Minister of Higher Education Chaired Meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities at Menoufia University

The council announced the academic calendar for the new academic year 2025/2026:
• September 20: Start of the new academic year at universities and institutes.
• January 1: Start of final exams for the first semester.
• January 24: Start of the mid-year vacation for the new academic year.
• February 7: Start of the second semester.
• May 21: End of the second semester.
The council approved the admission coordination rules for public universities and higher institutes.
The Supreme Council of Universities held its regular meeting today, Saturday, chaired by Prof. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, with the presence of Prof. Mostafa Refaat, Secretary of the Council, and esteemed council members, at Menoufia University.
The council expressed its gratitude to the family of Menoufia University, led by Prof. Ahmed Al-Qased, President of the University, for hosting the Supreme Council of Universities meeting.
The council congratulated Prof. Shaden Maawiya on her appointment as President of Sadat City University, wishing her continued progress and prosperity for the university in the upcoming period.
Prof. Ayman Ashour directed the prompt announcement of the results of the second-semester examinations for the current academic year 2024/2025. He also emphasized the need to complete maintenance work required for laboratories and university facilities and to review all aspects of health and occupational safety before the start of the new academic year 2025/2026.
Prof. Ayman Ashour stressed the importance of universities continuing to implement sports, artistic, cultural, and social activities, and supporting talented athletes and artists during the summer vacation; to harness the energies of youth and cultivate a sense of belonging and loyalty among them.
The minister urged focusing on converting research outputs into products that contribute to serving the national economy, in addition to promoting a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, and linking scientific research to developmental plans and community needs.
Prof. Ayman Ashour emphasized the need for universities to continue fostering belonging among university students and to develop plans to intensify awareness campaigns for students to combat unhealthy ideas.
The council listened to a report on the most prominent activities of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research during May, including a meeting between Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Prof. Ayman Ashour with a delegation from Oxford University, to review the university's efforts regarding cancer treatment and to adopt a research project that includes new scientific methods for combating and treating tumors, starting with the 500500 Institute at Cairo University, in preparation for its nationwide implementation.
Prof. Ayman Ashour launched the second edition of the "Be Ready" initiative, under the slogan "One Million Qualified Innovators" (Be Ready – 1M), and details of the initiative, its goals, and changes in the labor market were reviewed.
Prof. Ayman Ashour witnessed the launch of the executive phase of the largest genome project in the Middle East and the delivery of genome samples from athletes. He also announced the launch of a path for studying the genomes of geniuses and talented individuals to understand the genetic factors associated with intelligence and creativity, creating a pathway to discover innovators through genetic testing, contributing to the development of tailored educational curricula for promising Egyptian minds.
The minister also attended the opening of the student forum "Mobility Talk," which included several discussion sessions on the qualitative leap witnessed by the railway sector in Egypt and the Middle East, highlighting the electric train project. He also inaugurated the "Cybersecurity Conference," one of the most prominent Arab events specialized in information security and the digital space.
Prof. Ayman Ashour and European Union Ambassador to Egypt launched the Horizon Europe program for 2025. He also witnessed the signing of a preliminary agreement to extend the PRIMA agreement to enhance national research capacities in water management and food production, as well as support the business sector and small and medium enterprises in these sectors.
Prof. Ayman Ashour attended the launch of a series of youth dialogues organized under the slogan "With Youth... Facts and Figures," in implementation of directives from Mr. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi regarding the importance of direct communication with citizens to showcase government efforts and services, enhancing trust between the state and its youth, and supporting Egypt's vision in building human capital and achieving a decent life for all citizens. The minister also followed up on the implementation of the "Know Yourself" program, executed in collaboration between the Ministries of Higher Education and Youth and Sports, to build student awareness and develop their skills.
Prof. Ayman Ashour held a meeting with Prof. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and a cooperation protocol was signed between Al-Azhar University and Ain Shams University to collaborate with the industrial sector, enhancing the role of universities in serving the most needy areas.
Prof. Ayman Ashour and Prof. Yasmin Fouad, Minister of Environment, held a meeting with the UNESCO Regional Office in Cairo and its accompanying delegation to discuss ways to support the activities of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program and to enhance the partnership between the two sides, contributing to the preservation of natural resources, protecting biodiversity and culture, and achieving sustainable development goals.
The minister witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and the West Virginia University Research and Development Foundation in the USA to enhance cooperation in the fields of agricultural genomics and food security. He also witnessed the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Education Development Fund affiliated with the Prime Minister's Office and the Electronics Research Institute to qualify Egyptian cadres in the fields of microelectronics and renewable energy.
Prof. Ayman Ashour received global surgeon Prof. Magdi Yacoub and praised the scientific partnership between Aswan University and the Magdi Yacoub Foundation, and the integration between academic education and practical application that contributes to improving healthcare services.
Prof. Ayman Ashour attended the first conference of university hospitals, organized by the Supreme Council of University Hospitals in cooperation with Ain Shams University. He also opened the 13th International Scientific Conference of Ain Shams University under the slogan "75 Years of Excellence and Leadership... An Eye on the Past and a Sun Lighting the Future," as well as the annual scientific conference of the Cairo University Faculty of Medicine, titled "Towards an Innovative Medical Community."
The minister witnessed the conclusion of the supreme forum for scientific and engineering innovations, which is a strategic platform to support talented students from higher and intermediate institutes and technological universities. He also attended the "Cultural Leaders Salon" for students of Egyptian universities and institutes. The minister highlighted the holding of the periodic meeting of the Supreme Council for Private Higher Institutes outside Cairo, in a pioneering initiative. He met with students from the Delta Higher Institutes in Mansoura, in addition to conducting an inspection tour of several laboratories.
Prof. Ayman Ashour conducted an inspection tour of Soad Kafafi University Hospital, on the sidelines of the private universities council meeting, and listened to a detailed explanation about the hospital's operations and the medical and educational activities it provides, in addition to the healthcare services offered to citizens. During the periodic meeting of the Council of Private Universities, Prof. Ayman Ashour announced the issuance of presidential decisions to establish 12 new private universities, which will begin classes starting from the next academic year 2025/2026, raising the total number of universities in Egypt to 128.
Prof. Ayman Ashour held a meeting with members of the ministerial committee for appointing faculty members and assistants at higher institutes. The minister also chaired a meeting with the directors of disability centers at Egyptian universities, where the challenges facing students with disabilities in Egyptian universities and how to address them were discussed.
The report indicated that many meetings and discussions were held with ministers, ambassadors, foreign officials, and delegations from foreign universities to explore mechanisms for enhancing joint scientific and research cooperation.
The council listened to a presentation by Prof. Hossam Osman, Deputy Minister for Innovation and Scientific Research, regarding the follow-up of universities' efforts to support the implementation of the national sustainable innovation strategy, and the importance of training researchers practically on utilizing research outputs, marketing research outputs, identifying the commercial potentials of research, conducting feasibility studies, and informing researchers of their main roles in research and the available incubators and business accelerators.
The council also heard a presentation by Prof. Sherif Keshk, Assistant Minister for Smart Governance, on the implementation plan for the "Be Ready - One Million Qualified Innovators" initiative as one of the executive mechanisms for the presidential initiative "Alliance and Development," under the umbrella of the national strategy for higher education and scientific research. This included supporting sustainability plans for professional development centers, maintaining existing teams, and utilizing faculty members from faculties of arts and languages to provide accredited language programs, as well as integrating the initiative into academic and operational schedules, facilitating the use of laboratories, digital centers, and testing centers within universities to implement training activities, and facilitating communication and coordination through professional development center managers as official representatives of the initiative within each university.
Prof. Mona Hegras, Assistant Secretary of the Supreme Council of Universities, presented an overview of the priorities of the BRICS group and the organizational structure of the BRICS University Network, as well as the membership of 22 Egyptian universities in the specialized committees of the BRICS University Network, and the areas of cooperation including (economics, water resources, water management, energy, sustainable agriculture and food security, climate change, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences, computer science and information security, health sciences, BRICS studies, mathematics), as well as highlighting Egypt's main participation axes in educational meetings until May 2025.
Prof. Adel Abdel Ghafar, media advisor and official spokesperson for the ministry, stated that the council approved the academic calendar for the new academic year 2025/2026, which begins on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Mid-term exams for the first semester will be held during the first three weeks of November, depending on each faculty. The first semester will continue for 15 weeks, ending on Thursday, January 1, 2026. Final exams for the first semester will begin on Saturday, January 3, 2026, and end on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The mid-year vacation will commence on Saturday, January 24, 2026, and end on Thursday, February 5, 2026. The second semester will start on Saturday, February 7, 2026, with mid-term exams for the second semester held during the first three weeks of April, depending on each faculty. Classes will continue for 15 weeks, ending on Thursday, May 21, 2026, with final exams for the second semester scheduled for May and June 2026, according to the nature of study and exams in each faculty.
The official spokesperson added that the council approved the coordination rules for admitting students holding the Egyptian General Secondary Certificate and its equivalents (Arab and foreign certificates) and technical certificates for the year 2025, applying the same coordination rules as last year for admission to public universities and institutes for the academic year 2025/2026.
The council followed up on the efforts of the committee formed to implement the media promotion procedures for Egyptian universities through various official platforms by producing diverse digital content targeting the relevant groups both domestically and abroad.
The council reviewed the implementation plan for the "Be Ready - One Million Qualified Innovators" initiative as one of the executive mechanisms for the presidential initiative "Alliance and Development," under the national strategy for higher education and scientific research. This included supporting sustainability plans for professional development centers, maintaining existing teams, and utilizing faculty members from faculties of arts and languages to provide accredited language programs, as well as integrating the initiative into academic and operational schedules, facilitating the use of laboratories, digital centers, and testing centers within universities to implement training activities, and facilitating communication and coordination through professional development center managers as official representatives of the initiative within each university.
The council reviewed a report on the Egyptian survey for student participation until May 2025, presenting data on the participation rates of universities.
The council acknowledged the decision of Sohag University to approve the establishment of Sohag Venture Company – SV CO, which aims to market research outputs, consulting services, and invest intellectual and technical assets at the university, contributing to innovation and economic development.
The council was also informed about Benha University organizing the first employment and professional development forum, titled "Launching towards the Future."