The Goethe Institute in Cairo and Sawiris Foundation for Social Development signed a cooperation agreement to grant ten scholarships for potential students of the preparatory college programme willing to study in the field of technical specialisations at any German university

The agreement stipulates that the Sawiris Foundation will cover the tuition fees for ten outstanding students graduating from an Egyptian high school with a Thanaweya Amma.

The Goethe Institute, in coordination with the Sawiris Foundation, will undertake administrative and marketing procedures, select the 10 students, and supervise the teaching of the curricula in order to qualify them to pass the German university entrance exam. The call for applications will be announced on 1 March till the end of June 2021.  

Nora Selim

Regional Director of the Goethe Institute in North Africa and the Middle East Susanne Höhn said in the virtual launching ceremony that took place on 21 February, “We are pleased that we were able to build a new bridge between Egypt and Germany with the preparatory college program. Education is the key to the future. This is particularly evident in these challenging times of the epidemic. In this preparatory college, our students not only gain knowledge but also intercultural competencies.

We would be especially pleased if many young women would be encouraged to apply for it, and we thank the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development from the bottom of our hearts for granting these wonderful scholarships, as well as for their important societal role in many fields.”

Engineer Nora Selim, the Executive Director of the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, said “we are proud of this new partnership with the Goethe Institute, and of the opportunities that the programme offers to distinguished Egyptian students who possess the knowledge and leadership potential.

This is what Egypt needs in order to ensure the achievement of sustainable development goals and economic growth. This partnership represents also an important opportunity for our foundation to expand our networks with development partners in Egypt, since such partnerships open new horizons for more programs and more cooperation in the future.”

In order to encourage young female students to apply for the programme and to choose a study programme in the field of technical specialisations, the agreement included that girls have a greater chance to obtain a scholarship, if they are equal to other applicants.

The preparatory college programme qualifies graduates of secondary governmental, private, experimental schools as well as STEM schools with a Thanaweya Amma degree, in Egypt and the Middle East, to study technical specialisations in any German university, to live in German society, and to overcome difficulties related to language and culture.

Criteria for awarding the scholarship include funding needs, personal merit demonstrated through academic excellence, in addition to extracurricular and social activities.

The preparatory college programme is the result of the cooperation between the Goethe-Institute and the Technical University of Berlin and the agreement signed in June 2018.

For more information about the preparatory college programme, refer to this link: www.goethe.de/colleg