Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said on Sunday that the new Kayan University would open in February 2027, offering six faculties and accommodating around 25,000 students.
The university will comprise faculties of medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, pharmacy, engineering, and computers and artificial intelligence, Al-Sisi said during the opening session of the third medical conference of the Armed Forces College of Medicine.
He said the government would seek to establish partnerships and academic twinning agreements between the new faculties and leading international universities to enhance education and training standards.
Al-Sisi directed the Tahya Misr Fund to cover tuition fees for high-achieving students admitted to the university, provided they maintain their academic performance.
He also instructed the Minister of Higher Education to study the possibility of allowing the top 10 students in Egypt’s secondary-school examinations to transfer to Kayan University.
The president said the decision to establish the six faculties followed strong interest from civilian students seeking admission to the Armed Forces College of Medicine this year.
He added that another new university was expected to open along the Ain Sokhna road in March 2027, although its name had not yet been determined.
Egypt is also working to upgrade eight existing universities with the aim of making them internationally competitive institutions. The development plans include improvements to facilities, education systems and digital infrastructure, Al-Sisi said.
He stressed that education and healthcare are central to Egypt’s development, emphasising that government policies should focus not only on the number of educational and medical facilities or graduates, but also on service quality and professional competence.
On healthcare spending, Al-Sisi said providing the level of medical services targeted by the government could require a health budget at least twice its current size.
He also instructed the prime minister and several ministries to develop a legal and institutional framework to encourage educational endowments as a source of funding and support for the sector.
The conference also witnessed the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Armed Forces College of Medicine and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, as part of broader efforts to establish international academic and medical partnerships.
Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar and renowned heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub were among those attending the conference.
