News and more

Keep Updated On The Progress

Minister of International Cooperation Witnesses Signing of Agreement Between Confucius Institute and Education Ministry to Teach Chinese Language in Schools

Minister of International Cooperation, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Education and Confucius Institute in China that lasts for six years and is perpetually renewed, which will aim to provide Chinese language as an optional foreign language subject to be taught in preparatory and secondary school in pre-university education.

Al Mashat said that a specialized center will be launched in Egypt to teach the Chinese language for students by experts in the Chinese language and that a Chinese curriculum will be developed for it to be taught in schools. She added that this will help achieve Goal 4 for quality education according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by ensuring that Egyptian learners acquire additional knowledge and skills needed to increase their life and job opportunities and expand their horizons. This comes within the signing of the Egyptian-Chinese strategic partnership agreement, which saw an exchange of visits between the two leaders in 2014 to deepen the relations between the two countries and the participation of Egypt in the Belt-Silk Road conference since the start of the initiative in 2017. The minister underscored the strength of diplomatic relations between Egypt and China during the past 64 years, which covers all economic, political, economic, cultural and scientific aspects, and that the Ministry of International Cooperation is seeking to strengthen collaboration between the two countries through the “Global Partnerships for Effective Development” platform to support the 2030 national development agenda and the achievement of the UN sustainable development goals. To impact more human lives, the ministry has been keen on pushing the frontiers of collaboration through economic diplomacy through 3 key principles: multi-stakeholder platforms, global partnerships narrative and ODA SDG Mapping to ensure progress and coordinated action in development. Within the framework of Egypt's and Chinese cooperation to combat the COVID-19 crisis, the Minister of International Cooperation revived the spirit of solidarity between the two countries as President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi launched an initiative to send 10 tons of medical aid and preventive supplies to China in February 2020, and the Chinese side also coordinated for medical cooperation and exchange of experience, as well as the donation of 3 shipments of protective supplies to the Ministry of Health during April and May 2020. The cooperation portfolio with China amounts to 1.835 billion dollars, which includes financing in transport and housing sectors, and around 335 million non-refundable grants in higher education, scientific research, technical education, and space technology. Putting Egyptians’ education at the core, cooperation between Egypt and China amounts to around $20 million, which saw the implementation of several projects such as the Egyptian-Chinese Friendship School in 6th of October City and the Kafr Mosleha Primary School in Menoufia Governorate, as well as a Chinese grant to the Ministry of Education to implement a project to develop the online learning system through the Chinese company ZTE.