ARTI Egitto definitivo - ARTI Puglia

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