President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi inaugurated, on Wednesday, the headquarters for the Egyptian-Japanese University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) in the Borg El-Arab area of Alexandria.
During the ceremony, the President also opened a number of other private universities and projects that are run by the Ministries of Education, and Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Al-Sisi said that for years, Egypt had not had the sufficient capabilities and standards for its university education to enter international higher education rankings.
The president said that the development of the education system has faced several challenges and smear campaigns during the last period. He added that, just as there has been scepticism about these efforts to improve education, and that this type of sentiment will be expressed for every action that the state undertakes to improve the welfare of its people.
Al-Sisi also said that the negative opinions aim “to bring down the homeland”, despite the measures taken by the state being in the interests of citizens. He called on the media to present these projects to the masses, while reviewing their advantages and disadvantages.
He added that whilst Egypt’s education reform programme has not reached its final stages, the country’s higher education system is improving.
Al-Sisi said that from now on, exams will be conducted digitally, with the results to be announced immediately after.
He noted that an adapted education system will be implemented to take into account the digital transformation that was accelerated by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The new educational methods that will be applied nationwide will see students physically attend lessons or lectures two or three days per week. The reduction in the number of students physically present at one time in Egypt’s educational institutions aims to enforce precautionary measures, including social distancing.
During the inauguration, he also said that, over the years, a series of “wrong prescriptions” to the state’s problems has led to the wrong solutions being implemented.
Al-Sisi also discussed the significant growth in population that Egypt has experienced in recent years, which is projected to reach approximately 193 million by 2050. He added that Egyptians cannot live on a small percentage of the country’s total geographical landmass whilst leaving the rest empty.
