The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat has witnessed, via videoconference, the graduation of the participants of Train the Trainers (TTT) Program in Artificial Intelligence (AI). The program was launched by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and implemented by the École Pour l'Informatique et les Techniques Avancées (EPITA) with the aim of developing the skills of trainers to teach a nine-month diploma in AI at the Information Technology Institute (ITI).

The training program is part of the cooperation between MCIT and EPITA to develop a joint educational program and create an effective knowledge transfer system through training trainers and launching an AI diploma program.

The program was implemented online, for two months, and was delivered by specialists from EPITA. The number of 156 Egyptians was trained using the curriculum and training content developed by EPITA to suit the Egyptian market. Out of more than 1,600 applicants, the final participants were selected by an MCIT-EPITA joint committee that included representatives from various academic and industrial agencies.

During the meeting, the ICT Minister underlined that the training program comes in MCIT keenness to build the capacity of young people, as they represent a future investment and a key pillar for building Digital Egypt. MCIT focuses on harnessing all potentials to enrich the training program and make it available to more people, he said.

Talat praised the partnership with EPITA, that began during his visit to France to benefit from its expertise in the field of capacity building in AI, which contributes to leveraging such technology to overcome the challenges facing the Egyptian society. He added that he looks forward to further Egyptian-French cooperation in different technology areas.

Moreover, the ICT Minister highlighted that innovation and human effort are key to success for any initiative. MCIT trusts in the participants’ efficiency and the experience they acquired through training, which qualifies them to become certified trainers for the program, he added. Talaat called on the participants to share their expertise and avail the training content to qualify more young people in this field.

For his part, Egypt's Ambassador to France Alaa Youssef referred to the active cooperation between Egypt and France, especially in ICTs. He commended the training program and the model that MCIT adopts to build and develop the technological capabilities of many competent young Egyptians nationwide.

The Ambassador of France to Egypt Stéphane Romatet said he was pleased to participate in the graduation ceremony. He referred to the contribution of the French Embassy in coordinating the first meeting with EPITA, during the ICT Minister’s visit in 2019. Romatet added that he looks forward to build on such success through more partnerships in areas of mutual interest.

The Advisor to the ICT Minister for AI Golestan Radwan stated that the National AI Strategy aims to employ AI to develop all sectors and strengthen Egypt's regional leadership in this field. The pillars of the Strategy include building capacities, providing training to all segments of society in this area, developing practical applications and deploying AI systems. Radwan added that she looks forward to the graduates’ leading role in utilizing AI for development.

ITI Chairwoman Heba Saleh said that as the TTT program concludes, the AI-Pro program starts. AI-Pro is a nine-month one-of-a-kind program in Egypt, through which ITI trains more than 1,000 young people, every year, on AI applications. The trainers and the training content were qualified and developed by EPITA, she added.

It is worth mentioning that 5,600 people applied to join the TTT program, so far. Given the increased number of applicants, the ICT Minister directed for investing more to accept all qualified applicants in the program.

EPITA Managing Director Joel Courtois commended the Egyptian capacity building efforts and praised the efficiency, level of technical awareness and experience of Egyptian trainees. He said that he looks forward for more cooperation in different technology areas.

The meeting was attended by the Director of International Programs at EPITA Rabih Haddad, and the Director of ITI - Ismailia branch and Professional Training Program Manager Mohamed Farouk.

EPITA education system is based on equipping students with both the basics of engineering and the highest level of experience in computer science, IT and communications. EPITA has institutional partnerships with many international companies including Google, Microsoft, SAP, Siemens and Facebook. Over 96% of EPITA students find jobs before graduation.