The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel Ghaffar and the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat have held a meeting, via video conference, to follow up on implementing the digital transformation in universities.

Abdel Ghaffar stated that the move towards the digital transformation of education started more than a year and a half ago, and has been applied to the examination system in medical colleges, which has been very successful. He underlined his ministry’s keenness to introduce e-learning in all Egyptian universities and institutes, which will help reduce traffic congestions and pollution. In addition, electronic communication among faculty and students is much better than having to visit the university in person, he added.

The Higher Education Minister also said that applying the e-learning system this year has been successful, although this was the first time to put this system into effect in all Egyptian universities and institutes nationwide. He highlighted the significance of smart universities, which will act as integrated universities in all educational and applied aspects.

For his part, the ICT Minister underlined the importance of expediting introducing e-learning into universities and benefiting from the suspension of education in universities, so that traditional education can be transformed into e-learning, with which students will be familiar. He added that e-learning has become popular among students.

Talaat said that there is currently increased cooperation and continuous communication between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). The aim is to support e-learning mechanisms and leverage the opportunities created by technology, to facilitate education for students.

The joint project between the two ministries is not a spur-of-the-moment project, but has been implemented over the past few years, as per the directives of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, with the political leadership focusing on the importance of the digital transformation of education.

The meeting discussed the significance of expediting the completion of the ICT infrastructure in all universities, so they can be able to carry out digital exams with the beginning of the next academic year. This is in addition to the universities’ needs, in terms of the internet speed and highly efficient fiber cables.

Moreover, the two sides discussed the joint cooperation that resulted in establishing six innovation hubs, including branches of MCIT affiliated training institutes, inside a number of regional universities: Mansoura, Menoufia, Minya, Sohag, Aswan and South Valley University in Qena.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of University Hospitals and the Chairman of the joint committee for e-testing Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the Assistant Minister for Technical Affairs and Strategic Planning and MoHESR Spokesperson Mohamed Eltayeb, the Assistant Minister of Higher Education for Digital Transformation Hesham Farouk, the Director of the Electronic and Knowledge Services Center (EKSC) at the Supreme Council of Universities Ibrahim Moawad, the Deputy ICT Minister for Administrative Development, Digital Transformation and Automation Khaled El Attar, the Deputy ICT Minister for Infrastructure and the Director of the Telecommunication and Infrastructure Sector at MCIT Raafat Hindy and a number of officials from the two ministries.