CAIRO: For the first time, the top-notch faculties of engineering and computer science opened their doors to students listed in the second category of the national secondary certificate (Thanaweya Amma). According the state-run paper Al Ahram, the Ministry of Higher Education announced that the number of students in the mathematics department who scored a minimum of 383 out of 410 (listed in the first category) is less than the maximum capacity of the faculties of engineering and computer science. This signifies a golden opportunity for many students to enroll at these coveted faculties. The number of students who can enroll in the faculties counts 20,557, while the capacity number of the faculties can reach about 12,898 students. Mohamed Emara, a student in the mathematics department who applied to the faculty of engineering, told Daily News Egypt that the minimum score required to enter the faculty of engineering has been extremely high in the past few years. He is pleased that the government is allowing more students to enroll this year. "The faculty of engineering is not an easy college to enroll in. We always say that an engineer has a very prestigious profession and engineering in our society has a certain reputation that is hard to get, said Emara. He added that it is noticeable this year that the number of students achieving high scores in the mathematics group is less than last year, which might be the reason why the government decreased the minimum requirements for enrollment at this faculty. Adel Abdel Sattar, another student who applied to the faculty of computer science, told Daily News Egypt that the percentage of students intending to enroll in the engineering and computer science courses is getting higher. "All people now know that jobs in the field of computer science are the best-paid jobs in Egypt and all over the world. It's a dream for many students. They struggle to achieve high scores in Thanaweya Amma to study engineering or computer science. They are the best.I think that many people would take advantage of this wider capacity in both faculties and apply, said Abdel Sattar. Diana Guirguis, an applicant to the faculty of engineering, told Daily News Egypt that the noticeable high capacity in the faculties of engineering and computer science would give many students, who have always held dreams of becoming engineers, a chance to do so. "I think that this would allow a greater number of students to enroll at the faculties of engineering and computer science. It is the first time when people can easily achieve their dreams and enter the most highly desired faculties, she said. But the problem may come afterwards in the difficulty in providing suitable job opportunities for all the students after graduation. "If this high number of students is enrolled at these faculties, there will be a less demand for engineers and computer engineers when they graduate. The job market is expected to be very competitive then, said Guirguis.
