When Nahla decided to prepare for her PhD, she was shocked to discover that the Government would only give her LE4,000 to subsidise research that would actually cost about LE60,000. "It's very difficult for an ordinary person like me to do my PhD in Egypt, because it's so expensive," said Nahla Mohamed Galal, who holds a medicine degree from a Governmental University, and has a Master's in parasitology. "But a German-Egyptian scholarship will allow me to do my doctorate." Nahla's comments came as the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) recently celebrated the Fourth German-Egyptian Long-term Scholarship (GERLS) programme awards ceremony. Out of 199 Egyptian candidates who applied for GERLS scholarships, 44 have been successful. Nahla explained that Germany is a pioneering country for scientific research, which is why she applied to do her PhD there. "I love Germany and I want to know more about its culture," she said. "When I've done my thesis, I want to come home to Egypt and apply what I have learned, passing on my knowledge and also creating a research team, something you rarely find here. "I'm happy with these scholarships, as they encourage Egyptians to pursue post-graduate studies and benefit their country," she added. "After the January 25 Revolution, Germany and Egypt grew closer," Kai Boeckman, Deputy Head of mission at the German Embassy in Egypt, said. "In the wake of the revolution, Germany has expanded its programmes in Egypt, doubling the number of scholarships," he told the Egyptian Mail in an interview. "I have visited Germany before and I was dazzled by the Germans' discipline and the way they can hold their personal and academic lives together; that makes it the ideal place to do my PhD," said Mahmoud el-Sayyed Tawfiq, a freelance geophysicist and another one of the 44 scholarship grantees. "I feel optimistic, especially as our new president did his PhD in the USA and the head of the Shura Council did his doctorate in Germany, like many of the nation's elite. “I don't think all our scholars should go to the same [foreign] country, but Germany offers Egypt many scholarships, allowing Egyptians to enhance their knowledge," he added. Tawfiq admits that Egypt faces difficulties funding doctoral students, stressing that the system needs to be better organised. According to Boeckman, it needs a political decision to boost the education sector. However, Tawfiq is quite optimistic, as President Morsi, himself a PhD holder, surely appreciates the value of education and considers it one of his top priorities. He hopes that, in a few years' time, Egypt will begin to reap the fruits. “When I get back from Germany, I'll apply what I've learned to help Egypt, as I have a responsibility towards my country, nation and my family. Egypt gives us the confidence and the financial support to learn and improve ourselves, so we must help our fellow Egyptians improve," he stressed. Nadia Zakhary, the Minister of Scientific Research, said in her presentation at the event that German-Egyptian scholarship programme is the country's biggest, with an annual budget of $500 million. The Egyptian Government finances the scholarships to the tune of 70 per cent; the German Government takes care of the other 30 per cent. Bassant Abdel-Tawwab Ali, who has also been awarded a scholarship, said that she can benefit from Germany's highly developed techniques and strategies. "It's not fair for our country, if we're not going to pass on our knowledge to others, when the Government subsidises us to the tune of 70 per cent, in order to build our futures, learn more and experience another culture." Ali, a research assistant at the National Research Centre, specialising in biotechnology, said. She added that this scholarship is a very good opportunity to learn more about the German educational system, as Egypt is suffering from many problems. One of these problems is the constantly increasing population, which is why Germany is going to build about 50 primary schools in Upper Egypt, according to Boeckman. He also stressed that learning languages is very important. “This is why we are setting up a new programme, involving participation between Cairo University and a German university, boosting infrastructure and enhancing teachers' efficiency," Boeckman explained.
