Monday, 25 May 2026
Turkey expands university opportunities for Egyptian students
Turkish universities are becoming an increasingly popular destination for Egyptian students, with more than 10,000 Egyptians currently studying at more than 200 public and private universities across Turkey.
His Excellency Salih Mutlu Şen, Turkish Ambassador to Cairo, announced at a recent event that Turkey aims to double this number to 20,000 Egyptian students in the coming years, strengthening the educational ties between the two countries.
The announcement came during a special information event for the Erasmus+ program – the European Union’s flagship student exchange initiative – hosted at the Turkish Embassy in Cairo. The event, held on October 15, 2025, brought together nearly 400 participants, including academics, students, journalists, and prominent social media figures from Egypt.
Representatives from Turkey's Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) attended, sharing information about the more than 100 scholarships offered annually to Egyptian students wishing to study in Turkey.
Ambassador Şen highlighted Turkey’s impressive higher education diversity, noting, “Turkey hosts over 200 public and private universities, offering a wide range of academic disciplines.” He encouraged Egyptian students to consider Turkey as a welcoming destination for their studies.
Currently, over 300,000 international students study in Turkish universities, and Ambassador Şen expressed hope that Egyptians could soon make up to 30,000 of this international cohort, recognizing Egypt’s large and dynamic population of over 115 million people.
Reflecting the warm cultural ties between Egypt and Turkey, the event also featured a cultural program including a Turkish photography exhibition, a marble painting display, traditional Turkish coffee, an archery demonstration, Turkish music, and a special tambourine performance by Egyptian student Mahmoud Eroğlu.
Ambassador Şen underscored the strong interest among Egyptians in learning Turkish, and announced plans to expand Turkish language instruction and bring more Turkish educators to Egypt to support this growing enthusiasm.
He emphasized that studying in Turkey not only provides a world-class education, but can also offer Egyptian students valuable career advantages. With expanding Turkish investments in Egypt, especially in technical fields, Turkish-educated graduates may find growing job opportunities in both countries.