Minister of Higher Education Chairs Supreme Council of Universities Meeting at Port Said University

The Minister of Higher Education directs:
* Preparing universities for the first semester exams of the current academic year.
* Activating the role of research centers, innovation hubs, and entrepreneurship incubators within universities.
* Encouraging international publication in prestigious scientific journals.
* Supporting applied scientific research linked to sustainable development plans.
* The Council adopts the guiding model for the strategic plan of sector committees to prepare a strategy for each committee.
The Supreme Council of Universities held its periodic meeting, chaired by Prof.Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in the presence of Prof.Dr. Mostafa Refaat, Secretary-General of the Council, and the esteemed members of the Council, at the headquarters of Port Said University.
The Council expressed its gratitude to Port Said University, under the leadership of Prof.Dr. Sharif Saleh, the University President, for hosting the Supreme Council of Universities meeting.
The Council also extended its congratulations to Prof.Dr. Mahfouz Abdel Sattar on his appointment as President of Hurghada University, wishing him continued success and guidance in the upcoming period.
Prof.Dr. Ayman Ashour emphasized the necessity for universities to prepare for the first semester exams of the current academic year, stressing the completion of all academic and administrative preparations. He pointed out the need for the regular attendance of faculty members, supporting staff, and administrative personnel throughout the exam period to ensure the smooth and orderly conduct of examinations in universities and institutes.
The Minister directed the activation of research centers, innovation hubs, and entrepreneurship incubators within universities, encouraging international publication in prestigious scientific journals, and supporting applied scientific research linked to sustainable development plans. This aligns with achieving the objectives of the National Strategy for Sustainable Innovation.
The Council listened to a report on the prominent activities of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research during December. At the forefront was the meeting of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, with the Minister of Higher Education to review the key outcomes of the "Alliance and Development" initiative, which aims to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship through regional alliances comprising universities, scientific research, industry, and entrepreneurs.
Under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and in the presence of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, and a host of ministers, Dr. Ayman Ashour witnessed the launch of the International Exhibition for Marketing Research and Innovation Outputs (IRC EXPO 2025). This exhibition is one of the most prominent national events in supporting innovation and scientific research and linking education with the needs of the industrial community. The Minister also announced the results of the presidential initiative "Alliance and Development" competition, signing agreements with the winning alliances, in addition to presenting the national vision for scientific research in Egypt, on the sidelines of Egypt hosting the General Assembly of the Annual Tripartite Conference of Partnership between Academies.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in cooperation with the European Union Delegation to Egypt, launched the "Egypt-European Union Research and Innovation Week." This is the largest event of its kind since Egypt joined as a partner country in the "Horizon Europe" program, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Egyptian-European cooperation agreement in science and technology. This marks a new milestone in the path of scientific cooperation between the two sides.
The report stated that Dr. Ayman Ashour inaugurated the proceedings of the 124th regular session of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt in Cairo. This was followed by the 23rd meeting of the Secretary-Generals of Arab states, attended by the Secretary-Generals of the Arab National Commissions.
The report added that Dr. Ayman Ashour inaugurated the activities of the Fifth Forum of the Union of Russian and Arab University Presidents at the Capital University (formerly Helwan). He also inaugurated the first construction phase of the University Medical Complex, which is one of the largest medical and educational projects under implementation to serve South Cairo. Additionally, the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and its counterpart, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science in the Russian Federation, signed a new package of agreements to support joint cooperation.
As part of his field tours, Dr. Ayman Ashour inspected the Beni Suef Higher Institutes Complex, where the Grand Celebration Hall was inaugurated. He also held an expanded meeting with faculty members on the sidelines of the meeting of the Council for Institutes Affairs.
The report added that the Minister conducted an inspection visit to Mansoura National University, reviewing a number of specialized academic and research facilities in several university buildings.
The report clarified that Dr. Ayman Ashour witnessed the graduation ceremony of the first cohort of graduates from the New Mansoura National University, and certificates of excellence were presented to outstanding students at the university.
The report highlighted an inspection tour at the headquarters of the Electronics Research Institute in New El Nozha. The Minister inspected the City of Science and Technology to view the institute's products and applied models supporting local industry. He also launched the official website of the city, met with a number of graduates from the institute's scholarships and training programs, took a commemorative photo with them, and inspected the research products exhibition, which includes advanced models of scientific research outputs and technological applications.
The report stated that Dr. Ayman Ashour witnessed the celebration of three new Egyptian cities (Cairo, Mansoura, and Shebin El-Kom) joining the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities for 2025. This event was organized by the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO, following UNESCO's approval of the nominations submitted by the commission.
The report indicated that Dr. Ayman Ashour witnessed the signing of a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aimed at "transforming Egypt into a sustainable innovative knowledge society" to implement the National Policy for Sustainable Innovation.
The report clarified that Dr. Ayman Ashour opened the conference of the Tourism and Hotels Sector Committee of the Supreme Council of Universities. The conference included a series of specialized workshops aimed at deepening scientific and applied discussions on various tourism issues.
The report highlighted the Minister honoring Egyptian university students who were part of the Egyptian delegation that participated in the 10th World University Championship in Barcelona, Spain, which saw participation from 32 countries and 44 international universities. Students who won in the Sixth Islamic Solidarity Games, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the participation of 57 Islamic countries, were also honored.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in cooperation with the "Scimago" ranking, the global "Elsevier" foundation, and the Union of Arab Scientific Research Councils, announced the results of the fourth edition of the "Scimago" ranking for research centers in the Middle East and North Africa region. The list of the top ten centers in the Middle East and North Africa included 4 Egyptian research centers, with the National Research Center maintaining its top position in the ranking.
The report added that the Minister witnessed the signing of a partnership agreement and the launch of the "Raya'a" program to train university doctors in university hospitals on the early diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases in children. This is in cooperation between the Supreme Council of University Hospitals and AstraZeneca Egypt.
The report addressed the announcement of the names of the winners in the public draw for the Hajj season of 2026 / 1447 AH, from among the Ministry's employees, including faculty members and administrative staff across all universities, institutes, research centers, and the Ministry's central administration.
The report added that Dr. Ayman Ashour witnessed the celebration organized by the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology on the occasion of "Third Genome Day and the announcement of updates on the Egyptian and Ancient Egyptians Reference Genome Project."
The report highlighted the Minister's meeting with the first batch of students nominated for scholarships for the Ph.D. stage for the 2025/2026 academic year. These scholarships are funded through a partnership between the governments of the Arab Republic of Egypt and France, as part of the executive scholarship program extending until 2030.
The report noted that the Minister held an expanded meeting with the Minister of Public Business Sector to follow up on developments in cooperation between the two ministries, explore opportunities for expanding strategic projects contributing to the development of the higher education and scientific research system, and maximize the utilization of assets owned by public business sector companies. Details of the project to establish the first integrated university educational city in the Delta region, serving the governorates of Gharbia, Dakahlia, Menoufia, Kafr El-Sheikh, and Damietta, were also reviewed. This project aims to meet the increasing demand for university and technological education and fulfill the region's need for modern educational institutions that keep pace with global developments.
The report added that the Minister chaired many important meetings, most notably: the meeting of the Executive Committee for Scholarships, the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Fund for Innovators and Geniuses, the meeting of the Electronics Research Institute, and the meeting of the Egyptian Universities Sports Federation.
The report concluded by reviewing the most prominent meetings held by the Minister with ambassadors, officials, university presidents, and foreign delegations. He met with the French Ambassador to Cairo and his accompanying delegation to follow up on the latest developments regarding the new university campus project. He also met with the Deputy President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and her accompanying delegation to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in joint educational projects. Additionally, he explored avenues for cooperation with the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of the African Union, discussing mechanisms for utilizing the Egyptian Knowledge Bank to design multidisciplinary curricula and develop training programs supporting the capacities of researchers and youth. He also met with the British Ambassador to Cairo to discuss prospects for joint cooperation, explored ways to enhance cooperation with a delegation from the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM) in Spain, and met with the German expert from the Faculty of Transportation and Traffic Sciences at the Technical University of Dresden to discuss the executive steps for the International Transport University project in Egypt.
The Council witnessed the signing of several cooperation protocols between Port Said University and each of: Sadat City University, the National Water Research Center, the Petroleum Research Institute, and the Suez Canal Container Terminal Company. These protocols aim for cooperation in scientific research fields, organizing joint training courses, seminars, and workshops, exchanging scientific periodicals and journals, and providing practical training for students and graduates to meet labor market needs.
Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, the Media Advisor and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry, stated that the Council approved the guiding model for the strategic plan of university education sector committees for 2025, for formulating and preparing a strategy for each sector committee.
The official spokesperson added that the Council reviewed a report containing the strategic plan for Qena University (2024/2030).
The Council approved the launch of the third version of the Egyptian Student Participation Survey in Egyptian Universities, starting from January 2026 until the end of July 2026. It targets final-year students for the 2025/2026 academic year in Egyptian universities. The survey aims to measure the quality of educational services in universities, enhance communication channels between students and their educational institutions, spread a culture of participation and constructive interaction within the university campus, and issue accurate indicators on the quality of education and academic and professional support. This contributes to the development of university education according to international quality and accreditation standards.
The Council was informed of the approval of the Board of Port Said University to establish "Enjaz" Company at the university.
The Council also reviewed the African Strategic Report - Eighteenth Edition, issued by the Center for Advanced Studies of Africa at Cairo University, which provides an analytical reading of the overall political, economic, social, and developmental developments on the African continent.