Launched in 2015, the U.S.-Egypt Higher Education Initiative (HEI) provides scholarships to hundreds of talented women and men from underserved communities throughout Egypt to study at premier Egyptian and American universities in fields crucial to Egypt’s sustained economic growth and development. This has resulted in a cadre of young professionals committed to Egypt’s long-term development goals.

Through the U.S.-Egypt Science and Technology Joint Fund, USAID is building the capacity of Egyptian science and technology institutions, including universities and institutes of higher education, to address development challenges and promote economic growth through applied scientific research and technology commercialization.

USAID is also partnering with Egyptian public universities to establish centers for career development to provide career guidance, employment skills, and technical training to Egyptian students – a key linkage uniting higher education and economic growth initiatives.

Fueled by increased demand, the Egyptian higher education system has expanded rapidly in the past few decades. The university and technical college systems face challenges such as underfunding and misalignment with the needs of potential employers. Public universities are often overcrowded, resulting in diminished teacher effectiveness and poor returns on education. Disadvantaged students also often lack opportunities to study at the best public and private universities. Despite being one of the world’s largest exporters of skilled labor, Egypt faces a shortage of appropriately skilled technical and professional workers, making it more difficult for the private sector to deploy technologically advanced processes, products, and services.

Through the establishment of three Centers of Excellence, USAID and its partner, the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, will increase the capacity of Egypt’s higher education institutions to drive innovation, share best practices, and create linkages between research and the public and private sectors in the areas of agriculture, water, and energy.