In the presence of Dr. Sherif Saleh, Head of the Cultural Affairs and Missions Sector, Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, met on Sunday 14/1/2024 with Yvonne Baumann, the Swiss Ambassador to Egypt, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between Egypt and Switzerland in the areas of scientific research and higher education.
The Minister began the meeting by highlighting the unique relationship that exists between Egypt and Switzerland in a number of areas, particularly higher education and scientific research. He also mentioned the excellent standing that Swiss universities enjoy internationally and expressed his desire to see more scientific and technological cooperation as well as experience sharing between the two nations.
Ashour emphasized the value of this cooperation in fostering scientific and cultural exchange between the two countries as well as exchanging experiences in a range of educational and research fields. The meeting also covered possible paths for j
oint cooperation between Egypt and Switzerland in the fields of higher education and scientific research.
He conveyed his gratitude for the way in which Switzerland supports Egypt’s higher education and scientific research sectors, as evidenced by the numerous collaboration initiatives between Egyptian and Swiss universities and the provision of academic and student exchanges.
The Minister talked about the Egyptian higher education strategy and the attention paid by the State to the file of higher education through the expansion of the establishment of many public and private universities, as well as technological universities. He also drew attention to the diversity of disciplines in those universities, which keep pace with global technological development and meet the needs of the labor market.
Dr. Ashour discussed the interest in technical education in light of the establishment of ten new technological universities, which are a significant step toward the development of technical education in Egypt and
provide Egyptian students with an opportunity to finish their higher education and gain more expertise in a range of applied science fields. These universities stand out for offering cutting-edge technological curricula that satisfy industry demands. They also emphasize the value of leveraging Swiss expertise in the field by collaborating with various industry organizations to offer students hands-on training.
Egypt has nine branches of prestigious foreign universities in the New Administrative Capital, which include a variety of study programs in various fields, such as engineering, science, medicine, humanities, and social sciences, added Ashour.
The ambassador, for her part, expressed gratitude for the support of the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in advancing education and fortifying ties with foreign organizations. She also praised the high caliber of diplomatic ties that exist between Egypt and Switzerland and emphasized the necessity of ongoing collaboration in the exec
ution of cooperative scientific projects between the two countries.
She also reviewed the experiences of cooperation between Swiss and Egyptian higher education institutions, including the signing of a declaration of intent between Badr University and Business and Hotel Management (B.H.M.S.) in Lucerne, Switzerland, in 2020.
Source: State Information Service Egypt