Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ayman Ashour announced the inclusion of 13 more Egyptian universities in the QS World University Rankings by Subject for this year.
The ranking includes the top 15,559 universities worldwide, covering arts and humanities, engineering and technology, life sciences and medicine, natural sciences, social sciences, and management. This is in addition to more than 90 sub-specialties.
According to ministry spokesman Adel Abdel-Ghaffar, this year’s QS ranking witnessed the inclusion of Egyptian universities in 38 specialities, marking an increase of four specialities compared to last year.
The Egyptian universities listed in the rankings include Cairo University, the American University in Cairo (AUC), Alexandria University, Ain Shams University, Mansoura University, Al-Azhar University, Assiut University, Helwan University, the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport, the German University in Cairo, Zagazig University, Tanta University, and Suez Canal University.
Abdel-Ghaffar said the progress made by Egyptian universities in the QS rankings is due to the government’s policies promoting scientific research by increasing allocations for the ministry by LE40.4 billion, reaching LE199.5 billion in the 2023-24 budget.
“This is in addition to collaboration with foreign researchers from abroad. The quality of collaborative research has increased the chances of their work being published in international journals,” Abdel-Ghaffar said.
The QS Sustainability ranking, he said, is based on environmental impact, social impact, and governance. It also includes eight further sub-criteria that entirely depend on the impact of universities on society and the academic field in environmental and social aspects.
“This reveals the significance of the role of Egyptian universities in global efforts to bring about environmental and social change, whether through scientific research, teaching, social participation, or improving sustainability,” he said.
Abdel-Ghaffar said Cairo University excelled in six scientific majors: archaeology, dentistry, development studies, hospitality management, linguistics, and statistics and operational research. “The university ranked 38th globally for the first time in library and information management, followed by Alexandria University.
The AUC excelled in the fields of politics and sociology. In accounting and finance, business and management studies, as well as modern languages, AUC preceded Cairo University in all three majors,” Abdel-Ghaffar said.
Abeer Al-Shater, assistant to the minister for technical affairs and supervisor of the Egyptian Knowledge Bank, praised the bank for its “vital role in providing a wealth of scientific resources crucial for Egyptian researchers, scientists, and decision-makers.
“This initiative aims to enhance scientific research in Egypt, elevate the global reputation of research institutions, and contribute to improving the international rankings of universities, institutions, and research centres. These efforts align with Egypt’s Vision 2030 for Sustainable Development which aims to achieve international standards and cultivate a generation of graduates from Egyptian universities capable of driving progress across all sectors in Egypt,” Al-Shater said.
She highlighted the pivotal role of the knowledge bank in providing a vast array of scientific resources essential for researchers, scientists and decision-makers, bolstering scientific research in Egypt and enabling research institutions to gain global recognition.
“The Egyptian Knowledge Bank has contributed to boosting the international rankings of universities, institutions and research centres which coincides with Egypt’s 2030 Vision for Sustainable Development, which aims to attain international standards to create a generation capable of catalysing breakthroughs across all of the country’s different sectors,” she added.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 2 May, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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