ARTI Egitto definitivo - ARTI Puglia
ARTI Egitto definitivo - ARTI Puglia
ARTI Egitto definitivo - ARTI Puglia
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Since 2002, the EU Tempus project in Egypt, with most of the Egyptian Universities<br />
participating in a total of 64 Tempus projects .The subject areas were: Urban and Regional<br />
Planning, Microfinance, Health Care, Open and Distance Learning,European Studies,<br />
Engineering and Technology, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Bio-Chemistry, Cultural<br />
Heritage, Pharmacy, Translation and Interpreting, Management and Business, Information<br />
Technologies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Mechanical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery,<br />
Tourism and Leisure, Physical Education, and Biology. Though this project aims at<br />
encouraging cooperation between Egyptian, regional and international higher education<br />
systems.<br />
Tempus has had a strong influence on modernizing the Higher Education System in Egypt.<br />
The program was very timely to accompany the implementation of the Higher Education<br />
Enhancement Strategy that was introduced in 2000 and revised twice, in 2002 and<br />
2004.The main objectives of this strategy were in line with the objectives of Tempus:<br />
(modernization of curricula, Introduction of Quality Assurance in Higher Education, etc.).<br />
Although the direct impact of Tempus projects on the Egyptian Higher Education system is<br />
not directly visible, the program’s long term involvement in the country and the<br />
introduction of competitiveness in Higher Education have been the main direct outcomes.<br />
One of the main elements of impact of Tempus in Egypt is the introduction of quality<br />
education through partnerships with EU member states in different disciplines, with more<br />
than 170 IMG (individual Mobility Grants) grants being awarded to staff members from<br />
Egypt. Such a mechanism was one of the most demanded in the country, and shows the<br />
interest of Egyptian staff members in retraining and building bridges for cooperation. Many<br />
JEP (joint European projects)projects introduced new concepts and program in the<br />
education system and were considered as self sustainable success stories for the<br />
modernization of Higher Education in Egypt. Tempus has also been one of the main<br />
catalysts for the modernization.<br />
3.7.2. The Higher Education Enhancement Project Fund (HEEPF)<br />
Beside the Tempus project, the Higher Education Enhancement Project Fund (HEEPF) is<br />
another mechanism within the national higher education enhancement strategic plan<br />
(HEEP). HEEPF is part of the loan agreement dated April 2002, between the Egypt and the<br />
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support and Finance priority<br />
areas of the strategic plan of the higher Education Enhancement Project HEEP. The amount<br />
of the loan allocated for HEEPF Grants equal to 12,000,000 USD that was increased to<br />
13,000,000 USD. The project aims at an active participation in the implementation of the<br />
strategic plan of continuous higher education enhancement through competitive<br />
mechanisms to achieve distinction in Egyptian Education institutions and upgrade them to<br />
reach the international standards.<br />
By 2000, the universities generated 150,000 graduates a year. A two-semester system for<br />
the school year was instituted in all universities in 1992. The university academic year is 30<br />
working weeks. Arabic is the medium of instruction in humanities, social studies, education,<br />
law, commerce, economics and political sciences, information, social service, tourism and<br />
hotels. English is widely used in the faculties of medicine, pharmacology, dentistry science,<br />
and engineering.<br />
36<br />
THE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION SYSTEM IN EGYPT