Hassan Abdalla, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), and Abdelaziz Konsowa, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Acting Minister of Culture, reviewed the progress of the national Future Scholars Fund initiative and preparations to admit a new cohort of students for the 2026/2027 academic year during a meeting at the CBE headquarters.
The meeting formed part of the ongoing coordination between the two sides and focused on the latest developments of the initiative, which supports outstanding, socially eligible students at Egyptian universities. Discussions also covered preparations for the initiative’s second phase, ensuring continued support for eligible students while advancing its long-term objectives.
The meeting was attended by several CBE officials, including Tarek ElKholy, Deputy Governor for Banking Stability; Ghada Tawfik, Sub-Governor for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); Rascha Mansour, Sub-Governor for the Human Resources Sector; Mohamed Shaaban, Sub-Governor for the Legal Affairs Sector; and Nihal Orkhan, Acting Head of the Corporate Communications Central Department.
Representing the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research were Maher Mesbah, Secretary of the Council of National Universities and Acting Secretary of the Council of Private Universities; Amr Allam, Assistant Minister and Permanent Undersecretary of the Ministry; Sherif Kishk, Assistant Minister for Smart Governance; Mohamed El-Sharkawy, Assistant Minister for Policies and Economic Affairs; Counsellor Atef Omar, Legal Adviser to the Minister; and Adel Abdel Ghaffar, the ministry’s official spokesperson.
The Governor and the Minister reviewed the initiative’s achievements during the 2025/2026 academic year, highlighting its role in supporting academically outstanding students who meet social eligibility requirements across various governorates. They also discussed mechanisms to further develop and expand the initiative during the new academic year, enabling more eligible students to enrol at National Universities.
The discussions reflected Egypt’s broader strategy of investing in human capital, empowering young people, and strengthening the higher education and scientific research ecosystem.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation to support high-achieving students and promising academic and research talent, recognising them as a cornerstone of building national capabilities capable of driving Egypt’s future development.
Abdalla said the CBE remains committed to strengthening the higher education and scientific research ecosystem in line with Egypt’s national vision, noting that supporting outstanding students represents an investment in the country’s future and reflects the CBE and banking sector’s commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through CSR initiatives.
He added that the Future Scholars Fund demonstrates effective cooperation among state institutions, the banking sector, and civil society in implementing initiatives with long-term impact, aimed at providing equal educational opportunities for outstanding students and equipping them with the academic and research capabilities required by a knowledge-based economy.
Abdalla also praised the ministry’s role in preparing qualified graduates for the labour market across various sectors, including banking, and highlighted its support for the CBE’s Bachelor of Banking Sciences programme, which was introduced for the first time in Egypt at several Faculties of Commerce during the previous academic year.
For his part, Konsowa commended the CBE and the banking sector for supporting higher education through CSR initiatives, saying such efforts help ensure equal access to educational opportunities for outstanding students from socially eligible backgrounds while strengthening Egypt’s ability to prepare highly qualified graduates capable of innovation, creativity, and global competitiveness.
He also stressed the commitment of both the ministry and the CBE to ensuring the sustainability of the initiative and expanding partnerships with state institutions to support and empower outstanding students.
Launched as a national initiative to support outstanding students at Egyptian universities, the Future Scholars Fund aims to provide academically distinguished students who meet social eligibility criteria with fair and equal educational opportunities, helping build a generation capable of contributing to Egypt’s comprehensive development.
To support the initiative, Account No. 7070 has been opened at Egyptian banks to receive contributions dedicated to funding outstanding students. The fund is intended to encourage greater participation by banking institutions, the private sector, and the wider community, while promoting social solidarity and investment in education and scientific research.
