Minister of Education Participates in the "Egyptian-German Development Cooperation Day
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, participated in the "Egyptian-German Development Cooperation Day", held at the German Embassy in Cairo; to highlight the strategic cooperation between the two countries in several fields, and the efforts made for sustainable development,
This came in the presence of Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Dr. Hani Sweilem, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, and prominent representatives from various government agencies, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society.
On behalf of the Ministry, Dr. Ayman Bahaa El-Din, Deputy Minister, Dr. Amr Basila, Head of the Central Administration for the Development of Technical Education Schools and Director of the Operation Unit of Applied Technology Schools and Dual Education, Dr. Mohamed Amara, Head of the Central Administration for Technical Education Schools and Head of the Quality Assurance Authority in Technical and Technological Education, and Professor Dr. Ashraf Bahjat, Head of the Central Administration for the Academy of Technical Education Teachers, also attended.
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, praised this event, which reflects the strong and continuous ties between Egypt and Germany in all fields, especially in the field of pre-university education, saying: "We have successful experiences in technical education, including the model of applied technology schools and the dual education model, as the ministry is currently working on converting 1,270 technical education schools into applied technology schools and dual education schools through cooperation with partners."
The minister added that the ministry seeks, in cooperation with all partners, to advance technical education as one of the most important elements of developing the Egyptian economy, stressing the keenness of the Ministry of Education to benefit from various experiences to achieve the desired goals of graduating students whose abilities match the different specializations.
In his speech, Mr. Jürgen Scholz, German Ambassador to Egypt, welcomed the attendees, expressing his country's great pride in cooperating with Egypt, stressing that Egypt is one of Germany's most important partners in the region in the field of development cooperation and one of the largest partners in the world; Given its population density, high youth ratio, political value for the region, and economic potential, he pointed out that since the 1960s, Egypt and Germany have been working side by side in the field of development cooperation.
The ambassador added that his country aims to strengthen the close partnership that has brought the two countries together for decades, as Egypt is an economic gateway to the African continent, and there are more than 250 German companies operating in Egypt, and Egypt is an attractive tourist destination, as Germans constitute the largest group among foreign tourists, praising Egypt's role as a mediator in the conflict in the Middle East.
The ambassador said: Germany seeks through its partnership with Egypt to achieve stability and growth, explaining that development is an investment in the future of our countries and our ambitious partnerships, adding that this philosophy is what our organizations adopt, such as GIZ, which focuses on technical support, capacity building, and advisory work, and KFW, which cooperates to achieve development and develop technical education, stressing that the strength of the partnership is measured by the services provided and support for entrepreneurs.
During the event, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, and Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, signed cooperation agreements with the German side. The agreements include financing two projects aimed at promoting sustainable development and achieving the goals of the National Development Strategy; the first is the “Technical Support for the Comprehensive Technical Education Initiative with Egypt - Phase II” project, worth 16.31 million euros, which aims to enhance the efficiency, quality and importance of the technical education system in Egypt. The project runs from 2024 to 2028 and is a key component of the Egyptian-German “New Comprehensive Technical Education Initiative”, a long-term cooperation established in 2018.
The second project is “Financial Support for the Comprehensive Technical Education Initiative – Phase II”, with a grant of 32 million euros, which aims to develop technical education and vocational training in Egypt. The project is part of the second phase of a three-phase program, to achieve a qualitative leap in the level and quality of technical education and vocational training through improving the infrastructure, which includes constructing new green buildings or rehabilitating existing buildings according to environmental sustainability standards, and providing facilities with modern equipment by equipping up to three Centers of Excellence (CoCs), which are specialized centers that will provide advanced practical and vocational education, in close cooperation with private sector companies to ensure that training programs are compatible with labor market requirements. Financial cooperation between Egypt and Germany in the field of technical education has so far amounted to approximately 121.5 million euros.
The event revolved around the "Partnerships for a Just Transition" initiative, which is based on the foundations of social justice and economic resilience in the transition to a green economy. During the event, successful models of cooperation between Egypt and Germany were presented in several areas that contribute to building a sustainable future. The event also included a discussion session entitled "Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Partnerships for a Just Transition for People and Planet", and influential projects and initiatives implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the German Development Bank (KFW) were presented.