Minister of Education Discusses Ways to Enhance Cooperation with his Indonesian Counterpart

Within the framework of strengthening bilateral cooperation between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Indonesia in the field of education, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, received the Indonesian Minister of Education, Dr. Abdul Mu'ti, and his accompanying delegation, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and exchange expertise in the field of education and technical education between the two countries.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Lutfi Rauf, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Cairo, and a number of officials from the Ministry of Education and the Indonesian Embassy. From the Egyptian Ministry of Education, the meeting was attended by Dr. Ahmed Daher, Deputy Minister, Dr. Ayman Bahaa El-Din, Deputy Minister, Dr. Hanem Ahmed, Advisor to the Minister for International Relations and Agreements, Dr. Hala Abdel Salam, Head of the Central Administration for General Education, and Ms. Amira Awad, Coordinator of International Relations at the Ministry.

At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif welcomed his Indonesian counterpart and the accompanying delegation, emphasizing that Egypt views Indonesia as a sisterly country with a distinguished educational experience, praising the depth of the historical relations between the two countries and their continuous development at various levels.

Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif reviewed the measures taken by the Ministry of Education and Technical Education to overcome the challenges facing the educational process, including reducing student density in classrooms and the return of students to schools at a rate exceeding 87%, as well as the implementation of the Egyptian Baccalaureate certificate system. The Minister also reviewed the efforts made to develop school curricula in line with international standards, while preserving the local character that reinforces Egyptian identity among students, emphasizing the Ministry's commitment to ensuring that the curricula are engaging and supportive for all academic levels.

The meeting also addressed the Ministry of Education's efforts to implement the teaching of programming and artificial intelligence to first-year secondary school students, starting this academic year, in cooperation with Japan.

The Minister also reviewed Egypt's experience in developing technical and vocational education, referring to applied technology schools and the Ministry's plan to expand them in partnership with the private sector, as well as establishing international partnerships in this framework to provide graduates with internationally accredited certificates for employment in the local and international markets.

Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif affirmed the Ministry's full readiness to exchange expertise and technical and vocational curricula with the Indonesian side and provide the necessary support, stemming from the close relations between the two countries and the shared desire to enhance cooperation in the field of education and technical education.

For his part, the Indonesian Minister, Dr. Abdul Mu'ti, affirmed his country's keenness to strengthen cooperation with Egypt, praising its pioneering experience in various fields of education. He reviewed the Indonesian government's efforts to develop the educational process by launching qualitative programs in the field of deep learning and the development of moral values, in addition to including artificial intelligence and programming as elective courses in the primary stage, with the aim of enhancing students' critical thinking skills.

The Indonesian Minister added that his country is keen to activate teacher and student exchange programs and expand the horizons of academic cooperation with Egyptian educational institutions. At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to form a joint committee between the two ministries to enhance cooperation mechanisms and follow up on the implementation of what will be agreed upon in the coming period. They also affirmed that this meeting represents the beginning of a strong educational partnership between Egypt and Indonesia.