The Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat met with Dr. Rasha Ragheb, Executive Director of the National Training Academy, to discuss the joint cooperation within the framework of Egypt’s plan to invest in human capital and develop its capabilities to contribute to the development efforts exerted across all sectors and to strengthen global partnerships between the National Training Academy and multilateral and bilateral development partners, so that the academy implement its plans in the field of training and capacity building. During the meeting, Ragheb presented the work and programs that the National Training Academy works on to develop human resources, enhance leadership, and grant opportunities for the youth to make leadership roles more available to effectively empower, train and qualify them for the jobs of the future. She explained that the academy’s activities are divided into several sectors: Presidential Leadership Training school, which includes 5 important programs; and the Presidential Leadership Program (PLP), launched in 2016 by Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi. This program was the main element through which the idea of establishing the academy came from, in order to equip the Egyptian youth with the necessary skills in the current competitive business environment. The meeting included discussions regarding the protocol signed between the National Training Academy and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Egypt (KAIST), which aims to inaugurate the first branch of the institute in the Middle East and Africa in the New Administrative Capital. Further discussions were made in regards to the possibility of partnering with International Financial Institutions on the development of the new center. The collaborative talks and affiliations come within the framework of the Ministry of International Cooperation’s mandate to strengthen global partnerships, in advancing the country’s development vision. The Minister applauded the support of the academy to partner with multilateral and bilateral development partners, be it from the Korean side or other global entities, in order to support the academy’s projects especially in inaugurating the KAIST’s branch. KAIST is the oldest Korean institute specialized in graduating experienced cadres in science and technology. H.E. Al-Mashat stated that the Ministry works towards advancing international partnerships to achieve sustainable development through the three principles of Economic Diplomacy: the Multi-Stakeholder Platforms to ensure that all projects between development partners are streamlined and effectively coordinated to accelerate the pace of development for the achievement of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); the ODA SDG Mapping Framework for all projects with multilateral and bilateral development partners to make sure that all projects reinstate the sustainability ethos; and the Global Partnerships Narrative using a consistent narrative to communicate the progress clearly to all parties involved through People at the Core, and Projects in Action, with Purpose as the Driver (P&P&P). Al-Mashat indicated that the Ministry will hold a meeting as part of the Multi-Stakeholder Platforms (MSPs) to bring together multilateral and bilateral development partners and to review the efforts exerted by the National Training Academy in order to present its activities and hold international partnerships which reflect on enhancing the academy’ efforts to develop human capital. The Ministry of International Cooperation’s ongoing portfolio amounts to $25 billion implementing 377 projects across several development fields in both the public and private sectors; including a development financing worth $420 million that has been dedicated for training and capacity building projects with the contribution of development partners such as the Middle East North Africa Transition Fund, Canada, the European Union, International Fund For Agricultural Development, the United States, France, Germany, etc.