Under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the ministry organized the event of the Higher Education and Scientific Research Forum in the Age of Digital Transformation, on Thursday and Friday (September 16-17) in Ain Sokhna. That was in the presence of Prof. Dr. Tarek Shawky, Minister of Education and Technical Education. Prof. Dr. Mohamed Shoukr Nada, President of Bani Swief Technological University, participated in the forum along with the heads of public, private, international and technological universities, research institutes, a number of representatives of various ministries, a number of public figures, and information technology experts.
At the beginning of the opening, a documentary film was shown about the efforts of the Ministry of Higher Education in the field of digital transformation, and the most prominent projects implemented by the Ministry in the fields of higher education and scientific research and university hospitals.
In his speech, Prof. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar welcomed the participants of the forum and expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to those who participated in organizing it. He also expressed his wishes for the forum to achieve its desired goals and to be a real addition to the efforts exerted by the state’s institutions in the field of digital transformation.
Prof. Dr. Abdel Ghaffar confirmed that the forum acquires its importance from the topics and themes it addresses which is about digital transformation in higher education and scientific research, as one of the Egyptian government’s priorities with the aim of keeping pace with the huge technological revolution which is one of the most important manifestations of human progress.
The minister outlined the ministry’s efforts in the field of digital transformation. Noting that a study has been made to work on raising the efficiency of the information infrastructure of Egyptian universities to become smart universities, qualified to integrate into the digital transformation system.
Prof. Dr. Abdel Ghaffar pointed out that the ministry spent nearly 7 billion Egyptian pounds to provide distinguished digital governmental services in the field of digital transformation and improve the performance of electronic services in the ministry such as developing the infrastructure and information of universities and university hospitals. He also explained that the first phase of automated tests, and mechanization of university hospitals has been completed. Currently, electronic tests are being generalized to the various specializations in public universities.
On the sidelines of the opening session, Prof. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, discussed educational technology in the era of digital transformation and the mechanisms of transferring to smart universities.
It is noteworthy that the forum came in light of the national strategy for digital transformation and the Egyptian state’s orientation to achieve the goals of the sustainable development plan “Egypt Vision 2030”. The forum aimed to promote digital transformation in the academic community and to present the vision of the university’s educational environment in the era of the fourth-generation universities to ensure that educational institutions continue to perform their work optimally.
The forum included a presentation of the latest digital technologies and services in the field of higher education, university hospitals and scientific research, a presentation of the digital transformation strategy in higher education, scientific research and university hospitals, and a complex presentation of digital higher education projects. It also shed light on future technology jobs, some programs and applications specialized in university education, and digital transformation projects in research centers and institutes. The forum included a number of activities among which, is the launch of the “Digital Student” initiative.
