University Education in Egypt: A space for diversity and convenient learning.
Egypt is a country with a relatively high population density of 110 million people. Accordingly, the country is the Middle East’s largest school system, making more than 25 million students. Egypt has 17 public universities and 16 private ones, all offering an opportunity for students to learn and develop their skills and knowledge. With 60% of the Egyptian population being those under the age of 30, a very high pressure on education and labor is faced. Public universities in Egypt however, are free of charge, Egyptian students only pay for their registration fees, which opens more doors for high school graduates to attend public higher education universities.
American University in Cairo,2019
Egypt is a crowded country, with many young people studying and working. Cairo, Egypt’s capital city, has been attracting foreign students from all around the world to join its universities.
Al Azhar university, a public university in Cairo which offers Islamic learning for students of all backgrounds, is Egypt’s oldest degree granting university. Al Azhar has been long known for teaching foreign students from all over the world. Potential students can apply from abroad and send the required documents to get enrolled. Al Azhar institute hold a huge number of foreign students, it has been estimated that 50,000 international students are currently studying in Al Azhar!
Cairo University is also a leading educational institution which was established in 1908, making it one of the oldest universities in Egypt. The public university is ranked #392 of the best universities globally, it is one of the top universities in Africa. Cairo University has more than 231,584 enrolled students.
It welcomes students from across the world, having 20 faculties and 3 institutions.
Private Universities
Private universities in Egypt are also very common. Even though they are expensive, many students attend them and claim a better education level there than that of public universities. One of the top private universities in Egypt is the AUC (American University in Cairo) which is a leading English-language, American-accredited institution of higher education and center of intellectual, social and cultural life of the Arab world.
Other private international universities include British university in Egypt technology, German university in Cairo.
The city of Alexandria has one of Egypt’s oldest public universities, Alexandria University, which was established in 1938.
Alexandria also has some leading private institutions such AAST (Arab Academy for Science and Technology) and Pharos University.
Foreign students in Egypt
The number of foreign students in Egypt has rapidly increased in the past few years. Considering Egypt’s relevantly low cost of living and education, international students do benefit from cheaper and more affordable tuition fees. Over the course of the past year, Egypt’s universities attracted 9,500 new foreign students, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Higher Education.
Lately, many students from Asian countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Philippines reside in Egypt for educational purposes, especially Islamic education in Al Azhar university. Saudi Arabian students also move to Egypt in order to achieve education, especially faculty of Medicine in Alexandria University.
“Today, Egypt is ranked third among Arab countries in attracting Arab students
, after Jordan and Morocco,” said Hussam al-Mallah, head of the Ministry of Higher Education’s Scholarships and Foreign Students Affairs department. “But we still aim to encourage more Arab and foreign students to study in our universities.”
According to al-Mallah, Egypt’s universities are able to attract Arab students from outside the country—especially Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE—along with East Asian countries such as Malaysia and some African countries, because the Egyptian government provides scholarships to support cultural exchanges with neighboring countries.
“The presence of Arab and foreign students in our universities is a great asset to us,” said al-Mallah. “It’s a double advantage. The revenue can help the universities to be self-funding, and the fact that we attract good students from other countries also boosts our academic reputation in the region and the wider world.”
Statements made by both national and international enrollees do prove that students enjoy a more affordable cost of education.
In addition to cheaper fees and lower costs, Egyptian universities provide a variety of activities and programs that help students socialize and interact with one another.
University clubs and in-campus activities effectively promote socialization and adaptation to the environment. Making new connections and friendships in college might not be the easiest, especially for foreigners, but the facilities the college provides might help them engage more and overcome the barriers easier.
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