Egyptian Minister of Higher Education, Abdel Aziz Kansoua, recently visited the University of Tsukuba in Japan, where he met with the university's president to discuss ways to enhance academic and research cooperation between the two institutions. The meeting was attended by a high-level delegation, including Dr. Hani Hilal, former Minister of Higher Education and Secretary General of the Egyptian-Japanese Education Partnership, and Dr. Gada Abdel Bari, head of the Cultural Affairs and Missions Sector.
The visit aims to strengthen ties between Egyptian and Japanese universities, with a focus on attracting international universities to establish branches in Egypt. Kansoua highlighted Egypt's efforts to expand its higher education sector, including hosting international university branches, and emphasized the importance of leveraging international expertise to develop Egypt's education system. He also stressed the need to provide Egyptian students with international-standard academic programs.
During the meeting, Kansoua and the University of Tsukuba president discussed potential partnerships, including the establishment of a University of Tsukuba branch in Egypt or the implementation of a "campus within a campus" model in collaboration with an Egyptian university. This would enable the offering of joint academic programs and utilize the scientific capabilities and infrastructure of Egyptian universities.
The two parties also explored the possibility of launching joint academic programs, including dual-degree and student-exchange initiatives, utilizing the Egyptian-Japanese Education Partnership (EJEP) that extends until 2031. This partnership aims to promote academic mobility and exchange between Egyptian and Japanese institutions.
Kansoua also expressed interest in learning from the University of Tsukuba's experience in teacher education and training, particularly in supporting the "Tokatsu" program, which aims to develop teachers' skills. The minister and his delegation visited various research centers and laboratories at the University of Tsukuba to learn about its cutting-edge research and technological capabilities.
The University of Tsukuba president shared the university's experience in establishing a branch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in collaboration with the University of Malaya, which began operations in September 2024. The two parties discussed lessons learned from this experience, including partnership models, governance, and academic accreditation.
Kansoua emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation with the University of Tsukuba in areas such as artificial intelligence and medical engineering, and linking academic and research cooperation to development needs. He also highlighted the need to promote student and researcher mobility between Egyptian and Japanese institutions.
Key points
- Egypt's Minister of Higher Education seeks to strengthen cooperation with Japanese universities to develop the country's higher education sector.
- The University of Tsukuba and Egyptian universities may collaborate on joint academic programs, including dual-degree initiatives and student exchange.
- Egypt aims to attract international universities to establish branches in the country, enhancing its higher education sector.
