Important step to achieve objectives of UK-Egypt education partnership

UK Embassy in Cairo said Tuesday another important step was taken towards achieving the Memorandum of Understanding's (MOU) objectives for education signed by President Abdel Fatah El Sisi in November 2015, which lists 12 projects on education to be implemented over the next 15 years.

A senior education delegation led by Egypt's Minister of Education is currently in the UK working with senior British officials on education, a statement by the UK Embassy reported.

"Key objectives of this visit include a stronger understanding of the UK Higher Education system and potential best practice to adapt in the Egyptian context, exploring how governance within the UK Higher Education is applied in practice, identifying best practice around university admissions and explore systems that may enhance Egyptian Higher Education and sharing existing success stories between UK and Egypt’s work in education while highlighting and exploring priority areas for internationalisation," the statement added.

"Nothing is more important to Egypt's success than education, and Britain and Egypt are natural partners to achieve better schools, universities and skills for all Egyptians," UK Ambassador John Casson said. 

"President Sisi threw down the challenge to us when he came to London in 2015 and signed a new education cooperation agreement. I am very proud that the British Embassy and British Council responded to the President's challenge: investing in new scholarships, in new teacher training, in new partnerships with Egypt’s education ministries, NGOs and the Supreme Council of Universities," Casson said.

"This week we see the culmination of this year of work, as the best British and Egyptian brains in education come together in London to design the pillars of a world class education system for Egypt: teaching, exams, curriculum, funding, governance, quality assurance," he added.

For his part, Director of the British Council in Egypt Jeff Streeter said "Education is central to the bilateral relationship ... British Council Egypt has been instrumental in creating the conditions for greater co-operation between the UK and Egypt at institutional, sector and government levels. Initially this was through capacity building, supporting strategy development and internationalisation."

The embassy's statement said "UK is working closely with Egypt's Supreme Council of Universities and the Ministry of Higher Education in Cairo on a range of issues including the creation of HERFA – Higher Education Regulation and Funding Agency – which would fundamentally change the funding and oversight of the system, requiring new legislation; developing the next generation of leaders; and new Assessment for university entrance."