Prof./ Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chair of the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO, affirmed the Ministry’s strong support for the integration of technology in the educational process. He stated that digital tools have been utilized to enhance the delivery of educational content and increase student engagement. The Ministry has implemented a comprehensive digital transformation plan across Egyptian universities, titled "Digital Transformation and the Future Vision", which aligns with the seven core principles of the National Strategy for Higher Education and Scientific Research:
Integration, Interdisciplinary Specializations, Connectivity, Active Participation, Sustainability, International Benchmarking, and Leadership & Innovation.

This plan is built around three main pillars:

1. Developing a centralized digital infrastructure.
2. Equipping graduates with Future Skills for 2050.
3. Creating smart and efficient higher education institutions.

In this context, the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO, in collaboration with the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI), is pleased to announce the call for applications for the 2025 Digital Transformation Pioneers in Higher Education Award, under the theme:
"Promising Practices Driven by the Holistic Online Education (HOE) Framework: Empowering the Workforce, Fostering Innovation, and Enabling Institutional Resilience."

Dr. Ayman Farid, Assistant Minister and Head of the Cultural Affairs and Missions Sector, and Supervisor of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture, explained that the award aims to recognize and celebrate innovative digital transformation practices in higher education. It also seeks to encourage digital innovation in education through pioneering initiatives, highlight successful practices that promote knowledge exchange and international collaboration, and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by improving education quality and expanding access through digital technologies.

Dr. Hala Abdel-Gawad, Assistant Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO Affairs, stated that the award includes 10 prizes for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and 10 honorary prizes for companies. Each HEI award is valued at 70,000 Chinese Yuan (or the equivalent in US dollars).

Interested applicants should register via the following link:
?? https://iioe.ichei.org
by no later than May 30, 2025.

Please note that the final deadline for submitting applications is June 15, 2025.