CAIRO: Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Hani Hilal is set to meet with 17 university presidents on Sunday at Cairo University to decide on the exact number of students to be accepted in the various faculties this year. Alaa El Toukhy, administrative manager of the Higher Education Projects Unit, told Daily News Egypt, that the news published in Al-Masry Al-Youm, about a conspiracy between the ministry and the Supreme Council of Universities, to cut enrollment numbers by 40,000 places this year was all false. According to Al-Masry Al-Youm, Hilal had already decided on the number of seats offered by each faculty. Medical schools were to enroll 6,715 students as opposed to 7,900 students last year. Reports also indicated that only 1,296 students will be accepted into the Faculty of Dentistry - 250 students less than last year - and that the Faculty of Engineering will only accept 15, 927 students, a drastic drop from last year s 18,738. The number of enrollment places has been increasing annually since 2001, and Hilal's decision was meant to curb this surge in numbers, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported. However, El Toukhy said that these claims were meant "to create controversy, and to make people wonder about the ministry's decisions. "It's propaganda. He confirmed that the decision will be made during next Sunday s meeting.
