Higher Education Minister Ayman Ashour discussed on Friday with a delegation of Cisco, headed by CISCO Executive Vice President Francine Katsoudas and Cisco Managing Director for Egypt, North Africa, and Levant Ayman El Gohary, means of boosting cooperation in higher education and scientific research fields.

Ashour affirmed that Cisco should be a strategic partner for the Higher Education Ministry in its plan to turn all Egyptian universities into smart universities in the near future.

The minister said the political leadership pays attention to finalizing the remote education system, on which Cisco works, suggesting setting up a platform for the innovators to link the students with the technological development needs.

Meanwhile, Katsoudas lauded the effective role played by the ministry in developing and automating the universities, showing her interest in shoring up cooperation with the ministry.

Katsoudas lauded the Egyptian market's performance as one of the most important markets in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Operating in Egypt since 1999, Cisco pumped investments estimated at dlrs 32 million in the education and training of more than 250,000 students in the field of information technology.

It also invested dlrs 10 million in Egypt through a fund directed to start-up companies working in technology.

MENA