The Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education, in cooperation with the Central Bank of Egypt, has announced the opening of applications for fully funded university scholarships for underprivileged students who graduated from an Egyptian public high school this year.
The scholarships cover in full the costs of tuition, accommodation, and living expenses and are offered in the following fields: medicine, engineering, computers and AI, nursing, veterinary medicine, applied arts, arts and design, agriculture, tourism, hotels, and antiquities.
To be eligible, applicants must be from families that receive assistance through the government’s Takaful and Karama (“harmony and dignity”) social safety net programme, or they must be exempt from tuition fees by a decision of the Ministry of Education. Also, they must not have received any other scholarship previously. For further details, click here.
The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education has condemned Israeli plans to demolish a school that serves several Bedouin communities near Yatta, south of Hebron.
Israeli forces issued a demolition notice against Al-Zweidin Secondary School on Thursday, at the request of an extremist Israeli colonialist group, the Palestinian news and information agency WAFA reported. The school enrols around 150 students from fifth grade through high school. Israeli forces destroyed a primary school in the same region in 2022.
Despite such arbitrary measures, coinciding with the start of the school year, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education asserted that it would continue to carry out its educational mission and defend the right of Palestinian children to safe learning.
The French ambassador to Egypt and Egypt’s minister of education, Mohamed Abdel Latif, recently met to discuss strengthening educational ties, with a focus on French language teaching and the development of francophone schools.
In a statement, the French Embassy said the two sides set a target of establishing 100 such schools by 2035, with support from the embassy and the Institut français d’Égypte, which already assist four million Egyptian students learning French.
The minister and the ambassador also discussed expanding cooperation in technical and vocational training to benefit young Egyptians and the wider economy. Projects under review include initiatives in transport, agriculture, and tourism, alongside the continued rollout of new textbooks and multimedia resources in public schools as part of the TréFLE project.
The latest issue of QS Insights Magazine examines the challenges and opportunities facing global higher education. Its cover story, “Publish and Perish”, highlights how the pressure on university faculty to continually publish research articles affects the mental well-being of academics worldwide.
The article also delves into how universities can safeguard mental health, combat burnout, and build a more sustainable research culture, while also considering broader reforms needed to support satisfaction and resilience in academia.
The American University in Cairo (AUC) has announced African Brain Health Institute Fellowship Programme, a one-year training initiative for African researchers with a curriculum focused on brain health tailored to the continent’s cultural and social contexts. The programme will be jointly hosted with Aga Khan University, in Kenya, and led by Mohamed Salama, a professor at AUC’s Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology.
Cultural context has an impact on brain function, but Africa remains understudied in this regard, Salama said in a university statement. Unfortunately, Salama explained. The new fellowship programme seeks to close this gap, he added, by training African researchers on how to solve problems relevant to their region.
Egypt’s minister of higher education, Ayman Ashour, took part in EAIE Gothenburg 2025, the 35th annual conference and exhibition of the European Association for International Education, which took in Gothenburg, Sweden, this month.
In a statement, the ministry said Ashour participated in a workshop on the internationalisation of higher education and scientific research. He discussed Egypt’s commitment to internationalisation as a means of enhancing the quality of higher education and scientific research, mentioning that 19 foreign universities or branches would be operating in Egypt as of this fall, and that 10 additional branches would be established soon. He also
He also discussed the Egyptian Knowledge Bank nd Egypt’s cooperation protocols with France as important parts of Egypt’s investment in knowledge and exporting it across the Arab world and Africa.
A new study led by researchers at Coventry University has revealed that disposable face masks, including standard standard surgical masks and more-protective “filtering face pieces” (FFPs), can release microplastics and potentially harmful chemicals into the environment, raising concerns for both human health and wildlife.
In a statement, the university said researchers found that filtering face pieces, after soaking in pure water for 24 hours, emitted three to four times more microplastic particles than standard masks. Most of the particles were extremely small made primarily of polypropylene. FFPs and masks also released chemicals that are known to be harmful fish and other organisms, and that could also affect people if they entered the food chain.
The study, published last year in the journal Environmental Pollution, highlights the urgent need to address the environmental cost of single-use masks by promoting sustainable alternatives and safer disposal practices to protect both public health and the natural environment, the university said.
Coventry University, which appointed the Egyptian engineer and education advocate Ahmed El Sewedy as its chancellor last year, operates a campus in Egypt as part of the Knowledge Hub Universities.
Babies in Sub-Saharan Africa who are not weighed at birth face a significantly higher risk of dying before the age of five, a research team led by a scientist at the United Kingdom’s Coventry University has found.
In a news release, the university said the study, published in June in the journal BMJ Global Health, analysed data from more than 300,000 children across 33 countries and showed that those without a recorded birth weight were 3.5 times more likely to die in their first month of life, more than twice as likely to die before their first birthday, and nearly twice as likely to die before their fifth birthday.
The study’s authors, who included scientists in Nigeria, Kenya and other countries, said the findings suggest that lack of measured birth weight may indicate an infant’s risk profile and vulnerability to mortality. Making birth weight measurement a routine part of postnatal care could help ensure that high-risk infants receive timely healthcare, thus potentially reducing infant and child mortality rates across the region, the researchers said.
P.Zone, an international water technology company based in Cairo, has announced the continuation of a collaboration with El Sewedy Applied Technology School that resulted in the company’s hiring of 28 percent of the school’s Class of 2025 graduates.
In a news release, P.Zone said the collaboration aligns with the company’s strategy to invest in developing technical skills in water desalination and treatment, while supporting the technical education system in Egypt. The company added that it is committed to enhancing the capabilities of its more than 170 employees—including engineers, technicians, and administrators—through internal training and regular practical field courses, in line with the latest international standards and methodologies.
GESS Dubai 2025, 11-13 November 2025, Dubai. The 18th edition of the Global Educational Supplies and Solutions exhibition and conference (GESS Dubai 2025) will spotlight the Gulf region’s expanding international schools market, which now serves more than 1.8 million students. Conference themes will focus on the role of AI, well-being initiatives, and sustainable learning environments in shaping the region’s education sector. Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre, GESS Dubai 2025 will be co-located for the first time with Education Investment MENA, providing a comprehensive platform for educators, policymakers, and investors to explore the education business sector’s rapid growth and innovation.
THE Arab Universities Summit 2025, 25-27 November 2025, Amman. Organised by the British company Times Higher Education (THE), the summit will bring together university leaders from across the region to explore the future of higher education, scientific research, and innovation. The summit will highlight the role of higher education institutions in driving societal progress through applied research, knowledge transfer, and the celebration of cultural diversity. Highlights will include the unveiling of the 2025 edition of THE’s Arab University Rankings and the winners of the prestigious THE Awards Arab World 2025, recognising excellence and achievement in the sector.
Egyptian Knowledge Bank Workshops. Free online workshops are now available for undergraduate students, researchers, and faculty members. View the schedule here.
Companies are increasingly turning to AI-powered “no-code” and “low-code” programming tools for fast and flexible programming solutions, dashing the job hopes of many new computer science graduates. Does this trend mean the need for traditional programming skills is doomed to extinction? Not necessarily, several academic experts told Al-Fanar Media. They believe the need for programming expertise will survive, especially in areas like developing complex or highly customised solutions. Young coders who want to differentiate themselves in this environment can start by developing their logical and analytical thinking skills, they advise. Read more here (in Arabic; an English translation is forthcoming).
The Lure of ‘Predatory’ Journals: Al-Fanar Media Examines a Troubling Trend
The scientific output of researchers at Egyptian universities and scientific centres that appears in profit-driven, potentially predatory journals is rising each year, sometimes at alarming rates, an Al-Fanar Media analysis had found. The disregard of some of these journals for the standards of high-quality scientific publishing—such as peer review and arbitration—is compounded by the absence of university oversight. This has opened the door to manipulation of research standards and has undermined the basis for academic promotion in higher education institutions, several experts told Al-Fanar Media. It also harms the quality and reliability of published scientific results in general, and affects the reputation of the Egyptian state. Read more here.
Gender Justice in Syrian Refugee Crisis Means Including Men
Much of the international humanitarian assistance flowing to the millions of Syrians displaced by their country’s civil war focuses on women, excluding men from the gender justice framework, writes Azma Zaman, a research assistant in social sciences at the Atlas Bookstore and Library, in Doha. This creates a narrative that simplifies male identity by associating it with hegemonic masculinity, portraying all men as threats to women: dominant, violent, and oppressive. To build a future rooted in gender justice, men must be included in the dialogue, not as threats, but as advocates for change, she argues. Read more here.
How to Write a Powerful CV That Increases Your Employability
In today’s competitive job market, a well-crafted curriculum vitae (CV) can be the key to unlocking exciting career opportunities for university students and recent graduates. Your CV is often the first impression you make on potential employers. It is essential to craft a document that accurately reflects your unique strengths, accomplishments, and potential. In this article, Al Fanar Media offers some tips on how to write a powerful CV that increases your chances of getting a good job.
Changing Your Major
In this episode of the Student Sowt Podcast, Mohammed El-Arif, a university student from Egypt, interviewed Nour Walid, a pharmacy student who shifted from studying pharmacy to business management and entrepreneurship. Nour shared her story and her advice to students who are considering changing their university majors.
Doha Institute Scholarship for Graduate Study in Qatar. The Doha Institute for Graduate Studies is now inviting applications for its prestigious graduate scholarship programmes, offering exceptional students the opportunity to pursue advanced study in the fields of social sciences, humanities, public administration, and development economics. Two key scholarships are available: the merit-based Tamim Scholarship and the need-based Sanad Scholarship. Explore details of this award and other scholarships available to Arab students on Al-Fanar Media’s scholarship database.
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