Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Egypt and Singapore sign landmark agreement to boost technical, vocational education
Under the patronage of Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Egypt and Singapore have signed a major agreement to enhance cooperation in technical and vocational education, during the Egypt-Singapore Business Forum held at the General Authority for Investment headquarters in Cairo.
The signing ceremony was attended by Egypt’s Minister of Education and Technical Education, Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Engineer Hassan El-Khatib, and Singapore’s Minister of Social and Family Development, Masagos Zulkifli.
The tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) brings together the National Academy of Science and Skills (NASS) in Egypt and the Institute of Technical Education Education Services (ITEES) in Singapore.
Dr. Amr Basila, Head of the Central Administration for Technical Education Development, David Nabil, CEO of NASS, and Suresh Natarajan, CEO of ITEES, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions.
Minister Abdel Latif emphasized that the partnership underscores Egypt’s commitment to building a qualified and competitive generation and enhances Egypt’s regional and international standing in technical and vocational education. The agreement aims to align with Egypt’s educational development priorities and increase the global competitiveness of graduates from Egypt’s applied technology schools, improving their access to local and international labor markets.
Key objectives of the MoU include adopting the Global Excellence Model for Skills Education and Training (GEMSET) in Egyptian applied technology schools and implementing international skills qualification certifications (ISQ) to further strengthen the quality and outcomes of Egyptian technical education.
The agreement also seeks to boost the employability of Egyptian graduates, expand international job opportunities, and develop the infrastructure for technical and vocational education, including leadership training, quality assurance, and the licensing and issuance of certificates.
This partnership is a significant step forward in Egypt’s strategy to modernize its technical and vocational education sector through international collaboration, building on the strengths of Singapore’s world-renowned education system.