The Industry Ministry's Productivity and Vocational Training Authority (PVTD) and the cabinet's Education Development Fund (EDF) have signed the protocol with the JICA.
Per the agreement, the PVTD, in coordination with the Ministries of Education and Higher Education, will host the first group of students from the Egyptian-Japanese KOZEN Institute at its centre in 10th of Ramadan City in September for the advanced engineering programme.
The KOZEN programme is a five-year advanced engineering education system inspired by Japan’s system, focusing on early field exposure for post-preparatory school students.
The diploma qualifies graduates to enrol in technological universities, engineering faculties, and computer science colleges.
A cabinet statement said this strategic partnership aims to significantly improve the quality of graduates and align education with local, regional, and international labour market needs in relevant specialities.
Moreover, the protocol includes advanced training programmes in microelectronics, semiconductors, green energy, and solar panels.
It also aims to exchange knowledge, build students' capacity, and develop trainers for KOZEN instructors.
Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel El-Wazir, Minister of Education and Technical Education Mohamed Abdel-Latif, and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ayman Ashour also attended the signing ceremony of the protocol.
During the ceremony, El-Wazir stated that the initiative marks a significant milestone in the history of Egyptian industry and technical education, as it helps provide a skilled technical workforce to meet market needs.
He added that it aligns with Egypt's vision for industrial advancement, which focuses on qualifying human resources by developing vocational training programmes in collaboration with the ministry.
El-Wazir further emphasized the importance of benefiting from the Japanese experience in training technical labour to increase demand for Egyptian labour domestically and abroad.
He also affirmed the ministry’s commitment to upgrading training at the PVTD centres and enhancing labs to produce technically proficient graduates.
"This aligns with the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) regulations, requiring imports to meet green manufacturing standards starting in 2027," he said.
International cooperation
For his part, Minister Ashour praised this cooperation as a successful model of partnership with JICA, highlighting Japan’s leadership in this area.
He pointed to the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, which qualifies students for the Egyptian, regional, and African labour markets.
He stated that 40 cooperation protocols have previously been signed with major private sector investors to operate vocational training centres, aiming to help meet industry labour demands by developing trainers, engineers, and new specialisations.
Meanwhile, Minister Abdel-Latif emphasized the ministry’s strong focus on the technical education sector as a cornerstone of Egypt’s economic and industrial future, the statement said.
He highlighted the ministry's adoption of a new vision for technical education and the establishment of an internationally standardized education system that offers globally recognized certifications to graduates.
Abdel-Latif also commended the effectiveness of the cooperation with Japan through the KOZEN model, as well as with Italy through the Don Bosco model, one of the most successful and long-standing systems in Egypt.
Additionally, he affirmed that the ministry is working to expand cooperation with Germany and that new technical education schools and centres of excellence will be created with international standards.
In May, Egypt and Germany signed a 118 million euro financial cooperation agreement in the education and energy sectors. This includes a 32 million euro grant to establish 25 Egyptian centres of excellence for supporting technical education.
Short link: