Egyptian Minister of Higher Education Khaled Abdel Ghafar and his Austrian counterpart Hans Viessmann met on Wednesday, to sign a five-year-protocol encouraging scientists and experts to participate in joint projects, particularly in higher education and scientific research.
The two ministers agreed to establish a joint committee containing six members, to carry out the terms of the protocol.
Abdel Ghafar emphasized the importance of supporting scientific cooperation between the Egyptian-Austrian universities and educational institutions.
He asked for increasing the number of post-graduate scholarships provided by Austria to 150, particularly in fields of water, renewable energy, urban planning, and metropolitan train management.
Abdel Ghafar explained his ministry’s strategy named “Globalization of Higher Education- from influence to integration,” explaining the facts of higher education in Egypt.
Presdient Abdel Fattah Sisi witnessed the signing of the protocol after he arrived in the Austrian capital on Sunday morning for a four-day state visit, where he participated in the High-Level Forum Africa-Europe to further their partnership.
The president’s participation in the forum, along with a group of African and European leaders, came at the invitation of Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, current president of the European Union.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm.
