Egyptian Higher Education and ICT ministers sign protocol to implement digital transformation and automation projects in Higher Education Ministry

 
Cairo - The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel Ghaffar and the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat have signed a cooperation protocol between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) to implement the automated testing system project and smart university applications, and develop the infrastructure and the technological systems at the Ministry of Higher Education.
 
The five-year protocol, with a total budget of EGP 722 million, comprises implementing 11 projects, where the two ministries will collaborate to provide smart university applications and apply the Learning Management System (LMS). This is in addition to implementing the innovative educational content initiative, applying the follow-up systems for national projects and providing applications to connect incubators, Intensive Care Units (ICU) beds and blood banks in university hospitals.
 
The protocol also stipulates that the two sides cooperate in establishing technology hubs and Internet of Things (IoT) specialized labs in universities, as well as automating services in the education and missions sectors at the Ministry of Higher Education.
 
The Minister of Higher Education stated that the protocol reflects the State’s efforts for achieving the digital transformation, and comes in line with his Ministry’s strategy that focuses on implementing projects for developing digital transformation skills.

It also reflects the Ministry’s keenness to develop its infrastructure and information infrastructure, automate services and establish IoT specialized labs in universities, said Abdel Ghaffar, stressing the significance of taking all precautionary measures and regulations to follow up on students’ attendance at the technology labs, before the start of the new academic year.
 
He also underlined the significance of rendering electronic services to students, represented in uploading curricula online and carrying out monthly assessments electronically.
 
For his part, the ICT Minister highlighted that the protocol enhances cooperation between the two ministries and helps complete the implementation of the joint projects, with the aim to transform Egyptian universities into digital universities and develop their ICT infrastructure to meet their needs to achieve the digital transformation. This is in addition to enhancing cooperation in developing the technological systems at the Ministry of Higher Education to enable providing excellent digital services, within the framework of synergizing the efforts of the State sectors to build Digital Egypt.
 
Talaat added that the cooperation includes building capacities, developing digital skills and promoting entrepreneurship among youth through establishing technology innovation clusters and IoT specialized labs in universities. He stated that a number of joint projects are underway to keep up with the global technological developments. This has resulted in developing the national strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and establishing the first ICT specialized university in Africa and the Middle East, at the Knowledge City in the New Administrative Capital.
 
The signing ceremony was attended by 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.