The Minister of Education and his Italian counterpart participate in a symposium entitled "Technical and Vocational
Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, and Dr. Giuseppe Valditara, Minister of Education and Merit in Italy, in the presence of Ambassador Michele Quaroni, Ambassador of the State of Italy in Cairo, participated today in a symposium entitled: "Technical and Vocational Education Higher Technical Institutes Supporting Growth and Prosperity".
This was attended by Eng. Mohamed El-Sewedy, Chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, Mr. Emanuele Orsini, Chairman of the Italian Federation of Industries, Ms. Regina Corradini D'Arienzo, CEO of SIMEST via video conference, Dr. Amr Basila, Head of the Central Administration for the Development of Technical Education, Dr. Hanem Ahmed, Advisor to the Minister for International Relations, and Ms. Amira Awad, Coordinator of the Ministry for United Nations Organizations.
Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif delivered a speech during the symposium, during which he stressed the strong and constructive cooperation between Egypt and Italy in enhancing the development of technical and vocational education.
The Minister of Education also expressed his happiness with Dr. Giuseppe Valditara’s visit to Egypt, noting that his leadership and commitment to cooperation in the field of education were a key factor in strengthening the partnership between the two countries.
The Minister said: “Today, we take a strategic step forward by continuing our discussions on establishing the Egyptian-Italian Employment Center, a center designed to provide students and graduates with the skills and training needed to meet the requirements of the labor market through direct partnerships between educational institutions and industries in both countries. Based on the fruitful outcome of this visit, we hope to activate the letters of intent signed between Egypt and Italy.
The Italian Minister extended his greetings to all those who cooperated in organizing this visit of the Italian delegation, during which work was done with the Egyptian side to translate the ties between the two countries into tangible cooperation on the ground, expressing his thanks to the representatives of the Italian companies participating in the cooperation activities, which numbered 30 companies.
The Italian Minister said that the opening of the Italian Village at the Don Bosco Institute is a testament to the strength of the dynamic relations between Egypt and Italy, and confirms the quality of Italian schools, expressing his pride in presenting the Italian education model with Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif to support the practical reality in the two countries.
Minister Giuseppe Valditara added that in agreement with the Egyptian Minister of Education, an intensive program will be presented aimed at introducing Italian education programs and exploiting the special components of the partnership between Egypt and Italy.
The Italian Minister of Education continued by saying: "When we met today, we agreed on the need to achieve fruitful results that embody the important cooperation between our two countries," stressing the need to follow up on the implementation of what was agreed upon in the field of developing vocational education and exchanging skills, to ensure the implementation of these agreements on the ground.
The Italian Minister continued his speech by saying that the cooperation initiatives between Egypt and Italy come within our strategy to move towards Africa, according to the directives of the Italian Prime Minister, and that our cooperation in Egypt is the first step on this path, and for this reason, the Tripartite Working Committee is working to follow up on the implementation of the memoranda of understanding that were signed last year.
He stressed that the partnership with Egypt is an urgent necessity given that it is a long-standing country and a strategic partner for Italy, with many talented young workers.
The Italian Minister expressed his aspiration for the Italian Village in Egypt to become ten times larger than it is now, so that it can be a model to be emulated in the Mediterranean region.
At the end of his speech, the Italian Minister of Education thanked everyone who believed in the Italian Village project in Egypt, and more than 30 Italian companies that participated in achieving this success.
In his speech, the Italian Ambassador welcomed the attendees and participants from both the Egyptian and Italian sides, stressing the depth of relations and the continuous and fruitful cooperation between the Egyptian and Italian sides, and that there are more than 50 Italian companies and more than 30 technical education academies inside Egypt, which proves the depth of constructive cooperation, praising the Italian Village that was opened today at the "Don Bosco" Institute to enhance cooperation, especially in the field of technical education, which is of great importance to Italy.
The Italian Ambassador pointed out that there are many young people who need training, and that Italy needs a trained workforce, which is achieved through fruitful and important cooperation between the two countries to introduce young people to the labor market.
The Ambassador pointed out that today is full of real work through Italian and Egyptian companies that have many capabilities, and we are working to develop partnerships to reach a tangible reality in development between the two sides.
Eng. Mohamed El-Sewedy, Chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, thanked Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, and welcomed the Italian Minister of Education and Merit and the Italian Ambassador to Egypt, describing the signing of the cooperation protocol between the two ministries in the field of technical education as a beautiful dream that is being realized on the ground and that we are living now. Cooperation between Egypt and all European Union countries in technical education is a big dream that is being achieved in parallel with economic, agricultural and industrial cooperation, and it is an important step to transform the Egyptian student into a great and important added value for the Egyptian economy and society.
El-Sewedy pointed out that the technical education student is the best ambassador between two countries, especially if this ambassador is at the highest levels of international education, noting that signing a cooperation agreement between the Egyptian and Italian Ministries of Education opens the door to meeting Italy's needs for technical education, in addition to transforming technical education in Egypt into a point of attraction for Italian-European investments because it produces a student with international specifications in technical education, because the availability of distinguished technical education graduates is a service provided by the Egyptian state to the foreign investor, like other services provided to investors.
Al-Suwaidi explained that there is continuous cooperation and coordination with the Italian Ambassador to Egypt, and Egypt has been able to prove its success in technical education through applied technology schools.
The Minister stressed that this initiative reflects the mutual commitment between the two countries to enhance the development of technical education, expand opportunities available to Egyptian youth, and drive sustainable economic growth. By investing in skills development and workforce readiness, we are working to enhance the competitiveness of industry and secure a stronger and more self-reliant economy.
The Minister also stressed the importance of technical education as the foundation of national progress, and the driving force behind economic progress, industrial growth and technological advancement, noting that the world is evolving at a rapid pace, where technical expertise, innovation and adaptability determine success, and to meet this challenge, our graduates must be equipped with advanced skills that are in line with international standards, and through specialized training programs, industrial partnerships and skills-based learning, we are working to reshape the technical education system to ensure that students graduate with skills that keep pace with the competitive labor market.
In this context, the Minister explained that a prominent example of this transformation is the Hospitality School in Damietta, supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and the European Commission, and this institution serves as a model for integrating education with economic development, and enhancing the direct impact of high-quality vocational training on national prosperity, noting that this cooperation extends beyond that, as the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation is currently supporting 200 schools in Aswan Governorate through the Comprehensive Education Program, ensuring that education is available and inclusive for all students, and this initiative reflects the depth of our partnership and Italy's continued commitment to enhancing educational opportunities in Egypt.
Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif added that technical education is not just an academic specialization, but an investment in the future, and our responsibility is to empower young people with the tools, skills and discipline necessary to become productive leaders in their fields. The progress of any nation is not measured by its policies alone, but by the efficiency of its workforce, stressing that Egypt's success in technical education depends on a strong and advanced educational framework in line with international standards, continuous training of teachers and professional development, led by experts in Egypt and abroad, and a commitment to producing highly skilled graduates, ready to contribute meaningfully to the workforce. The Minister of Education explained that this is not a theoretical vision, but rather an organized and action-oriented plan to bridge the gap between education and employment, and to ensure that technical education is a path to prosperity, not a backup option, noting that the path is clear, as cooperation without implementation is meaningless, and the commitments we make today must lead to tangible results, and in order to truly transform education, we must combine vision, strategy, investment and implementation, and Egypt has already begun to take decisive steps, including taking advantage of international funding opportunities such as the Global Partnership for Education grant, which allows us to secure additional investments for reform.
The Minister called on industry leaders to enhance their role in training and integrating skilled graduates into the workforce, and called on teachers to adapt teaching curricula that prepare students for real-world industrial challenges, as well as calling on students to take responsibility for mastering their craft, stressing that their future and the future of this nation is in their hands.
At the end of his speech, the Minister pointed out that the joint agreements are a commitment and a promise to reshape the future of technical education in Egypt, calling for working not only to meet expectations, but also to set new standards of excellence, and through a shared vision and decisive action, we will ensure that technical education becomes the cornerstone of economic growth, innovation and national development.
For his part, the Italian Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, welcomed the participants in today's event, most notably the Egyptian leaders present, headed by the Minister of Education and Technical Education, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, and Eng. Mohamed Zaki El-Suwaidi, Chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Industries.
For his part, the President of the Italian Industrial Federations, Emanuele Or, stressed that today represents a tangible step in developing technical education, extending his greetings to the 50 Italian companies participating today, and their presence is the best evidence of the fruitful cooperation, in addition to the success of the Italian village today at the "Don Bosco" Institute.
In her speech via video conference, Regina Corradini D'Arenso, CEO of Simest, expressed her happiness to participate in this important event that reflects the depth of cooperation between the two countries, noting that her company pays great attention to the African continent.
In his speech, Dr. Amr Basila, Head of the Central Administration for Technical Education Development, stressed that this forum reflects the two countries' shared vision to develop the technical education system and enhance international cooperation in the fields of education and development, stressing that technical education plays a pivotal role in qualifying human cadres capable of meeting the needs of the local and international labor market, especially in light of the challenges imposed by the modern era, which relies heavily on innovation, advanced technology and enhancing competitiveness among graduates at the international level.
Dr. Amr Basila stressed that this cooperation reflects the strong will to enhance integration between the two countries in the fields of education and training, and contributes to building bridges of communication between students and teachers from both sides, and also reflects the joint commitment between Egypt and Italy to developing technical education in line with developments in the global labor market. He pointed out that all specializations have been converted to work with the system of professional competencies and the focus has been on future professions, including artificial intelligence, information technology and programming, cybersecurity, and renewable energy, stressing that they are not only academic specializations, but rather tools to build a better future for students.