Through the ‘Study in Egypt Initiative’, the Egypt Minister of Higher Education has announced that the government of the Arab Republic of Egypt will grant more scholarships to the people of Sierra Leone.
This information was delivered to the Sierra Leone’s out-going Ambassador to Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Morie Fofana on Wednesday 30th June 2021, by the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr. Abdel Khalid Ghaffer.
The scholarship grant is part of the bilateral ties between the two countries and the joint cooperation in the field of education.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Rasha Kamal, Head of the Central Administration for international Students, Professor Islam Abu Al-Majid, adviser to the Minister on African Affairs and Mr. Samuel Alie Kargbo, Counselor/Head of Chancery, Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Cairo.
Ambassador Morie Fofana expressed gratitude to the Minister of Higher Education and conveyed President Julius Maada Bio together with Sierra Leones’s Minister of Higher Education’s highest regards to the people of Egypt. He also thanked the Egypt government for giving out support to African countries specifically in the fields of education, science and culture.
Ambassador Morie Fofana disclosed that the purpose of his visit is to discuss ways to strengthening mutual scientific cooperation between the two countries. He advanced that the Flagship program of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio is Human Capital Development, adding that the Free Quality Education is a key component in achieving that. He went on to say that the Government of Sierra Leone is therefore looking for support from sister countries to fulfill this commitment.
Dr. Abdel Khalid Ghaffer welcomed His Excellency Morie Fofana and confirmed that the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has been enjoying excellent relationship with all foreign students. He conveyed his Ministry’s committing in strengthening the existing excellent bilateral relations between the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Arab Republic of Egypt by providing support in all Educational fields especially in scientific research and cultural exchange programs.
The Minister underscored the importance of developing an executive program in the form of MOU between the two nations thereby supporting the implementation and acceleration of student exchange program promptly. Dr. Ghaffer expressed his keenness to overcome all obstacles faced by Sierra Leone Students studying in Egyptian Universities in Egypt by providing the necessary facilitation to them. He declared that Egypt Ministry of Higher Education allocates ten (10) scholarships to Sierra Leone students every year under the “study in Egypt “Initiative
Ambassador Fofana welcomed and thanked the minister for his directives of increasing scholarship to Sierra Leone Students to study in Egyptian universities.
After length of deliberations on the potential areas of collaboration to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two sister countries, the two sides have considered providing all means of support to the Sierra Leone Educational Institutions as well are increasing the number of scholarships for the students to pursue higher education at Egyptian Universities in the specialties of medicine engineering and sciences as well as providing the necessary equipment.
