A new regulatory authority for Egyptian higher education has been set up with the support of UK experts.
The Higher Education Regulatory Funding Authority will be tasked with designing new funding models and regulatory controls, and to create the conditions for an autonomous university sector in Egypt.
Herfa’s responsibilities will also include leadership development in Egyptian universities and the UK’s Leadership Foundation for Higher Education has been selected as a key partner for the project.
Alison Johns, the Leadership Foundation’s chief executive, said that Herfa would “begin its life with leadership and good governance at the core of its remit”.
The initiative was announced in Cairo during the visit of a delegation of British higher education experts to Egypt. It is the culmination of a collaborative programme of work that included the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the British Council and the UK Higher Education International Unit.
The UK and Egyptian governments are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding during November with a view to further long-term partnerships in the areas of higher education and science.
