Egypt's central bank governor meets with China Development Bank head    Egypt, UAE central banks sign currency swap deal    Researchers build and test a framework for achieving climate resilience across diverse fisheries    Genetically engineering associations between plants and nitrogen-fixing microbes could lessen dependence on synthetic fertilizer    Egypt Post invests in Roaderz platform to enhance e-commerce, delivery services    GAFI to grant 45 more golden licences to boost investment    French police arrests 5 people in Piaget jewelry heist    Hend Sabry series Crossroads to air on Shahid in October    Oil prices 27/09/2023    Al-Sisi rejects claims of militarising teachers    Egypt aims to boost private sector's role in economic activity to 65% in medium term: Finance Minister    Net-zero emissions can be reached by 2050 – IEA report    Egypt inks agreement with British council to boost scientific research    Phantom of the Opera heads to Riyadh in October    Trevor Noah to host his largest comedy show in Dubai    Dubai launches new religious tourism initiative    Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia resume talks on GERD in Addis Ababa    Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia resume talks on GERD in Addis Ababa    Egypt, India declare strategic partnership, discuss regional issues    Egyptian minister calls for more funding to face climate change damages    Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan resume Nile dam talks    Egypt's Environment Minister calls for more funding to address climate change losses, damages    Children dying in Sudan amid healthcare system collapse    Children dying in Sudan amid healthcare system collapse    Massive Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project may transport green hydrogen    Egypt's national table tennis team qualifies for Paris Olympics    El-Hammamy wins women's final at QTerminals Qatar Classic    Ethiopia claims to finish filling GERD despite objections    Prime Minister inspects Grand Egyptian Museum    Prime Minister inspects Grand Egyptian Museum    The box office is not a measure of success: Basma    Egypt's street workout team wins 3 gold medals at world championship    Egypt's street workout team wins 3 gold medals at world championship    NBA Africa, MAVEN Developments announce multiyear collaboration in Egypt    Sisi, Ethiopia's PM discuss Sudan's crisis, Ethiopian dam    Celebrity earnings through Instagram in 2022    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







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Editorial: Let knowledge grow
Published in Al-Ahram Weekly on 21 - 09 - 2006


By Seheir Kansouh-Habib
Beyond aims to offer the views of professional experts on special topics of critical importance to Egypt. Our last issue discussed the Desert Development Corridor proposal by Dr Farouk El-Baz to relieve population pressure in the Nile Valley and Delta. The debate is ongoing, but we hope that our presentations served as an eye-opener to policy-makers and the Egyptian public at large whose very life will be affected by the consequences of whatever decision policy-makers will take, to implement it -- or to shelve it, as has happened for the past 20 years since it was originally proposed.
This time, our focus is on education. Our concern is knowledge and how important it is for younger generations to acquire a proper education in order to lead a better life, enjoy better health, and ensure better productivity and income.
Our concern is also to close the enormous divide that is not only a legacy of the past, but that risks to grow larger as a result of new short-sighted policies. In this respect, we invite you to sample the views of our great educational guru, Professor Hamed Ammar, who has drawn for Beyond a brilliant panorama of Egypt's education system and its failings.
While Dr Ammar raises concerns about the intra- country educational divide, Beyond was honoured to obtain through our International Editor, Hedayat Abdel Nabi, the views of His Excellency President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal on the global divide.
The Senegalese President warns against the problems of the global digital divide that may totally exclude people of the South from progress if the South fails to catch up with rapid technological advances. His Excellency also briefs us on the Solidarity Fund he has initiated to close this divide, not only to serve Senegal -- but the whole of Africa.
Egypt's story with computerisation started in the 1960s, explains Dr Hisham El Sherif. However, did his dream to accelerate development through information technology introduced in the 1980s come true?
Our Guest Editor, Dr Nader Fergany, is also sharing with Beyond the outcome of his thorough inquiry on knowledge first presented in the prestigious UNDP series of Arab Human Development Reports. We hope that this will be a timely refresher for the Arab Summit due to meet shortly, bearing in mind that education will be central on the meeting's agenda.
To be part of the new knowledge-based economy of the 21st century ambitious but necessary institutional reform in education is required in Egypt. Dr Ismail Serageldin gladly shares with Beyond his vision of how this can materialise.
Other distinguished scholars, eminent practitioners and youth have also provided valuable contributions to this issue. May they all enrich the ongoing debate for the future of Egypt.


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