Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat emphasized the importance of development cooperation between Egypt and Japan across various sectors, especially in education. Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) comes within the framework of the partnership between both countries in developing the education sector. E-JUST is a research and educational institution of high importance in developing human capital in Egypt, pushing towards the national development agenda. President Abdel Fatah El Sisi has attended the inauguration of the university in September 2020, after 10 years of working on its development with JICA; reflecting E-JUST’s importance and impact in the education development framework. The Minister has joined the opening event virtually alongside Mr. Hideki Matsunaga, the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) Regional Director for the Middle East and Europe, to celebrate the launch of the sessions on the “Japanese Modernization Lecture Series”, with the participation of H.E Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Mr. Masaki Noke, Ambassador of Japan in Cairo; and Ahmed El-Gohary, President of the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST). Al-Mashat indicated that Egypt is fully convinced that countries only move forward with building human capital, most importantly by providing enhanced educational services, therefore it seeks to strengthen international partnerships in the education sector, including the Egypt-Japan Education Partnership (EJEP), which was launched nearly 5 years ago. President El-Sisi announced the partnership launch on his visit to the Japanese capital Tokyo in 2016. The Minister added that this partnership has become the core of achieving strategic integration in the fields of science, technology and scientific research. Minister Al-Mashat stated that the inauguration of the lecture series is a milestone in the E-JUST development process, as it was a mere idea over 10 years ago. Bringing such a grand institution to life reflects the vital role the Ministry of International Cooperation plays in strengthening development cooperation in various sectors. The development portfolio between Egypt and Japan amounts to $2.7 billion, with $287 million dedicated to the development of human capital, through education and higher education. H.E. Al-Mashat reiterated that the Ministry is committed to advance international partnerships to achieve sustainable development through the three principles of Economic Diplomacy: the Multi-Stakeholder Platforms, the ODA SDG Mapping Framework, and the Global Partnerships Narrative. She explained that the projects implemented with Japan in the sectors of education, higher education and scientific research are in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals; namely SDG 2: Quality Education , SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities. Al-Mashat noted that the Ministry’s mandate according to the Presidential Decree No. 303 of 2004, focuses on its role to strengthen partnerships with multilateral and bilateral development partners. Al-Mashat explained that she looks forward to enhance cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), in order to create programs that develop the Egyptian calibre needed to boost the industrial sector pushing towards sustainable development, and to make Egypt a regional hub for knowledge transfer to the neighbouring african and arab countries. The ongoing cooperation portfolio between Egypt and JICA amounts to $ 2.7 billion. This includes $287 million for investment in human capital through the Egypt-Japan Education Partnership (EJEP), $1.12 billion for electricity, $552 million for transportation, and $450 million for tourism and antiquities, $240 million for the financing of development policies, and $57 million for irrigation.