A package of incentives is currently being studied to attract more investors to establish private technological universities, Technological Education Council head Ahmed El Gioshy told EnterpriseAM. Egypt currently has 12 technological universities and has given approval to establish five new local tech-focused universities and two international universities, El Gioshy said.

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What kind of incentives? The incentive package for the private sector will likely include land partnerships, tax incentives, golden licenses, and investment facilities, El Gioshy said. This initiative will require legislative amendments to the law governing the establishment of technological universities, in order to include provisions for these incentives.

The Supreme Council of Universities has in principle approved the establishment of five new technological universities branching from existing public universities. These include Banha Technological University, Menoufia Technological University, Sohag Technological University, Suez Technological University, and Arish Technological University, we were told.

Technological education is vital to support labor market needs due to significant developments in industry and technology and their importance to the country’s economy, El Gioshy said. “Therefore, we have a plan to expand the number of new technological universities, link them with industrial zones, and form local and international partnerships with specialized universities and various industrial zones as part of a plan to expand this type of education,” El Gioshy said.

Enrolment in technological education has grown recently, El Gioshy said. The country now has 30k students in existing tech universities, compared to 15k last year, and the council is working on a plan to attract more students to this field, he explained.

And there’s real interest and movement from investors, according to El Gioshy. The government has already received three offers to open private tech universities, in addition to Elsewedy University of Technology and Saxony Egypt University (SEU). The state's plan includes establishing a technological university in every governorate in Egypt, in addition to establishing private tech universities.

The offers are being examined to see whether the new universities will have an industrial partner, which is a condition for approval to ensure universities serve nearby industries, the El Gioshy said.

Currently, land availability is one of the biggest obstacles to university expansion, El Gioshy explained. However, this challenge is being addressed by strategically locating new institutions near industrial zones. Several ministries have proposed leveraging their own assets through partnerships to establish private technological universities, which would generate returns for those entities, El Gioshy added. For example, state-affiliated players in the cotton industry in Mahalla and Kafr El Zayat have offered to utilize their land to develop new universities in collaboration with investors or development partners — without placing a burden on the state budget.

Government entities are studying career prospects for technological university graduates, El Gioshy said. This includes efforts by the Central Agency for Organization and Administration to develop a structured plan for career paths and salary grades tailored to these graduates. The plan also involves organizing recruitment competitions to attract more talent to this emerging career path.

The curricula for technological colleges were designed based on needs in specific specializations. This was done by collaborating with several ministries to determine the needs of the job market and the industrial sector. Reports from the International Organization for Migration on job opportunities in various countries and the global demand for skilled labor were also reviewed, along with international forecasts for future labor market needs. Additionally, efforts to integrate technological education with pre-university education were examined.

Partnerships will continue between local and technological universities as well as prestigious academic institutions to exchange expertise, skills, and enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, El Gioshy said, adding that the sector will see development through significant international support from German and Italian entities.

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