor across Europe and the Middle East.
The Minister indicated that the Ministry's efforts are focused on implementing strategic projects commensurate with the size of the education system, which serves 25 million students, ultimately leading to an improvement in the educational system. He commended the fruitful cooperation with several European countries in the technical education sector.
The Minister expressed the Ministry's aspiration to strengthen cooperation with the EIB in developing technical education schools and expanding applied technology schools.
For their part, members of the EIB delegation expressed their appreciation for the significant efforts Egypt is making in the education and technical education system. They affirmed the Bank's commitment to enhancing cooperation in various educational projects in the coming period, particularly concerning infrastructure, equipment, and technical support.
They also emphasized the Bank's readiness to bolster the impact of the partnerships established by the Ministry of Education with European partners, specifically those related to applied technology schools.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Minister expressed his appreciation to the European Investment Bank delegation and to the efforts made to support cooperation with Egypt, stressing the Ministry’s aspiration to strengthen the Egyptian-European partnership during the coming period in a way that meets the objectives of the national strategy for developing the education sector and improving the quality of educational services.