Minister of Education Tarek Shawky signed the MoU in the presence of Frank Hartmann, the ambassador of Germany in Cairo.

The MoU aims to raise the level of German Language teaching in schools by pre-qualification and continuing professional development of German language teachers and school leaders.

Additionally, the MoU also provides grants to outstanding students, exchange opportunities to students and teachers, as well as dispatching educational experts to German institutes.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Susanna Hoon, the regional director of the Goethe Institute in the Middle East and North Africa; Sebastian Wouter, the director of The Language Department at the Goethe-Institute Cairo; and several officials from the ministry and Goethe Institute.

Shawky emphasised the importance of Egyptian-German relations, especially in the educational field, adding that the MoU intends to enhance teachers’ efficiency to raise German language competence, train educational leaders, and develop a German language curriculum.

For her part, Hoon expressed her appreciation for the MoU, saying that the institute has been working in Cairo and Alexandria for more than sixty years in order to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the fields of culture and education.

Hartmann considered the MoU a huge step in strengthening cooperation between the Goethe Institute and the Ministry of Education within the framework of the education development plan.

He added that the German side is supporting the ministry’s efforts in creating a modern educational system based on participation and meeting society’s needs.

Educational minister meets with German ambassador

On the same day, Shawky and Hartmann held a meeting to discuss various collaboration opportunities.

In the meeting, Hartmann expressed his pleasure for the cooperation between the institute and the ministry, pointing out that “Egypt is an important partner for Germany,” stressing that his country aspires to contribute to the formulation of bilateral relations, especially in the field of education, according to a statement released by the ministry.

The German ambassador also praised German schools in Egypt and the quality of education they provide as well as the quality of educators and students there.

Furthermore, Shawky hailed Egypt’s cooperation with Germany and the educational benefits garnered from such a partnership.

The two officials also discussed other aspects of cooperation between the two countries, such as the German Development Bank’s (KFW) projects, which support the quality of education in several governorates.

Moreover, they discussed supporting the establishment of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation National Authority (ETQAAN) and the establishment of the Academy for Technical and Vocational Education Teachers (TVETA).

Furthermore, an agreement to organise the seven German schools in Egypt was signed.

The meeting also addressed the discussion to transform the German schools in Egypt into sui generis international schools.

This came in addition to discussing the development of technical education students by teaching them the German language and culture at an early age along with technical skills to provide various job opportunities for them in the German labour market.

Additionally, they discussed cooperating with the Goethe Institute in Cairo to translate science and mathematics tests into German to ensure their accuracy and to define the standards required for the tests.

In 1959, The Egyptian–German cultural agreement was signed as a major framework that organises Egyptian and German cultural relations.

Since then, the Goethe institute successfully played a vital role in promoting German cultural activities in Egypt, supporting German language learning as well as international cultural cooperation.