In the past two years, foreign students in Egypt, mainly from 30 other African and Arab countries,reached 150,000.

A Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research source also told Al-Ahram Weekly that the students had paid $1 billion in educational expenses between 2022 and 2024.

Egypt has been focusing on attracting more foreign students to its higher education facilities, working to elevate its status amid fierce international competition.

In 2014, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research was tasked with restoring Egypt’s position as a preferred destination for foreign students, as was the case in previous years.

Until early 2017 tuition fees paid by foreign students in Egyptian universities recorded $300 million, spurred across 49 public and private higher education facilities.

In mid-2017 Egypt began offering more undergraduate degrees, now available in92 universities: 28 public, 27 private, 20 national, and 10 technological universities in addition to seven branchesof foreign universities in the New Administrative Capital.

According to the source, the notable increase in the number of foreign students is attributed to several factors, including the addition of “distinguished” educational programmes aligned with the needs of Egyptian and international job markets, partnerships with major international universities for student and faculty exchange programmes, the advancement of Egyptian university rankings in international classifications, and the utilisation of cultural offices in Egyptian embassies abroad to promote education in Egypt.

The cabinet recently approved the fees foreign students pay in public universities, the source said. For example, annual tuition fees for medical faculties in Cairo, Ain Shams, Alexandria, Assiut and Mansoura universities are now $8,000. Other public universities charge $6,000 for medical faculties.

In engineering, pharmacy, physical therapy, computer science and information technology, fees increased to $6,000 in Cairo, Ain Shams, Assiut, Alexandria, Mansoura and other public universities, while fees for these faculties in other universities are $5,000.

Fees for foreign students at private, national, international and technological universities and higher institutes are determined by the councils of these universities based on their study programmes, the ministry source said.

The official platform “Study in Egypt” lists all universities, higher institutes and academies recognised in Egypt to facilitate the selection and registration processes for foreign students, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Mohamed AymanAshour told the Weekly.

Until last year, the platform only had public universities, Ashour said.

The platform serves as the enrollment gateway for foreign students, he added. It also offers a range of services to support foreign students throughout their educational journey, from registration to graduation. Furthermore, it offers activities that foster learning, innovation and practical training to equip students with the necessary skills for integration into the labour market. Moreover, the platform provides full and partial scholarships to support foreign students financially.

Egypt plans to build the International Student City in the New Administrative Capital. The city, covering 100 feddans, will be built adjacent to the high-speed train station with a capacity to accommodate up to 12,000 students, including those foreign, Ashour said.

To facilitate life in Egypt for foreign students, the ministry has introduced an educational visa that grants them rights associated with their residency during their studies in Egypt.

Additionally, foreign students and their families are eligible for discounts on airline tickets and can obtain discount subscription cards for transportation services. The ministry also organises cultural, sports, and tourism activities to create a vibrant educational environment.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 1 August, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly