Egyptian Minister of Education, Mohamed Abdellatif, recently held a meeting with Takao Imafuku, Director-General of the International Cooperation Division at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Fumio Iwai, Japan's Ambassador to Egypt. The discussion focused on the current state of the Egyptian-Japanese educational partnership and explored new avenues for cooperation. The meeting was attended by several officials from both countries, including Ayman Bahaa El-Din, Deputy Minister of Education, and Ahmed El-Gohary, Minister's advisor.
During the meeting, Abdellatif emphasized the strong relationship between Egypt and Japan in the field of education, highlighting Japan as Egypt's primary strategic partner in this sector. He expressed his appreciation for the partnership, which has yielded tangible results, reflecting the shared vision of both countries' leaders to invest in education and human development. The partnership aims to localize best practices in education, tailored to Egypt's specific needs, with a focus on expanding Egyptian-Japanese schools and implementing "Tokatsu" activities.
Imafuku expressed his satisfaction with the growing friendship between Egypt and Japan, praising the close cooperation and tangible outcomes in various educational fields. He noted that during his years of experience in international cooperation, he had not witnessed a similar model of educational cooperation. Imafuku also mentioned his visit to an Egyptian-Japanese school, where he witnessed firsthand the positive impact of the partnership on the educational process and students.
The meeting also covered the expansion of the Egyptian-Japanese school system, which currently comprises 103 schools nationwide. These schools offer a unique educational model that combines the Egyptian curriculum with Japanese "Tokatsu" activities, aiming to develop students' personalities, skills, and values. Abdellatif outlined the ministry's plan to increase the number of these schools to 500 by 2030, in line with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's directives.
The discussion also touched on cooperation in teacher preparation and training, including the Egyptian-Japanese "Tokatsu" diploma, developed in collaboration with Japan's Fukui University. This program targets training around 320 students, while another initiative with Hiroshima University provides advanced training for teachers over a full academic year. The two sides emphasized the importance of Japanese experts and supervisors in supporting the quality of education in Egyptian-Japanese schools.
The meeting reviewed various aspects of cooperation, including curriculum development, future skills development, and financial literacy. The two countries are working together to update curricula and develop educational programs that incorporate Japanese expertise. They also discussed expanding cooperation in areas such as programming, artificial intelligence, and technical education.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to building on the successes of their educational partnership and exploring new areas of cooperation. They emphasized the importance of ensuring the quality of joint projects and expanding successful initiatives, ultimately enhancing the impact of this partnership within Egypt's education system.
Key points
- Egypt and Japan are set to expand their educational partnership, with plans to increase the number of Egyptian-Japanese schools to 500 by 2030.
