Page 9 - Issue 61

Vol.1 Issue 61 November 2023 ELITE

8- You have written many articles and a book entitled
“University and Development in Egypt” in which you discuss
the status of scientific research and higher education in Egypt.
In your opinion, what are the most important challenges facing
higher education and scientific research in Egypt, and what
opportunities should we seize?
I see the biggest challenge lies in making our universities
smart and sustainable; hence, we must work on the elements
of intelligence and sustainability. Regarding the intelligence
component, we must work to obtain information quickly
with the push of a button and get rid of the old way of As for the opportunities that must be seized, it lies in
recording information on paper, and so on. When referring Egypt’s continued interest in transferring Egyptian
to the “smart university,” it is not only limited to the universities to the ranks of international universities,
electronic part of the courses and others, but it is also the which suggests its readiness to receive all ideas that
reliance on modern technologies in university contribute to achieving these goals. It has already
administration, with regard to the educational and research supported many ideas in the field of smart universities
process, and that it provides qualified graduates who are and even issued an important report on the progress of all
able to deal with the future demands of the labor market, Egyptian universities on the issue of intelligence and its
which will depend entirely on artificial intelligence and so identification of the problems and challenges facing every
on. As for our position in relation to these smart university so that it can eliminate them. Likewise, with
universities, we are far behind and we must work hard and regard to the issue of sustainability, Egypt pays great
intensely to reach this level during the coming period. As for attention to it from various ministries, such as the
sustainability, it is also very important because it is now Ministry of Planning, and their willingness to cooperate
linked to development on the economic, environmental and with various universities in this regard, which is an
social levels, which the university must work to achieve important opportunity to benefit from it. In addition to
through various activities. Sustainability is an idea that must this opportunity, there is the possibility of encouraging
be present in all aspects of life. For example, a director is the establishment of technological universities. We find
keen to have ranks behind him for sustainability in the the establishment of 10 technological universities so far,
university’s existing competency process. There is also the with the state keen to increase the number of these
issue of environmental sustainability, such as installing solar universities that target job opportunities in the future
panels on the roofs of university buildings and benefiting labor market related to artificial intelligence, data science,
from clean electricity, paying attention to the issue of etc., making room for many students, not necessarily
afforestation, and the issue of taking care of people with those with a high school diploma, are given a vocational
special needs and their requirements. bachelor’s degree and prepare them to deal with the
future labor market. These technological universities
contribute significantly to improving the country’s
education indicators worldwide.

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