Latest news with #MohamedAymanAshour
Al-Ahram Weekly
22-05-2025
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt, EU launch Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 in Cairo - Economy
The European Union (EU) delegation to Egypt, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, held the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 launch event in Cairo on Wednesday. The event marked a key milestone in strengthening Egypt-EU cooperation in research and innovation. Over 150 participants attended the launch, including Egyptian academics, researchers, innovators, and officials from the Ministries of Higher Education and Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, head of the EU delegation to Egypt, and Mohamed Ayman Ashour, minister of higher education and scientific research, inaugurated the event. The day aimed to raise awareness about new opportunities for Egyptian entities under Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship research and innovation programme with a 95.5 billion euro budget for 2021–2027. Discussions focused on enhancing collaboration, funding access, and Egypt's growing role in the European research and innovation ecosystem. The event follows the initialling of the Horizon Europe Association Agreement between Egypt and the EU on 10 April, paving the way for Egypt's formal association. While the agreement is expected to be signed by November 2025, transitional arrangements are already in place. As of 10 April, Egyptian institutions are eligible to participate in Horizon Europe calls under the 2025 budget and enjoy the same rights as entities from associated countries. 'This year marks two decades of EU-Egypt science and technology cooperation,' said Ambassador Eichhorst. 'Egypt's association with Horizon Europe will usher in a new era, offering not just funding, but also a voice in shaping research priorities, leading international consortia, and opening doors for youth, researchers, and entrepreneurs to innovate and collaborate globally,' she added. Minister Ashour echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration to advance Egypt's scientific and technological capabilities. He noted that the partnership with Horizon Europe will help integrate Egypt's research landscape with global networks, fostering knowledge exchange and innovation-led growth. Horizon Europe represents the EU's highest level of international scientific collaboration, offering non-EU countries full participation in research activities. Through this association, Egyptian researchers and institutions will gain access to cutting-edge European research infrastructures and cross-border scientific partnerships spanning academia, industry, and civil society. The association is expected to deepen scientific ties between Egypt and the EU, support Egypt's national innovation agenda, and contribute to regional and global research initiatives. On Wednesday, the two sides concluded the negotiations to extend the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA), a strategic programme focused on sustainable water and food systems. Egypt and the EU signed the Joint Declaration on the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership in Cairo in March. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Middle East
30-04-2025
- Business
- Middle East
OPEN// PM discusses 12 new universities' readiness to open next academic year
CAIRO, April 30 (MENA) – Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli held a meeting with Minister of Higher Education Mohamed Ayman Ashour to review preparations for 12 new national universities scheduled to open in the 2025/2026 academic year. The universities, located in Cairo, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sohag, Damanhour, Suez, Damietta, Ain Shams, New Valley, Fayoum, Tanta, Luxor, and Sadat City, will include 101 faculties covering various disciplines. With these additions, the number of national universities rises to 32, bringing Egypt's total number of universities to 128. The meeting also addressed university contributions to public service campaigns, including over 1,500 medical and community caravans, serving more than 700,000 citizens. Ashour also presented updates on the 'Alliance and Development' initiative, which organizes seven regional coalitions between universities and industry to support economic development. Additionally, he reviewed progress on the (Be Ready – 1M) initiative, aimed at training one million students and graduates. The minister added that a digital platform was launched to support career development, innovation, and job matching, in cooperation with international and private-sector partners. (MENA) H A T/S R E
Gulf Today
26-04-2025
- Science
- Gulf Today
Winners of ‘Arab Young Scientists Award' announced
The winners of the Yousef Bin Saeed Lootah Young Scientists Award in the fields of circular economy, renewable energy, and green chemistry were officially announced during the opening session of the 57th General Conference of the Association of Arab Universities (an organisation working within the framework of the Arab League). The event was held at the International University of Science and Technology in Kuwait, and was attended by Dr Mohamed Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr Amr Ezzat Salama, Secretary-General of the Association of Arab Universities, Dr Abdelmajid Bin Amara, Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Scientific Research Councils, as well as presidents and representatives of over 300 Arab universities, alongside a distinguished group of academics and higher education experts from across the Arab world. The winners of the Yousef Bin Saeed Lootah Young Scientists Award were recognised across three categories: In the circular economy category, the first prize of $15,000 was awarded to Professor Dr Heba Salah Hamed from Ain Shams University in Egypt. In the renewable energy category, the first prize of $15,000 went to a project by Professor Dr Maher Al-Jaabari, researcher Raghad Mubarak, and researcher Dana Al-Jaabari from Palestine Polytechnic University. The second prize of $7,500 in the same category was awarded to researchers Mohamed Nasser Nafeh and Hamdy Hassan from Zagazig University in Egypt. In the green chemistry category, the first prize of $15,000 was awarded to Professor Dr. Wael Dagher from Damascus University in Syria. The second prize of $7,500 went to researcher Dalia Hamed Amer from Badr University in Egypt. During his speech at the conference's opening session, Yousef Bin Saeed Lootah, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yousef Bin Saeed Lootah Investment Group, praised the high caliber of research submitted by young Arab scientists. He expressed his pride in their scientific excellence and in recognizing this distinguished group through the first Arab award of its kind focused on circular economy, renewable energy, and green chemistry. He noted the award's significant strong engagement from the scientific and academic communities across the region, emphasizing that this award is just the first step toward transforming winning research into real-world initiatives and development projects. He said: 'This award reflects the wise leadership of the United Arab Emirates in promoting science and supporting young scientists across the Arab world. It aligns with the UAE's vision for achieving sustainable development goals and the Net Zero 2050 Strategy.' Although the winners were announced at the opening session of the General Conference, a special awards ceremony will be held in Dubai to honor the winners and their university presidents, where the official prizes will be presented. Additionally, several researchers from the UAE who submitted outstanding projects in the same scientific fields will also be recognized. The Yousef Bin Saeed Lootah Investment Group and the Association of Arab Universities had jointly announced the launch of the Yousef Bin Saeed Lootah Young Scientists Award in Dubai in December 2023. Supervised by the Association of Arab Universities, the award is granted every two years to five winners who are either current students or recent graduates from any of the Union's member universities. The award's total value is Dhs250,000 and covers three core areas: circular economy, renewable energy, and green chemistry. The award aims to promote research, education, and international collaboration in these fields, spotlight the achievements of young scientists, highlight the potential impact of their research and innovations on social and economic transformation and sustainable development, and encourage youth engagement with science.
Middle East
10-04-2025
- Business
- Middle East
OPEN// Egypt successfully concludes negotiations to join Horizon Europe
CAIRO, April 10 (MENA) - Egypt and the European Union have successfully concluded negotiations on Cairo's association with Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship research and innovation funding program. The agreement was initialed in Brussels in the presence of Commissioner for Start-ups, Research, and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva and Egypt's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Mohamed Ayman Ashour, the Delegation of the European Union to Egypt said in a statement Thursday. The Association to Horizon Europe is the closest form of international cooperation in research and innovation with non-EU countries and would allow Egyptian researchers to access world-class research facilities in Europe Horizon Europe is the largest EU's research and innovation program ever, with a budget of €95.5 billion for the period 2021-27. Horizon Europe is by far the most open research and innovation program globally. The program allows active collaboration between businesses, civil society, and research and academic institutions. The agreement is expected to be signed by November 2025, pending final validations from both parties. However, transitional arrangements will apply from 10 April 2025. This will allow Egyptian entities to apply for and be treated as "eligible entities" established in an associated country in Horizon Europe for calls implementing a budget from 2025 and onwards. "I warmly welcome Egypt's association with Horizon Europe, the European Union's framework program for research and innovation. This represents a significant milestone in our long-standing cooperation and current strategic partnership. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the EU and Egypt's research and innovation cooperation agreement, which was signed in 2005. Egypt's association with Horizon Europe underlines our shared commitment to enhanced collaboration in research and innovation," EU ambassador to Egypt Angelina Eichhorst said. "Egypt has a wealth of talented researchers and innovators. For many years, Egyptian and European researchers have collaborated through the EU Research and Innovation framework programs; we can do more. With Egypt's association with Horizon Europe, we open the door to further collaboration in addressing common concerns such as energy, climate change, water management, food security, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, migration, and others. This stronger link will help to stimulate economic growth and create jobs. We look forward to continued engagement through Horizon Europe," she added. (MENA) M S H/R G E
Al-Ahram Weekly
18-02-2025
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Financially independent public universities - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
A pilot initiative will see five public universities shifting from financial dependence on the state to developing their own revenue sources Egypt's universities are at a crossroads necessitating a reassessment of their financial policies. The growing economic pressures and widening gap in government funding are pushing universities towards financial self-sufficiency and the development of independent revenue sources. The majority of universities the world over secure their funding through a diverse range of sources. Similarly, several Egyptian public universities have recently resorted to diversifying their financial resources by investing in the education process, the establishment of revenue-generating projects, partnerships with the private sector, the expansion of fee-based education programmes, and focusing on applied scientific research. The upgrading of curricula has also played a role in attracting a large number of international students who usually pay higher and dollar-denominated fees. A source told Al-Ahram Weekly that the Ministry of Higher Education is advancing plans to introduce a new financial model aimed at granting public universities greater financial autonomy. This will require universities to develop and expand their financial resources, particularly given the scientific, technological and international advancements that Egypt's higher education system has witnessed in recent years, alongside its broad geographical expansion. The Supreme Council of Universities is considering piloting financial independence at five public universities: Cairo, Alexandria, Helwan, Assiut, and Mansoura, the source added. Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Mohamed Ayman Ashour said at a recent council meeting that the political leadership has reviewed the proposal, expecting it to be implemented within the coming months, the source noted. The initiative outlines key mechanisms for adopting the new financial model, such as revenue generation through tuition fees, applying research and innovations through grants and contracts, and integrating entrepreneurship training. Additionally, fostering partnerships with the private sector and advancing institutional autonomy are central to this shift. Global trends indicate that universities tend to search for sustainable funding sources due to declining government allocations amid economic crises in order to be able to provide high-quality education and scientific research. Although the concept was introduced several years ago, it initially garnered interest from Helwan University which sought to bring it into public discussion. It also resonated with the current minister of higher education, who, during his tenure as dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Ain Shams University, advocated for financial independence at the faculty level, recognising its potential to increase income. He said there were solid proposals to move away from bureaucratic financial management towards sound economic principles in expenditure and revenue generation while refining the academic vision through dedicated efforts to align with contemporary challenges and the country's demands. The source noted that the study incorporates several fundamental pillars essential for this transition. These include the establishment of national universities affiliated with the main universities, the expansion of research centres and specialised institutes, the creation of technological universities, the establishment of international university branches, and the expansion in constructing government hospitals. To achieve financial autonomy, a series of practical steps must be undertaken, including the generation of revenue through non-traditional sources, preparing programmes to attract international students, and designing programmes to operate national universities. The study also suggested strengthening ties with industry and business sectors to provide hands-on training for students at technological universities, finalising agreements for international university branches, and adopting a comprehensive marketing strategy. The five universities selected for the pilot initiative oversee multiple affiliated national and technological institutions, house notable research institutes, and host a large number of international students, a key revenue that bolsters their financial sustainability. According to the source, the study will be implemented in steps, prime among which is coordination with the Ministry of Finance to establish a three-year transition to gradually reduce financing until complete financial autonomy is achieved. Another step is the repeal of existing Ministry of Finance decisions that impose deductions on self-generated university revenues. Furthermore, parent universities will be granted full authority to manage and optimise their financial resources and issue new regulations to empower public universities in developing their investment and revenue-generating capacities. The study estimates that the annual budget for each university under the proposed model is LE2 billion, 75 per cent of which will be allocated to wages and salaries which are currently financed by the state treasury at a rate of 90 per cent, or LE1.8 billion. The study stressed that public universities will remain committed to traditional admission policies and student distribution mechanisms as determined by the Supreme Council of Universities and the broader state directives. It added that the legislative and regulatory decisions governing financial independence will uphold the policy of free education, ensuring that universities transitioning to financial autonomy submit legally binding commitments to sustain and develop free education. These universities will also be required to outline clear funding strategies to support this policy. Moreover, the state will continue to provide financial support when necessary, sourced from non-traditional avenues beyond the national budget, to safeguard the stability of public universities until they attain financial equilibrium. Financially independent universities will remain subject to public financial oversight, adhering to governance and transparency standards. * A version of this article appears in print in the 20 February, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link:
