Egypt’s Minister of Education, Tarek Shawki, has met Apple’s executives in London to discuss with them possible collaboration in the education reform Egypt has started implementing, especially given that electronics form a key component of that reform.
Dr Shawki discussed with Apple executives Egypt’s plan to overhaul its education system through making use of modern technology, which includes providing 750,000 tablets annually to secondary school students; and comprehensively reforming the education systems of the foundation and primary education stages.
The company’s officials expressed Apple’s desire to have a major role in reforming the education system in Egypt, especially regarding its technology as a key in the development process.
Various possibilities of cooperation were discussed, including in such educational electronic applications as iTunes, which provides educational knowledge, and Froggipedia developed by Apple as an interactive educational tool for young people in the life cycle of frogs, and in the training of Egyptian teachers on digital techniques.
“The main objective behind all this,” Dr Shawki noted, “is not only to reform the educational process and re-qualify Egyptian youth for the job market, but rather to rebuild the Egyptian.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook had met Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli in Davos during the World Economic Forum. Mr Madbouli alluded to the ambitious plan supported by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to turn Egypt into a hub for electronic industries in the Middle East.
Mr Cook expressed Apple’s interest in investing in Egypt, saying that the company is examining the map and possible areas of investment. He added that there are 38,000 people from Egypt working in IOS apps development.
“The company is fully aware of the size and potential of the Egyptian market,” Mr Cook noted, “and the opportunities offered by Apple not only to serve Egypt as such, but as the gateway to the African continent.”
Watani International
27 January 2019