As part of a serious step by the political leadership and in continuation of the process of reform and development of education, whether pre-university or university education, as it is the foundation of progress and prosperity, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, announced the issuance of the presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on June 3, regarding Law No. 72 of 2019 for the establishment of Technological Universities. This step represents an important shift toward creating a new pathway for technical education in Egypt. These universities are considered an extension of the technical education track and aim to provide students with practical and scientific skills to meet the requirements of the local and international labor market through technological programs implemented in the university’s faculties, which were designed based on the needs of national projects and the geographical locations of the universities.
In the following report, we present everything you need to know about technological universities, methods of admission, specializations, target groups, and their intended objectives.
These universities award academic degrees starting from the post-secondary higher diploma, Bachelor of Technology, professional master’s degree, and professional doctorate in technology. Studies will begin in three universities (Cairo New, Quesna, and Beni Suef) next September for students holding technical education diplomas (three- and five-year systems) and general secondary school graduates after passing the admission tests through the Coordination Office, which will determine the minimum admission scores for the upcoming academic year 2019/2020.
Technological universities also grant professional bachelor’s degrees in technology in specific specializations, with a study duration of four years. They also provide opportunities to prepare for postgraduate studies, including obtaining a master’s or doctoral degree.
The required specializations include: electricity and energy, restoration, hotel management and tourism services, electrical, electronic, and metal industries, leather industries, paper production and printing, automotive technology, new and renewable energy technology, information technology and mechatronics, financial institutions management technology, medical devices technology, and tourism.
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar previously stated that technical education is no less important than general secondary education, noting that there is a strong orientation from the political leadership to support it. He explained that priority for admission to technological universities is given to technical diploma holders. He also noted that studies will start next September in three universities, and that these universities offer a number of unique specializations that strongly qualify their graduates to compete in the labor market.
He added that students enrolled in these universities can obtain a bachelor’s degree and continue their studies to earn a master’s and doctorate later on, in addition to obtaining a higher professional diploma, a higher professional bachelor’s degree, or a higher professional master’s degree in the specialization. He emphasized that this new university pathway will help students gain distinguished experience that enables them to enter the labor market locally and internationally.
The Ministry of Higher Education has defined the objectives of establishing technological universities in line with the principles and goals of Egypt’s Sustainable Development Strategy 2030, including the creation of new pathways for technical education to prepare qualified human resources capable of meeting labor market needs locally and internationally. These objectives include:
Creating a new pathway for applied and technological education and training parallel to academic education, whose graduates receive university degrees at the levels of post-secondary diploma, bachelor’s degree, and postgraduate studies, as well as providing technical assistance and administrative consultation in the field of technical education and training for various industrial and commercial sectors.
Providing technological education that delivers integrated educational and training services with quality comparable to international quality systems.
Applying and utilizing technology to qualify general and technical secondary school graduates to meet labor market needs for technical and technological human resources required for the state’s social and economic development plans, and supporting the societal image of this type of education.
Continuous development of curricula and study plans at all educational stages and levels related to technological education to keep pace with rapid developments in various scientific fields.
Preparing qualified cadres with appropriate experience in technical education, enabling flexible transition between sub-specializations, and allowing graduates to join the labor market and return to study after receiving appropriate training and practical experience.
Developing scientific and cultural relations between technological universities and Arab and international universities and institutions to enhance scientific cooperation and exchange expertise, contributing to the achievement of development goals.
