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The Supreme Council of Universities held its regular meeting, chaired by Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in the presence of Dr. Mostafa Refaat, Secretary of the Council, and the Council members, at the Ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital.

At the outset of the meeting, the Council extended its congratulations to H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Egyptian people on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the June 30 Revolution, praying that Almighty God continue to bless Egypt with security, prosperity, and well-being.

The Minister directed that all maintenance work required for university laboratories and facilities be completed before the commencement of the 2026/2027 academic year, in order to ensure the quality of the educational process.

Dr. Konsowa further emphasized the importance of universities continuing to organize sports, artistic, cultural, and social activities, as well as training programmes, throughout the summer recess, while supporting students with outstanding athletic and artistic talents to maximize the potential of Egyptian youth.

The Minister also stressed the need to focus on transforming scientific research outputs into products that contribute to the national economy, while fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship and aligning scientific research with national development plans and societal needs.

The Minister commended the achievements made by Egyptian universities in international rankings. These included the inclusion of 29 Egyptian universities in the U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings 2026/2027, with 23 Egyptian universities ranked among the world’s top 1,000 universities. In addition, 18 Egyptian universities and higher education institutions were featured in the QS World University Rankings 2027. The 2025 Journal Citation Reports (JCR), issued by Clarivate, also included 60 Egyptian scientific journals in its database. Furthermore, 45 Egyptian universities were ranked in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2026, which assess universities based on their contribution to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Minister instructed universities to continue supporting researchers in increasing their publications in prestigious international scientific journals in order to further enhance the global standing of Egyptian universities in leading international rankings.

The Council reviewed a report on the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s key activities during June 2026. Among the highlights was a meeting between H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, and Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, to review the Ministry’s vision and action plan for the coming phase. The strategy aims to transform Egypt into a regional and international hub for higher education, scientific research, and innovation, thereby contributing to the development of a knowledge-based economy and attracting students and researchers from around the world.

The meeting also reviewed initiatives to strengthen faculty capacities, improve academic and administrative performance, monitor the implementation of linking scientific research with industry and the knowledge economy, review the progress of the Ministry’s healthcare projects, and promote the internationalization of Egyptian higher education. This includes establishing a framework for selecting leading universities, expanding joint programmes with highly ranked international universities, hosting selected programmes through academic partnerships, strengthening higher education partnerships, and establishing foreign university branch campuses through a modern model of cross-border institutional collaboration.

The Prime Minister also held a meeting with the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research to review the implementation status of the Ain Shams University Medical City project and follow up on a number of presidential directives, including the development of Tier 1 Egyptian university models, the expansion of Egyptian university branch campuses abroad, the Future Skills Academy, and the 500500 Global Oncology Center project, all of which support the advancement of the higher education system and strengthen its alignment with labour market needs.

As part of Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa’s visit to the French Republic to strengthen scientific partnerships and foster innovation with leading French academic and research institutions, the Minister visited the Science and Technology Valley at Paris-Saclay University, one of the world's leading models for linking universities with industry and transforming knowledge into economic and developmental value. He also participated in Viva Technology 2026, one of the world’s largest exhibitions dedicated to technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Paris hosted an extensive meeting bringing together the Minister with presidents and representatives of French universities and academic and research institutions, as well as representatives of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, to discuss avenues for strengthening academic and scientific cooperation with the French side. Dr. Konsowa also met with Dr. Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO, to discuss enhancing cooperation in higher education, scientific research, and innovation, as well as the establishment of a UNESCO Category I Centre in Egypt.

The report further noted that the Ministers of Higher Education and Labour signed a joint cooperation protocol to implement accredited Professional Diploma and Professional Master’s programmes in the fields of Occupational Safety and Health and Human Resources. The Minister also witnessed the signing ceremony of a cooperation protocol between the British University in Egypt and the International University Sports Federation (FISU) to launch the first Master’s programme in Sports Management in the Middle East. In addition, he witnessed the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Egyptian Military Academy and the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology to cooperate across various scientific and research fields, promote national innovation, and support small and medium-sized enterprises.

The report added that Dr. Konsowa held a meeting with a number of Vice Presidents for Community Service and Environmental Development and Directors of University Hospitals to discuss mechanisms for expanding the deployment of integrated development convoys across all governorates, as well as increasing the number of convoys dispatched to African countries. The Minister also received the President of the Egyptian Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation (ETQAN) to discuss mechanisms for developing quality assurance and accreditation systems in technical and technological education. Furthermore, he inaugurated, via videoconference, the Thirty-Second Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST). He also met with the Minister of Planning and Economic Development to explore opportunities for strengthening cooperation in developing the national innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, in addition to meeting with the Governor of the Red Sea Governorate to discuss joint development and service projects within the governorate.

As part of his field visits, the Minister toured the Egyptian-Japanese KOSEN Institute in 10th of Ramadan City, in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to monitor the progress of educational and training activities at the Institute. He also conducted an inspection tour of the new campus of the French National University in Egypt in El Shorouk City to review the project’s completion rates and monitor the implementation of its academic and service facilities.

The report also highlighted the inauguration by the Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt and the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of several medical projects and healthcare units at the National Cancer Institute, following their renovation with support from the Central Bank and the banking sector. The Minister also attended the launch of the First Mediterranean Technical and Vocational education Forum, participated in a seminar announcing the results of the analysis of labour market demand in Egypt during the first quarter of 2026, held an expanded meeting with faculty members and teaching assistants at the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, inaugurated several new facilities at the Faculty, and officially opened the sixth edition of the “Khutwa 2026” Employment Forum.

The report further noted that the Minister participated in the first specialized event supporting the participation of the Egyptian private sector in the Horizon Europe Programme. He also attended the Start Summit 2026 at the Grand Egyptian Museum, where outstanding student volunteers from university Social Solidarity Units, as well as the three best-performing units, were honoured. In addition, the Minister participated in the expanded meeting of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and Scientific Research.

As part of efforts to strengthen international relations, Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa received a high-level delegation from Romania, comprising an Adviser to the President of Romania, Romania’s candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), and the Romanian Ambassador to Egypt. He also received the Special Envoy of the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Congolese candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the OIF, and the Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Egypt. In addition, the Minister received a delegation from Oxford Brookes University to discuss the establishment of a branch campus in Egypt, and held a meeting to review the latest developments regarding the establishment of the Mediterranean University in Alexandria.

A meeting was also held with the leadership of Microsoft Egypt and the Middle East to strengthen cooperation in digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

The Council also listened to a presentation delivered by Ambassador Hisham Badr, General Coordinator of the National Initiative for Smart Green Projects, on the initiative launched under the patronage of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, pursuant to a decision of the Prime Minister and under the supervision of Dr. Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development. The presentation highlighted the importance of establishing an integrated ecosystem for green growth and technologies by accelerating the transition towards a green economy, promoting a culture of innovation and environmental responsibility, and demonstrating the Initiative’s contribution to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This includes identifying smart green projects across all governorates, establishing a national database for such projects, connecting them with donor agencies, financial institutions, and international organizations to facilitate funding, fostering partnerships between local and international stakeholders, and showcasing the services provided by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA). In this context, the Council agreed to encourage universities and research centres to participate in the Initiative and submit their smart green projects before the application deadline at the end of next August.

The Council also received a presentation by Dr. Ghada Farouk, Vice President of Ain Shams University for Community Service and Environmental Development and Rapporteur of the Higher Committee for Comprehensive University Development Convoys, on the Committee’s vision and strategic pillars. The presentation highlighted the strategic foundations for achieving the Committee’s vision, including ensuring equitable geographical distribution of development convoys, extending their services to remote areas, and strengthening development cooperation with the Nile Basin countries and Africa. It also emphasized the transition from temporary initiatives to a sustainable, impact-driven operational model with measurable developmental outcomes. Furthermore, the presentation reviewed the comprehensive services delivered through the development convoys, including medical, nursing, veterinary, agricultural, cultural, literacy, awareness-raising, economic empowerment, and community services, as well as the key target areas for future convoys, previous efforts to dispatch medical convoys to African countries, and the importance of integration and coordination among all relevant stakeholders.

The Council also reviewed a presentation by Dr. Omar Salem, Director of the Electronic and Knowledge Services Center of the Supreme Council of Universities, introducing a model user guide for the comprehensive university performance evaluation framework. The framework is based on universities’ strategic plans and is designed to reflect institutional performance through a continuous diagnostic and developmental approach that compares actual performance against the State’s national strategic objectives. The framework aims to direct resources toward achieving sustainable excellence and improving universities’ national and international rankings.

Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, Media Adviser and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry, announced that the Council approved the formation of the Higher Coordination Committee for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The Spokesperson further stated that the Council reviewed the executive measures undertaken during June to benefit from the allocation of 16,000 feddans in the New Valley Governorate to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for research purposes to be utilized by Egyptian universities.

Dr. Nasser El-Gizawy, President of Benha University, presented a report on the current and future status of the University’s solar power stations as part of the University’s strategy to rationalize electricity consumption, gradually transition to solar energy systems, and integrate them into the national electricity grid.

Dr. Sherif Khater, President of Mansoura University, presented a report on the University’s strategy for rationalizing the consumption of energy and petroleum products, maximizing the use of natural lighting, reducing gas consumption, and improving water-use efficiency, all in support of environmental sustainability.

The Council also reviewed a report presented by Dr. Sherif Saleh, President of Port Said University, on the University’s achievements during the 2024/2025 academic year. The report highlighted major initiatives in digital transformation, international rankings, international relations, international student enrolment, student activities, and development projects across the academic, research, community service, and administrative sectors.

The Council further reviewed the progress made by universities in developing comprehensive plans to enhance the performance of Faculty Development Centers to ensure that they effectively fulfill their intended objectives in line with contemporary requirements and the training needs of faculty members.

Finally, the Council was briefed on the technical measures implemented by the Electronic and Knowledge Services Center of the Supreme Council of Universities to issue the FDTC (Fundamentals of Digital Transformation Certificate) in a secure digital format that enables easy verification of its authenticity.