Prof./  Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chair of the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO, affirmed that the Ministry supports using technology in the educational process. Digital tools have been utilized to enhance the delivery of educational content and student engagement. He noted that the Ministry has implemented a comprehensive digital transformation plan in Egyptian universities, under the title “Digital Transformation and the Future Vision”, which aligns with the seven principles of the National Strategy for Higher Education and Scientific Research:
(Integration, Interdisciplinary Specializations, Connectivity, Effective Participation, Sustainability, International Benchmarking, Leadership and Innovation).
This strategy is implemented through three main pillars:

1. Building and developing a centralized digital foundation.
2. Future Graduate Skills 2050.
3. 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), announces the opening of 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.”

prof./ 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 this award aims to recognize and celebrate innovative digital transformation practices in higher education, as well as to encourage innovation in education through pioneering digital initiatives. It also seeks to highlight successful practices that facilitate knowledge exchange and cooperation between higher education institutions internationally, and to contribute achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by enhancing the role of digital technology in improving education quality and expanding access.

Dr. Hala Abdel-Gawad, Assistant Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO Affairs, confirmed that the award includes 10 prizes for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), in addition to 10 honorary awards for companies. She clarified that the value of each HEI award is 70,000 Chinese Yuan (or its equivalent in US dollars).

Those interested in applying for the award are requested to register through the following online link:
 https://iioe.ichei.org
before May 30, 2025.

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