Egyptian Council of Universities, British Council start education dialogue

Higher Education Minister el Sayyed Ahmed Abdel Khaleq on Tuesday inaugurated a forum organized by the British Council and the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU).
The Global Education Dialogue is designed to initiate greater cooperation between Egypt and the UK by enhancing knowledge of the two countries' higher education sectors.
The two-day forum is timely, said Abdel Khaleq in his speech, adding that it is held at a time when Egypt is revising its higher education law and outlining a new higher education strategy and a new scholarship policy.
Egypt is keen on benefiting from the British expertise in higher education, Abdel Khaleq stressed.
Egypt is particularly interested in Britain's success story in good governance, linking education with industry, the financial restructuring of university institutions and upgrading the performance of university hospitals, Abdel Khaleq said.
Egypt is also seeking to increase the number of scholarships to Britain, he added.
Such fruitful cooperation in the fields of education, economy and politics in this era of globalization is a shield against threats of terrorism and extremism, Abdel Khaleq noted.
British Ambassador in Cairo John Casson said his country is committed to helping Egypt overcome education challenges.
This dialogue, he said, should be the start of a wide scale cooperation between the two sides and for the best interest of the two sides.
The UK is confident Egypt could find the right track to succeed in the future, the diplomat said, stressing that Egypt's success and stability is reflected in the whole region.
Casson stressed the importance of making use of Egypt's huge manpower.
He said in his country education is a major engine for the British economy.
Britain has already doubled to 60 the number of scholarships offered to Egyptian students, Casson said.