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Egypt's higher education and scientific research system has received unprecedented support under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. This support has contributed to remarkable progress, including the expansion of universities, the development of scientific research and university hospitals, and the strengthening of international partnerships and global rankings, all of which support the state's drive towards building a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy.

Dr. Abdel Aziz Qansouh, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, praised the qualitative achievements and unprecedented developments attained by the higher education and scientific research system in recent years. He emphasized that these successes were made possible by the significant and continuous support of the political leadership, which has contributed to the implementation of ambitious projects to develop the higher education and scientific research system, expand educational opportunities, improve the quality of academic and research services, and enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian educational and research institutions at both the regional and international levels.

Qansouh pointed out that the future vision of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is based on building an educational and research system that is more linked to the requirements of national development and global changes, through developing study programs and linking them to the needs of the labor market, and enhancing the path of internationalizing education through expanding international partnerships, joint degrees and branches of international universities, in addition to supporting scientific research and innovation and linking its outputs to industry, localizing technology, encouraging entrepreneurship, and developing the skills of students and researchers, in a way that contributes to establishing a knowledge-based economy and enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy.

Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, the media advisor and official spokesperson for the Ministry, stated that local and international statistics reflect the unprecedented development witnessed by the higher education and scientific research system during the period from 2013 to 2026, as the total number of universities and university institutions increased from 56 to 129, with the increase of public universities from 23 to 28 universities, private universities from 23 to 36 universities, and national universities from 4 to 32 universities. Technological universities were also established for the first time to reach 14 universities by 2026, and witnessed an increasing demand that was reflected in doubling the number of their students, which enhances their role in preparing qualified personnel for the needs of the labor market.

The official spokesperson added that the system has witnessed an expansion in the internationalization of higher education through the establishment of nine branches of foreign universities and an increase in universities established through international agreements from two to six. This strengthens Egypt's position as a regional hub for higher education. The state has also prioritized advanced technical education, with the number of private higher institutes reaching 208, distributed across engineering, business, media, health, agriculture, tourism, and service sectors, thus enhancing the diversity of higher education pathways.

As part of strengthening Egypt's position as a regional and international destination for higher education, the number of international students has risen to approximately 198,000, of whom 138,000 are studying at higher education institutions, representing 119 nationalities worldwide. The medical field is the most attractive specialization for international students, followed by engineering. The state has continued to expand its efforts to attract students from Arab, African, Asian, and European countries, reflecting growing international confidence in Egyptian higher education.

The official spokesperson pointed out that Egyptian universities and research institutions continued to achieve tangible accomplishments at the level of international rankings, reflecting the continuous development in the quality of education and scientific research and enhancing the global competitiveness of Egyptian academic institutions. In this context, 45 Egyptian universities were included in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for Sustainable Development 2026, and the Clarivate Analytics 2025 International Journals Report included 60 Egyptian scientific journals. The QS World University Rankings in its latest edition included 18 Egyptian universities and higher education institutions, while the US News & World Report rankings included 29 Egyptian universities in its results for the 2026/2027 academic year, which confirms the growing status of Egyptian higher education and scientific research institutions on the international stage.

In the field of international cooperation, the higher education and scientific research system witnessed a remarkable leap forward through the launch of the Horizon Europe program, the expansion of participation in the PRIMA program, and the signing of dozens of agreements with several countries, including France, Germany, South Korea, and Russia. This resulted in the implementation of 80 joint academic projects and reflected the growing international confidence in the Egyptian higher education system.

Abdel Ghaffar noted that the university hospital sector witnessed significant development between 2013 and 2026, with the number of hospitals increasing from 88 to 147 and their budget rising from 10 billion to 28 billion Egyptian pounds. These hospitals provided services to more than 32 million patients in a single year and performed hundreds of thousands of surgical procedures, thus solidifying their role as a cornerstone of the healthcare system in Egypt.

In the context of promoting social inclusion, Egyptian universities have made significant progress in supporting students with disabilities by establishing 20 specialized centers, launching the presidential initiative "Tamkeen", and providing various forms of academic and service support. This ensures their full integration into university life and empowers them to achieve success and excellence.

The official spokesperson emphasized that student activities have witnessed a qualitative leap in recent years, with expanded participation in sports, cultural, and artistic activities. More than 100,000 students participated in the "100 Days of Sports" initiative, and Egyptian universities have achieved numerous accomplishments in international, African, and Arab championships. Furthermore, preparations are underway to host the African University Games (Cairo 2026) and several other international sporting events, reflecting the development of sports infrastructure and international confidence in Egypt's organizational capabilities.

In the field of scientific research, Egypt has made remarkable progress at the international level, as it has strengthened its research cooperation with 213 countries, and published more than 116,000 international research papers during the period 2019–2024, while the number of Egyptian researchers registered on the Scopus database has exceeded 140,000 researchers, and about 78% of Egyptian research papers are published in prestigious international journals (Q1 and Q2), and 1,106 Egyptian scientists were included among the top 2% of scientists in the world according to the Stanford University ranking, and the annual rate of international publication has increased to more than 45,000 research papers compared to about 16,000 research papers previously, so that Egypt occupies the 25th place globally in international publications.

Egypt also witnessed a strategic scientific achievement with the announcement of the results of the “Reference Genome of Egyptians and Ancient Egyptians” project, which included the analysis of more than 1,024 samples from 21 governorates and the detection of about 17 million genetic variations, with a plan to expand to study 25,000 Egyptian genomes and establish the National Center for Genomes, which supports building a national genetic reference and promoting precision medicine applications and advanced scientific research.

The official spokesperson explained that, within the framework of supporting the innovation system, the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology achieved more than 78 accomplishments in one year, and organized more than 45 international scientific events with the participation of more than 80 countries, which strengthened Egypt’s position as a regional center for research and innovation. Egypt also came in 86th place globally in the Global Innovation Index, and among the top 50 countries globally in the index of the most influential countries in creative fields according to the US News 2026 ranking, which reflects the growth of its capabilities in innovation, intellectual property and scientific creativity.

Linking scientific research to industry has contributed to several important applied outcomes, including the production of the first locally manufactured electric cars, the production of ventilators to international standards, the local production of silymarin for treating liver diseases, and the development of new agricultural varieties of garlic and cowpeas to support food security. This is in addition to implementing smart agriculture and aquaculture projects and investing in the outputs of scientific research, all of which support sustainable development and a knowledge-based economy.