The Egyptian president has announced the creation of six additional faculties at the future Kayan University, while calling for health and education to be made national priorities.
The institution is set to welcome its first students in February 2027.
On Sunday, November 8, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi announced the opening of Kayan University in February 2027, which will include six faculties covering the medical, scientific, and technological sectors. This announcement was made during the opening session of the third medical congress of the Armed Forces Faculty of Medicine, held at the Al-Safwa International Convention Centre in the
New Administrative Capital.
This is according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
“If we want Egypt to regain its standing, we must prioritise health and education,” the head of state declared, emphasising that the country’s progress depends largely on performance in these two
sectors.
He also stressed the importance of focusing on the quality of education and the skills of graduates, rather than simply increasing the number of university institutions.
On this occasion, El-Sisi pointed to the example of the internationally renowned Egyptian cardiac surgeon Magdi Yacoub – who was present at the ceremony – suggesting that the country needs to
train thousands of professionals of his calibre.
“Egypt cannot settle for anything less than ten thousand Magdi Yacoubs,” he asserted, calling for the identification of the factors that enabled this physician’s excellence so that they can be replicated for new generations.
The future Kayan University will include, among others, faculties of medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, pharmacy, engineering, and computer science and artificial intelligence.
The institution, announced last July by the Egyptian Armed Forces, will have a capacity for 25,000 students. The authorities are also planning partnerships and twinning programs with reputable foreign academic institutions.
Sissi requested that the “Tahya Masr” fund cover the tuition fees for exceptionally talented students admitted to Kayan. He has also tasked the Minister of Higher Education with exploring ways to enable the top ten high school graduates to enrol in the university’s faculties. A second university – the name of which has not yet been specified—is expected to open in March 2027 on the road to Ain Sokhna.
Beyond these announcements, Sisi has called for the establishment of a legal and institutional framework to encourage the “waqf” (endowment) for education – a mechanism for charitable donations that can contribute to the sustainable funding of educational institutions.
The PM and several cabinet ministers – including those for education, health, justice, and endowments – have been tasked with developing this initiative.
MK/AK/fss/as/APA