Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, held a meeting on Saturday morning with Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah, along with his accompanying delegation, to discuss ways of joint cooperation between the two sides at the ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital.

Dr. Ashour affirmed the depth of Egyptian-Emirati relations, expressing Egypt’s aspiration to expand these relations by enhancing academic and research partnerships between the two countries.

The minister pointed to the significant expansion witnessed by the higher education system in Egypt in recent years, including the establishment of new universities, opening branches of foreign universities, and offering dual degrees in cooperation with prestigious international institutions. He explained that the Egyptian educational system is characterized by great diversity, comprising 128 universities divided into public, private, technological universities, branches of foreign universities, universities established under framework and international agreements, and universities with special laws, in addition to institutes, providing multiple educational paths that meet the changing labor market needs.

Ashour highlighted the importance of supporting academic and research cooperation between Egyptian and Emirati educational institutions, emphasizing the need to strengthen communication channels between the two sides to open wider horizons for scientific partnership that serves the priorities of both countries and contributes to building human capacities.

The minister explained that the state’s vision aims to make Egypt an attractive educational platform for students from the Arab region, Africa, and the Middle East. To achieve this, the Egyptian higher education system offers its educational services in different languages to attract the largest possible number of students from various nationalities.

For his part, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi expressed his happiness with the increased cooperation with Egyptian universities, conveying the greetings of Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. He pointed out that the meeting aims to enhance joint academic and research cooperation between the two sides, affirming that the University of Sharjah is considered one of the best universities globally, and that choosing Egypt as the first country to establish a branch is due to Egypt’s status in the UAE.

The two sides discussed ways to enhance joint cooperation in academic, scientific, and research fields, and ways to maximize the benefit from research outputs between Egyptian and Emirati universities, benefiting the two brotherly countries.

They also discussed ways to increase scientific exchange between Egyptian and Emirati universities, intensify student and faculty exchange programs, and explore opportunities to benefit from the Egyptian Knowledge Bank as a leading educational and research platform contributing to the development of researchers’ and students’ skills in both countries.

At the end of the meeting, the two sides agreed to continue cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.

The meeting was attended on behalf of the Ministry of Higher Education by Dr. Abdulwahab Ezzat, Secretary of the Private Universities Council; Dr. Mohamed El Sharkawy, Assistant Minister for Policies and Economic Affairs; Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, Media Advisor and Official Spokesperson of the Ministry; and Dr. Hussein Farid, Lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University.

From the Emirati side, the attendees included Dr. Mansour bin Nassar, Head of the Legal Department of Sharjah Government and Member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Sharjah; His Excellency Hassan Yaqoub Al Mansouri, Director of the Office of the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah; Dr. Humaid Majoul Al Nuaimi, Advisor to the President of the University of Sharjah; and Engineer Hesham Howaidi, University Consultant.