President of Damietta University Participates in the 35th Edition of the International Higher Education Exhibition in Sweden
As part of Damietta University’s efforts to enhance its international presence, open up to pioneering educational experiences, and actively participate in major global academic events, Prof. Dr. Hamdan Rabie El-Metwally, President of the University, attended the activities of the 35th Annual International Conference and Exhibition for Higher Education held in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 9 to 12 September, organized by the European Association for International Education (EAIE) under the theme “En Route to Creativity”.
Accompanying the President was Prof. Dr. Mohamed Omran Wady, Director of the Center for Quality Assurance and Performance Evaluation at Damietta University.
This participation comes in line with the National Strategy for Higher Education and Scientific Research 2030, which focuses on enhancing the quality of education, applying principles of international benchmarking and connectivity, and supporting Egypt’s vision to export higher education and expand its regional and international presence through building effective academic partnerships with higher education institutions worldwide.
The exhibition witnessed a strong Egyptian presence, represented by a high-level delegation of 25 Egyptian universities (public, national, and private), headed by Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, with the participation of the Supreme Council of Universities, the University Support and Development Authority, and with the support of the Cultural Affairs and Missions Sector of the Ministry, as well as the Egyptian Cultural Bureau in Berlin.
During the opening day of the exhibition, Prof. Dr. Hamdan Rabie El-Metwally and Prof. Dr. Mohamed Omran Wady held a series of bilateral meetings with representatives of several international universities, including the University of Southampton (UK), Eskisehir University (Turkey), Caucasus University (Georgia), Gebze Technical University (Turkey), University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (Czech Republic), and Erciyes University (Turkey). These meetings introduced Damietta University and Damietta National University, highlighting their distinguished academic programs regionally and internationally, designed in line with global standards—particularly those aimed at attracting international students—while also exploring opportunities for joint and dual programs and discussing prospects for developing collaborative research projects.
The President also emphasized the importance of exploring agreements for academic twinning with foreign universities participating in the exhibition, enabling the implementation of joint academic and research programs, exchange of expertise, faculty members, and students. He further discussed the potential of establishing branches of Damietta University abroad, strengthening its standing on the international educational and research map, and supporting Egypt’s vision to enhance the global competitiveness of its universities.
The exhibition represents a significant platform to showcase the academic and research development of Egyptian universities, exchange expertise through bilateral meetings with international universities, explore cooperation in establishing joint and dual programs, attract international students, and discuss hosting foreign university branches in Egypt—all of which contribute to strengthening the global competitiveness of Egyptian higher education institutions.
It is noteworthy that this edition of the exhibition hosts participation from around 250 prestigious international universities from across the globe. The EAIE Conference is regarded as Europe’s leading platform for dialogue among higher education institutions on issues of academic internationalization. It is organized by the European Association for International Education, founded in 1989 and headquartered in the Netherlands, with the aim of supporting capacity-building, knowledge exchange, and fostering opportunities for international academic collaboration.
