Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, met with His Royal Highness Prince Radu of Romania, in the presence of Ambassador Olivia Toderean, Ambassador of Romania to Egypt, to discuss ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The meeting took place at the Ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Minister expressed Egypt’s pride in its long-standing relations with Romania, stressing the importance of expanding academic and research cooperation between higher education institutions in both countries. He also highlighted the strong political support currently driving efforts to develop Egypt’s higher education system.
Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to the internationalization of higher education through partnerships with leading global academic institutions, contributing to the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and best practices in educational development.
The Minister also referred to the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen the university system, underlining the central role of universities in providing high-quality education and promoting innovation by transforming research outputs into practical technological applications that support the achievement of sustainable development goals.
For his part, His Royal Highness Prince Radu of Romania praised the depth of Egyptian-Romanian relations, noting that this year marks the 120th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He also expressed interest in expanding cooperation with Egyptian universities and creating new opportunities for academic partnerships and researcher mobility.
Prince Radu of Romania further affirmed Romania’s commitment to continuing the strengthening of bilateral relations through future cooperation agreements and the expansion of partnerships in key sectors, including education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Ambassador Olivia Toderean and Professor Sorin Cîmpeanu, President of the Romanian Council of Rectors, expressed Romania’s appreciation for its strong partnership with Egypt, particularly in the field of higher education. They reaffirmed Romania’s readiness to deepen academic cooperation, highlighting Egypt’s dynamic youth population and its strategic role as a gateway to Africa.
The meeting also addressed mechanisms for enhancing scientific cooperation between Egyptian and Romanian universities, including academic exchange visits, joint academic programs, dual degrees, scholarships, and student exchange initiatives.
In this context, the Romanian side announced the allocation of 35 scholarships for the academic year 2026/2027, distributed across undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides emphasized the importance of continuing sustainable cooperation to strengthen bilateral relations and support joint efforts in the fields of higher education and scientific research.
The meeting was attended on the Egyptian side by Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina; Dr. Mostafa Refaat, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Universities; Dr. Maher Mesbah; Dr. Ahmed El-Geyoushi; Dr. Mohamed Lotfy, President of the The British University in Egypt; Dr. Ayman Farid; Dr. Salma Yousry; and Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar.
The Romanian delegation included Professor Sorin Cîmpeanu; Ms. Claudia Nicolae, President of AGERPRES; and Mr. Adrian Gaman.
