A momentous occasion unfolded at Cairo University s Grand Celebration Hall, where the Egyptian-French Universities Forum was hosted, with French President Emmanuel Macron present.

The President of Cairo University signed six Memorandums of Understanding with a number of French universities and institutes, specialising in engineering, energy, smart cities and sustainability, archaeology, and Eastern civilisations.

Dr Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, stated:  The forum represents a significant step and a pivotal juncture in higher education and the strategic partnership between Egypt and France, marking a genuine commencement of joint cooperation and a steadfast commitment to the development of higher education and partnerships between the two nations. 

The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research further noted:  An unprecedented qualitative transformation is underway in Egyptian universities and partnerships in programmes that meet the demands of the labour market. In Egypt, we have 116 universities with 4 million students and 180,000 international students from 117 countries. 

Dr Ayman Ashour emphasised:  The Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) stands as the largest digital educational platform globally, reflecting Egypt s prominent role in investing in knowledge and presenting a successful model for exporting knowledge across the Arab world and Africa. 

Forty-two cooperation protocols were signed between Egyptian universities and French institutions, encompassing 70 joint programmes and 30 dual degrees, aligning with labour market requirements.

The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research underscored:  The necessity for integration between education, economy, and development to reinforce the pivotal role in contributing effectively to various presidential initiatives. 

Statements by the French Minister of Higher Education, Philippe Baptiste:

·         "Cairo University is one of the oldest universities, having hosted the greatest personalities, minds, and thinkers, and has contributed to establishing peace in the world."

·         "The forum demonstrates the depth of cooperation between Egypt and France, and scientific cooperation plays a role in promoting dialogue between peoples and within societies."

·         "France is a partner in all scientific revolutions to serve humanity. The Egyptian-French history is not recent, and our joint cooperation is for the benefit of young generations."

Statements by the President of Cairo University, Prof Mohamed Sami Abdel-Sadek:

·         "Cairo University is one of the oldest and most prestigious educational institutions in the Arab world and Africa, and its role is central to building awareness and enlightenment, as well as graduating leaders, scientists, thinkers, and creators."

·         "Cairo University will remain a beacon of science and a destination for researchers, and the organisation of the forum under the university dome, under the patronage of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and President Macron, reflects its status and its central role in supporting scientific and cultural dialogue."

·         "France is a strategic partner in the process of development and human building, and we aspire to more ambitious new partnerships to serve young people and open new horizons in the field of higher education and scientific research."

·         "We share with our friends in France their belief in the values of freedom, equality, and respect for human dignity, representing a common bridge between the Egyptian and French peoples."

The Grand Celebration Hall at Cairo University hosted the  Egyptian-French Universities Forum,  attended by French President Emmanuel Macron. During the forum, several Memoranda of Understanding and Letters of Intent were signed to enhance the partnership and open avenues for further cooperation between universities in both countries.

The forum was attended by Dr Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Philippe Baptiste, French Minister of Higher Education; Prof Mohamed Sami Abdel-Sadek, President of Cairo University; alongside a large number of higher education leaders from Egypt and France, presidents of Egyptian and French universities, heads of research centres and institutes, the Cairo University Council, representatives from French companies operating in Egypt, representatives from academic and research institutions from both sides, deans of university faculties and institutes, and a large student gathering from Cairo University and the French University.

In his address, Dr Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, stated that the Egyptian-French forum represents a significant step and a pivotal juncture in higher education and the strategic partnership between Egypt and France. He extended his gratitude to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and President Emmanuel Macron, whose political support has been a fundamental pillar in the qualitative development of relations between the two countries in education and scientific research. This, he noted, serves as evidence of a genuine commencement of joint cooperation and a steadfast commitment to developing higher education and partnerships between them.

Dr Ayman Ashour also highlighted Egyptian universities  unprecedented qualitative and quantitative transformation, including partnerships in programmes needed by the labour market and sustainable development plans. He pointed to the increase in the number of universities in Egypt from 50 to 116 within 10 years, accommodating approximately 4 million students, including more than 180,000 international students from 117 countries.

The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research added that numerous objectives are being achieved today through these joint agreements, including empowering women in higher education, where 53% of university enrollees are female. He emphasised that women in Egypt are fundamental and active partners in knowledge production and development. He also pointed out that the current partnerships align with the National Strategy for Higher Education and Scientific Research and are consistent with Egypt s Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals and fourth-generation universities. One of its main pillars focuses on international benchmarking, innovation, and creativity in the educational and scientific research process, which has positively reflected the ranking of Egyptian universities in international classifications, focusing on interdisciplinary programmes. He mentioned the conclusion of approximately 40 protocols, 70 programmes in interdisciplinary fields, and 30 dual degrees that meet the demands of the labour market and future jobs.

Dr Ayman Ashour highlighted the qualitative leap in knowledge accessibility through the Egyptian Knowledge Bank project, which was launched as a presidential initiative and is now considered the largest digital educational platform in the world, serving all categories from kindergarten to post-doctoral levels. This reflects Egypt s prominent role in investing in knowledge and provides a successful model for exporting knowledge to Arab and African countries. He stressed the importance of integrating education, economy, and development, as demonstrated in the presidential  Alliance and Development  initiative to link regional alliances with industry.

Dr Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education, affirmed longstanding Egyptian-French cooperation, stating that France is one of Egypt s most prominent partners in scientific research. He noted that over 3,500 Egyptian scientific missions are sent to France, in addition to the Egyptian-French Imhotep programme, which has funded more than 233 joint research projects in various fields, including chemistry and agriculture, among others.

The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced the signing of 42 cooperation protocols between Egyptian universities and French institutions, encompassing 70 joint programmes related to development plans, including 30 programmes granting dual degrees. Additionally, an agreement was made between the French University in Egypt and 8 distinguished French universities, establishing a new campus offering programmes that cater to student needs. A Letter of Intent was also signed between the Supreme Council of Universities and the French Schools Alliance to foster innovation, education, and research for building a sustainable knowledge economy and enhancing competitiveness. He also highlighted the celebration in 2027 of the 200th anniversary of the founding of Qasr Al-Aini Hospital, a result of Egyptian-French cooperation in the health sector.

For his part, Philippe Baptiste, the French Minister of Higher Education, expressed his delight at being present at Cairo University to participate in the activities of the French-Egyptian Conference for Scientific and University Cooperation. He noted that Cairo University is one of the most prestigious places that has hosted great personalities and minds, celebrated Naguib Mahfouz, and contributed to spreading and establishing peace around the world. He affirmed that the success of this meeting is evidence of the deep cooperation between the two countries and the desire to move forward together, reflecting the will expressed by the two heads of state during their meeting earlier today. He also pointed out the prevailing turbulent phase, which affects science and scientific research on an international level.

The French Minister of Higher Education emphasised the importance of cooperation through science, given its significant role in dialogue between peoples and within societies, and through which minds are enlightened. He pointed out that France has long participated in the advancement of sciences and engaged in all scientific revolutions to reach the decisive truth about this earth and to work towards its prosperity, serving all of humanity.

The French Minister of Higher Education pointed out the joint cooperative relations between Egypt and France in many fields, including the field of archaeology, the establishment of the French University in Egypt, and the signing of a number of cooperation agreements between the two countries, calling on young people to not succumb to the current challenges and not be affected by the current difficulties, but rather to live through respect.

Philippe Baptiste added that the history between Egypt and France is neither recent nor new, referring to his visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum and that scientific cooperation between Egypt and France is for the benefit of the young generations in both countries, as will be evidenced by the agreements that will be concluded today. He indicated that this meeting would grow through creativity, as Egyptian and French educational institutions must be active parties at the continental level, and this is a method of exchange between the two countries.

At the beginning of his speech, Prof Mohamed Sami Abdel-Sadek welcomed the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the French Minister of Higher Education, and the attendees of current and former ministers, university presidents and their deputies, senior statesmen, members of the diplomatic and consular corps, and students within the halls of the prestigious Cairo University, which represents the oldest and most prestigious educational institutions in the Arab world and Africa and has played, since its establishment in 1908, a large and vital role in building awareness and enlightenment, graduating many leaders, scientists, creators, and thinkers.

The President of Cairo University explained that the forum comes within the framework of the distinguished relations between the two sides, which are based on mutual respect and scientific cooperation, and that its organisation within the halls of Cairo University under the great patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his French counterpart President Emmanuel Macron, carries many connotations that reflect the status of the ancient Cairo University and its pivotal role in supporting scientific and cultural dialogue, and confirms its constant keenness to host events during which the exchange of visions and experiences between thinkers and researchers enhances scientific research and supports sustainable development, stressing that France constitutes a strategic partner for Egypt in the path of development and human building.

Prof Mohamed Sami Abdel-Sadek indicated his aspiration to build more ambitious new partnerships that serve young people and open new horizons for science and knowledge in the field of higher education, emphasising that Cairo University shares with its counterparts in France respect for the values of freedom, equality, and respect for human dignity, which are the values that have inspired the world since the French Revolution, and are biased towards science and progress, and represent a common bridge between the Egyptian and French peoples, and the foundations of scientific and cultural cooperation between them.

The forum witnessed the president of Cairo University signing 6 Memoranda of Understanding with several French universities and institutes in the specialisations of engineering and energy, smart cities and sustainability, archaeology, and Eastern civilisations.

These framework agreements establish academic programmes with dual or joint degrees, exchange visits for faculty members and students, and participation in joint research projects.

The French universities and institutes partnered with Cairo University are:

·   Paris Sorbonne University.

o    Sorbonne Nouvelle University.

o    Aix-Marseille University.

o    INSA Lyon (National Institute of Applied Sciences Lyon).

o    Inalco (National Institute of Languages and Eastern Civilisations).

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