Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel Ghaffar has highlighted the need to raise awareness of the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
Abdel Ghaffar’s remarks came as he chaired a meeting of the Fund for the Care of Innovators and Geniuses, according to a statement by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research on Monday.
He asserted his ministry’s keenness to promote innovations by providing all means of available support, adding the importance of coordination between all concerned parties to achieve the fund’s objectives.
The fund aims to: support, finance, and sponsor researchers and innovators; support and finance science, technology, and innovation projects; and to create new financing mechanisms by encouraging individuals and the private sector to finance these projects.
Abdel Ghaffar pointed out that the coming period will witness more interest in innovation, and highlighted that priority will be for ideas that have economic returns and support the local industries.
During the meeting, the launch of the fund’s website and social media pages was announced, along with creating an electronic platform to communicate with innovators. The 2021-2024 proposed strategic plan for the fund was also approved.
The Board has launched a package of programs aimed at spreading culture and raising awareness of the importance of innovation, including seminars and workshops on innovation, holding an international innovation conference and exhibition.
The council also approved the launch of several electronic platforms, such as “Ibdaa”, to provide innovative educational content via MOOCs, a social networking platform for the ISF Community, and the InnConnect virtual video conferences platform.
During the meeting, it was also agreed for cooperation to take place with the Ministry of Education and Technical Education to improve STEM students’ knowledge of intellectual property and innovation. STEM programmes at Egyptian public high schools focus on scientific, mathematical, and technological fields.
It is worth noting that the Fund is preparing a programme to provide scholarships to innovators and talented students to complete their studies abroad.
