The higher education sector in Egypt incorporates 18 state-run Universities & hundreds of higher institutes and technical colleges that run under the supervision of the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). In addition, there are 17 private Universities, which are privately owned and run. The state universities employ 65,000 academic staff members to teach more than 2.7 millions under- and post-graduate students. With the constant upsurge in the population, the MOHE has to forecast and plan for the educational needs and requirements to accommodate the ever-increasing numbers of enrolled students.
The MOHE has devised a strategic plan (February 2000) that has been updated and modified (September 04) as well as a master plan, which forecasts the expected increase in the number of enrolled students in the Egyptian higher education system relevant to the population expansion until the year 2021. However, this plan, though useful, is too generic and does not consider the regional inconsistencies of the different governorates of Egypt, and does not address the exact requirements and methodology in preparation for the expected rise in the number of enrolled students. This call for developing a region-focused master plan, which will take into account the different regional social and economic needs, and the requirements and methodology for reforming higher education in select regions in Egypt. In addition, there is a need for preparing the staff members and employees of the MOHE to implement the expected changes and reform in the Higher Education system. Because of the huge and diverse needs for HE Planning in Egypt, a strategic planning unit for higher education was established in September 2006. The unit is responsible for Managing and updating of the master plan (2007-2022) as well as conducting local plans on the regional and governorate levels to ensure the sound implementation of the National HE Strategic Plan.
Terms of reference for the Strategic Planning Unit in Higher Education
- Developing and supporting the negotiation process and communicating the (Five-year) Strategic Plan for Egypt Higher Education (See more detail in the paragraph ‘The Strategic Plan for Higher Education’.)
- Preparing and communicating the annual update of the Strategic Plan
- Setting up a monitoring system concerning the goal achievements of this Strategic Plan
- Delivering an annual report: “Achievements in Higher Education”
- Prepare the annual recurrent budget request for Higher Education (based on the Strategic Plan), negotiating with the Finance Ministry, prepare the budget allocation scheme
- Prepare the annual investment budget request for higher education (based on the Strategic Plan), negotiating with the Planning Ministry
- Prepare project proposals (based on the Strategic Plan) to be funded through the National Educational Fund
- Prepare project proposals for donor funding or loans (based on Strategic Plan).
- Collect information on projects evaluations (including investments) with regards to goal achievement of the Strategic Plan
- Work on special policy issues and problem solving, mid- term (normal track) or very short-term (fast track) upon request of the Minister or the Strategic Planning Committee (be a “think tank” for the Ministry of Higher Education)
- Set up and maintain an information base, in order to support the strategic planning process, the monitoring of goal achievement process, the budget and project preparation process, and in order to deliver information on request to the politicians and decision makers
- Organize the input and output relations important for the task fulfillment of the SPU
- Help the institutions of higher education develop their strategic plans and budget requests based on these plans, and based on the National Strategic Plan for Higher Education
- The Strategic Planning Unit has detailed tasks of organization, coordination and cooperation in the context of its input and output relations.
