The British University in Egypt organized a Forum on higher education in Egypt under the title “Advancing Egypt’s Higher Education – BUE Experience & Potential” on Saturday, October 17, 2015 as part of BUE graduation ceremony for undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts of AY 2014/2015. The Forum aims at evaluating the current situation of Egyptian higher education and propose best solutions to improve it based on BUE experience and potential. Prof. Yehia Bahei-El-Din, Vice President for Research and Postgraduate Studies inaugurated the Forum outlining the challenges facing higher education in Egypt. BUE Board of Trustees members, including Prof. Magdi Yacoub and Prof. Farouk El-Baz attended the forum along with BUE Chairman of the Board Mr. Mohamed Farid Khamis, BUE President Prof. Ahmed Hamad, Deans of faculties, academic staff members representing all faculties and representatives from BUE industrial partners.

Mr. Mohamed Farid Khamis gave a speech about the importance of higher education and its role in advancing economic and social development of the country. He referred to Malaysian experience and the role of higher education and scientific research in advancing Malaysia. Prof. Ahmed Hamad, BUE President also delivered a speech on the achievements of the university during the past ten years and the strategic objectives that the University is adopting to improve the quality of its education. He stated that the university is following its expansion plan and will open four new faculties next year.

Prof. Mahmoud Fahmy, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Private Universities summarized the history of the British University in Egypt since its inception in 2005, and the challenges facing higher education in Egypt and how to cope with technological development and its reflection on Higher Education. Prof. Youhansen Eid, President of the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education (NAQAAE) highlighted the challenges facing higher education in Egypt and NAQAAE’s role in promoting the quality culture in educational institutions, which leads to gaining the confidence of the community in educational institutions and graduates and increase competitiveness both nationally and internationally.

This was followed by a presentation by Prof. David Phoenix, Vice Chancellor of London South Bank University, which validates several of BUE programmes. Prof. Phoenix spoke about the important role of the university in increasing high competencies of graduates, which provide them with qualifications for employment as well as participation in facing current and future challenges.

Finally, Prof. Yehia Bahei-El-Din, Vice President for Research and Postgraduate Studies briefed the attendees on BUE achievements in scientific research, innovation and technology transfer.

Prof. Yehia manufactured, for the first time in Egypt, a 25 m rotor wind turbine blade which generates electric power of 850 kW, in cooperation with Misr Environmental Technologies (MET), a MCV Group company, under a research project funded by the Science & Technology Development Fund (STDF) at a cost of 5 Million Egyptian pounds. This was followed three presentations by BUE industrial partners Oriental Weavers International, MCV and Arab British Dynamics (AOI) from joint projects in renewable energy and manufactory of spare parts manufacturing.