Prof. Mohamed Hussein, President of Tanta University, participated in the emergency meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities, chaired by Prof. Abdel Aziz Qansouh, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, to discuss mechanisms for implementing presidential directives regarding linking university curricula to labor market needs at the local, regional, and international levels.

   According to a statement from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Minister expressed his gratitude to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his continued interest in developing the higher education system in Egypt, his monitoring of global developments in higher education and its connection to the labor market, and his emphasis on the quality of performance of the higher education system and its role in developing the skills and competencies of Egyptian university graduates across all disciplines and tracks, enabling them to compete in local, regional, and international labor markets and keep pace with the rapid and successive changes in the labor market.

   During the meeting, the Minister of Higher Education directed that a comprehensive study of the labor market landscape be prepared at the local, regional, and international levels, in cooperation with various relevant entities.

   The Council listened to the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research's vision regarding the implementation mechanisms for expediting the completion of all required studies within a maximum of three months.

   The Council also approved the formation of a high-level committee, chaired by Prof. El-Sayed Abdel-Khaleq, the former Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and comprising several leading experts in various scientific disciplines. This committee is tasked with completing its work within a maximum of three months and will undertake the following responsibilities:

* Reviewing existing academic programs and specializations and assessing their alignment with the needs of the local, regional, and international labor market.

* Analyzing university graduate employment indicators and identifying gaps between educational outcomes and labor market demands.

* Proposing the development and modernization of regulations and academic programs to keep pace with technological and economic advancements.

* Studying the creation of new programs and specializations, particularly in interdisciplinary and advanced technological fields.

* Proposing the restructuring or merging of programs and specializations that no longer meet labor market needs.

* Strengthening partnerships between universities and the business sector across all fields.

* Developing short- and medium-term plans to train current students enrolled in these programs to align them with the job market.

   The Council also approved the formation of a committee at each university, chaired by the university president and including the vice president for education and student affairs, as well as several experienced individuals from within and outside the university. The executive committee is responsible for the following:

* General oversight of the implementation of the outputs of the Supreme Committee's reports and the plans approved within the university.

* Coordination between various sectors and relevant entities, both internally and externally, to achieve the objectives.

* Preparing comprehensive periodic reviews and reports of the academic programs to ensure their continued alignment with scientific advancements and labor market needs.

* Developing an annual Graduate Employability Index for each academic program, specifically including: the activation of graduate units within the university, graduate employment rates within one year of graduation, the alignment of jobs with academic specializations, and employers' assessments of graduates' skills.

* Any other tasks assigned by the Supreme Committee.

   The university president may form subcommittees from the executive committee in the university's colleges or institutes to carry out tasks assigned to them by the executive committee and to prepare periodic reports on these tasks for submission to the executive committee.

   Furthermore, the meeting emphasized that linking academic programs to the local, regional, and international labor market will be a top priority for the higher education system in all its aspects during the coming period. Periodic reports will be prepared on the progress of this initiative, and a mechanism for periodic evaluation of the achievements of all universities in this regard will be established