Egypt’s large youth population and expanding higher education system are leading to growing demand and opportunities for UK higher education in the North African country, according to a new report.

The British Council Transnational Education in Egypt report found that the UK is the country’s largest TNE provider, with the US and Germany “increasingly active”.

Despite a “positive and enabling” TNE operating environment, UK universities must be diligent to differences in regulations and procedures depending on TNE delivery models, it added.

Egyptian minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Ayman Ashour, noted at the launch of the report on September 24 that Egyptian higher education is “undergoing a radical transformation”, under current leadership of president Abdelfattah El Sisi.

“The MOHESR is determined to improve the capacity and quality of provision in Egypt, ensure it meets international standards, forge stronger foreign university partnerships and also make Egypt into a hub for international education, leveraging its strategic position as a bridge between the Middle East, North African and Sub-Saharan Africa,” he said.

“It has become a promising market for international education and research. The UK is one of our priorities for its quality of education.”

Egypt has already stepped up to welcome students from Sudan fleeing their home country as a result of war as well as attracting international branch campus interest from institutions in India.

Additionally, Canada is a TNE player in the country, with the Universities of Canada international branch campus – which hosts University of Prince Edward Island and Toronto Metropolitan University – recently signing a partnership with technology provider D2L and Seneca announcing campuses in Cairo.

The Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology offers validated degrees from 15 Japanese higher education institutions and the German International University offers the same from six German universities.

Since 2018, four international branch campus hubs, hosting seven universities (including four from the UK), have been developed, the report continued.

UK universities with the highest number of TNE students in Egypt according to HESA stats include: The University of Greenwich (6,875); London South Bank University (5,090); The Open University (3,650); Coventry University (1,730); and University of Hertfordshire (1,180).

It notes that processes for TNE, which represents an attractive lower cost option for many in Egypt, remain complex, although local consultants are on hand to expedite them.

The report notes “key differences” between formal procedure requirements and what must be undertaken in practice offering TNE in Egypt. “Universities are therefore impelled to rely on the advice and guidance of local Egyptian stakeholders, which could include Egyptian universities, MOHESR and Supreme Council representatives, consultants and investors,” the report notes.

TNE provisions in Egypt offer students a more affordable education than travelling to the UK, the report noted. Photo: BC

IBCs are the preferred model for Egyptian policy makers and bilateral collaborative provision such as joint or dual degrees generally considered as inter-university business by Egyptian regulatory bodies, it added.

There are tremendous partnership opportunities for UK and Egyptian universities, British Council country director for Egypt Mark Howard said.

“It’s great to see the government support efforts to serve this appetite for top quality international education”

“People in Egypt generally hold British higher education in high regard, and it’s great to see the government support efforts to serve this appetite for top quality international education.”

John McNamara, global research manager for Education Insight Hubs at British Council and one of the lead authors of the report, noted that the process for developing different TNE partnership models is “not always clearly understood”.

“We hope that this report provides practical guidance and experience-based insight into the steps to take, and stakeholders to engage with, to support sustainable UK and Egyptian education partnerships, as Egypt continues to emerge as a major regional player in TNE.”

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