The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR) in Egypt was established in 1963. One of its main duties, is to determine the research strategies at national levels, to design plans, develop programmes, launch initiatives and implement strategies to support and promote STI in Egypt. Recognizing the need for international cooperation and in particular with Europe, MHESR established the EU-Egypt Cooperation Unit, which deals with all STI actions on a regional/bilateral level. This unit is instrumental in implementing S&T agreements, and its Action Plan that Egypt has signed with the EC in 2005. Through Egypt-EU S&T agreement an RDI Programme (ENPI/2009/21866) have been setup to enhance Egypt’s participation in EU Framework Programmes and establishing an Innovation fund in Egypt. In pursuing the above objectives, MHESR assigned an active network of thematic NCPs in almost all FP7 themes coordinated by the NCP Coordinator; in addition to a network of institutional Focal Points in all Egyptian Universities, Research Centres and relevant Ministries and Industrial organizations. MHESR is playing an instrumental role in strengthening and advancing the policy dialogue on the regional and international level to reinforce STI cooperation through various platforms as its active role in the AMCOST, the Mediterranean Group of Senior Officials (MED GSO) and the Union for the Mediterranean.
