Egypt is jumping on the bandwagon of countries looking to dramatically expand their international student body. In a strategy approved by the Supreme Council of Universities in January, Egypt will take steps towards increasing its number of international students –who come primarily from Arab and African nations –from 53 000 to 200 000 in the next three years. Some of these measures include developing campus infrastructure, increasing security procedures, and lowering admission requirements for incoming students. 

Egypt’s bid for international students has been met with some criticism. On the one hand, the nation is already a strong player in higher education, with one of the largest student populations in the Arab region and the highest share of universities in the latest US News and World Report’s 2014 Egypt’s plans to lower entry requirements for incoming students are also a matter for concern among analysts. Hans de Wit, director-to-be of the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, says that Egypt is falling into the same trap as other aspiring education hubs. “By sending national talent abroad to the top universities in the old industrialized world, and filling domestic capacity with less talented locals and students from neighbouring countries, the risk of a widening gap is enormous,” Nevertheless, it looks like Egypt is going to push through with its internationalisation strategy. Whether it will succeed (at least in terms of numbers) will depend on the nation’s political stability and the universities’ ability to modernise. At least the funding, a mixture of government money and foreign grants, is already in place. Will the expected wave of foreign students come rolling in? And will the country continue to enjoy a reputation for excellent universities, if admissions become lax? 

ICEF Monitor
The World View