The minister of Higher Education participates in the Francophone ministerial conference in the French city of Toulouse

Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of higher education and scientific research, participated in the ministerial conference organized by the University Agency of La Francophonie, within the activities of the fourth edition of the world scientific Francophonie week, held in Toulouse, France, in the presence of Mr. Patrick Hetzel, Minister of higher education of France.

During the conference, which lasted for a whole day and included three ministerial sessions, various aspects of scientific and educational cooperation between the Francophone countries were discussed, and the sessions also included the presentation of two initiatives, namely the PIMEF initiative and the initiative to promote the international dissemination of scientific research in French.

The first initiative PIMEF, presented by the University Agency of the Francophonie, aims to promote mobility and academic exchange between students in different Francophone countries and seeks to provide study and training opportunities in various educational institutions within the network of francophone universities; in order to enhance cultural and academic exchange and develop scientific and professional skills among students.

The initiative focuses on encouraging cooperation between universities by facilitating partnerships between educational institutions in Francophone countries and developing international skills by giving students the opportunity to gain diverse educational and cultural experiences outside their home countries, as well as supporting academic innovation by facilitating access to new learning environments and innovative teaching methods.it also seeks to enable students to keep up with global challenges and increase their competitiveness in the international labor market, focusing on the exchange of experiences between French-speaking countries.

In this context, Dr. Ayman Ashour pointed out the need to integrate the Be Ready initiative launched by the Ministry of higher education and scientific research in April last year in cooperation with the International Labor Organization in Cairo and the British agency for international development, within the framework of the implementation of the national strategy for higher education and scientific research, with the aim of qualifying young people and recent graduates and providing them with the necessary skills to keep pace with the requirements of the changing labor market in light of economic and technological challenges.

In this context, Dr. Ayman Ashour stressed the importance of disseminating scientific knowledge in several languages, including French, pointing to the role of the Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) in publishing research in Arabic, and it was agreed to activate the role of the Egyptian Knowledge Bank in publishing research in French.

It is noteworthy that the conference was held with the participation of 30 ministers of higher education from various Francophone countries, including (Canada, Switzerland, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Gabon, Congo, Senegal).

The conference was also attended by Mr. Sorin Mihai sempiano, president of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie and Mr. Salim khalbous, executive director of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie.