Higher education min. urges universities to maintain their role in community service
Minister of Higher Education and
Scientific Research Ayman Ashour directed that universities must continue to be
engaged in community service in cooperation with the presidential "Decent
Life" rural development initiative.
Chairing a regular meeting of the
Supreme Council of Universities (SCU) at Alexandria University on Saturday,
Ashour also urged universities to exert more efforts to eradicate illiteracy in
coordination with the General Authority for Adult Education, while cooperating
with the ministry's center for supporting talented persons and geniuses to
organize useful sports and cultural events for students nationwide.
Congratulating Ashour on his
appointment as minister of higher education and scientific research, former
Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar thanked
the ministry's officials and the council members for their fruitful cooperation
with him over the past five and a half years.
Ashour instructed the bodies
concerned to adopt certain programs to fulfill the needs of talented persons
and geniuses, improve their abilities, inculcate a sense of loyalty in them,
and educate them about the dangers of extremist ideologies.
He also emphasized the importance
of linking research plans at each university to the challenges facing the
province where the respective university is located, to serve the State's plans
for comprehensive and sustainable development.
During his speech at the council’s
meeting, Ashour reviewed the main features of his ministry’s executive plan to
improve the national higher education and scientific research system.
He said the plan involves offering
educational opportunities that are relevant to labor market needs, building
partnerships with top international universities, and giving more attention to
interdisciplinary study programs, while introducing new programs designed to
meet labor market's needs at the local, regional, and international levels.
The plan also includes working for
pushing the Egyptian universities up in the international ranking lists,
maintaining improvement efforts at university hospitals, developing quality of
education at universities and institutions, and embracing digital
transformation at universities, the minister added.
It also aims at supporting foreign
students studying at the Egyptian universities in such a manner that boosts
Egypt’s soft power in the higher education industry, Ashour pointed out.
Source: State Information Service