Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has ordered the ministries to streamline the process for obtaining visas and university admission for overseas students, as part of a push to promote Egypt’s “Study in Egypt” campaign.
Mr. Madbouly said during a Tuesday cabinet meeting at the government’s New Alamein headquarters that the move would provide Egyptians with global cultural influence as well as much needed hard currency.
While the minister cited the importance of attracting international students, his comments are part of a pattern of Egypt’s economic policy which has focused more and more on hard currency.
Higher Education Minister Abdel Aziz Qansowa presented an implementation roadmap to the cabinet, setting a target of raising new international enrollments by 150 percent over the coming five years.
As part of that plan, the ministry is also aiming to bring 30,000 students into Egyptian university branches operating overseas, expanding the country’s academic footprint beyond its own borders.
Wael Al-Nagar, Assistant Foreign Minister for Cultural Relations, told the meeting that his ministry is fully coordinating with other state bodies to shorten the time it takes to process visa approvals and make entry procedures smoother for prospective applicants from abroad.
No specific timeline was given for when the streamlined procedures will take effect, though officials indicated the changes are meant to roll out alongside the wider five-year enrollment target.
The push comes as Egypt seeks to position its universities as more competitive regional destinations for international students, at a time when several countries in the region are similarly investing in higher-education exports to diversify revenue sources beyond traditional sectors like tourism and energy.
