Dr Maged el Kemary, the Head of the Drafting Committee of the New Law of Higher Education for Al-Ahram

25/8/2015

Linking university to industry is one of articles of the new law of Higher Education which is currently being prepared, will include a section about the relationship between the university and industry, so, the President Prof Dr Maged el Kemary, the head of drafting committee of new law said to Al-Ahram that it was conducted detailed presentation to the committee members and discussed about the relationship of the university to industry and society for its importance in the next phase and the role of universities.

As well, he points that the scientific research is the engine for industrial, economic and social development and the cooperation between universities and industries is essential in this process and one cannot separate the role of universities as educational or research or educational or cultural institutions. He adds that the public vision assures many strategic goals, includes strengthening the links between industry and the institutions of higher education, involves the ultimate beneficiary of research services provided by these institutions, and develops innovation and skills, and international cooperation to improve the research environment in Egypt and increase applied research ratio, and the ability to transfer modern technology and to raise the readiness indicator of a knowledge-based economy.

He points out that the paper which has been put forward about this relationship to be added to the new draft law speaks about the role of universities in activating and developing its relationship with industry including effective marketing for the programs and services of universities on a large scale and by using variety of means and that the universities will study and determine the requirements and needs of the labor market of university outputs and that universities develop vision and objectives, strategies and its academic programs according to the needs and requirements of the labor market, and the link between theoretical and practical applied side for university student in disciplines needed by the business sector.

On the other hand, he said that within the interaction between the institutions of Higher Education and Industry, the research paper demands the institutions of Higher Education to strengthen links with production sector and take care of establishing complexes of science, technology which will enhance innovation, technological embracing and training. As well, the institutions seeks to diversity the sources of finance by implementing and marketing applied researches, hosting technological incubators and participating in establishing educational and technological entities as well as putting the mechanism of protection of intellectual property right and develop the activities of scientific research through establishing partnerships with industry and help to transfer technology, the skills of business management among universities and industry to contribute to economic development.

The committee discusses the door of the high institutes which reach 156 institutes and subordinates to the law No 52 for the year 1970 in light of the lack of appropriate articles for the developments that have taken place in society and has necessitated the restructuring of these institutes of academic and administrative point of view to improving the educational process quality and relevance of outputs of the plan development of the State and the requirements of the labor market as well as the positions of staff members inside institutions and proposals about appointing dean for every technological faculty not a manager as well as discuss the ways of dispatch and supervision of staff members

He mentions that they has discussed the door of international relations that is essential part of university mission and objectives as the old law was not by any reference to international relations or expatriates students or relations with Foreign Universities either the allowance of appointing some foreign students or tuition fees for non- Egyptian students. He adds that this matter requires through the draft of the new law organizing the relationship between Egyptian and Foreign Universities through organizing galleries and marketing educational and research services as well as opening new branches in other countries, transfer technology, improve the reputation of the Egyptian universities, and to attract foreign students, and get scholarships for Egyptian students and  provide scholarships for foreign students at Egyptian universities, and the dissemination of culture, and to correct some of the concepts, and open channels of scientific and cultural cooperation with universities and the outside community, and promotion of the universities and institutes in international forums, and to give more independence to universities in setting tuition fees for international students, according to the circumstances of each university.

The President mentions that some specialisms for Egyptian envoys in foreign Universities will be attracted to work in foreign Universities such as the specialisms of computer engineering and only 10-15% returns to Egypt, so it requires to put regulations that obliges the envoys to return after ending missions to benefit from them inside Egypt.