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EDUCATION: A CRITICAL ISSUE
This issue of Business Monthly, with its focus on education, is especially important. A healthy education system is an essential part of a country’s foundation, enabling its citizens to improve themselves, fostering innovation and contributing to the competitiveness of its workforce.
I want to commend the team at Business Monthly for giving education the proper attention that it deserves. Exploring the state of education in Egypt is a crucial step toward correcting weaknesses within the system, as well as reinforcing strengths.
Unfortunately, while there have been efforts to make improvements, Egypt’s educational institutions remain beset with problems. The inadequacies of the system deny many citizens the opportunity to reach their full potential, hindering not only individual development, but the country’s as well.
The simple fact is that fresh graduates from the Egyptian education system often lack the skills necessary to successfully participate in the labor force. The result – despite high unemployment – is that employers commonly have trouble filling vacant positions with qualified candidates. This is a fundamental problem hindering our capacity to grow as a nation, and it must be addressed.
Although education has been the focus of government efforts aimed at improving the situation, other stakeholders – namely the private sector and civil society organizations – must also play roles in working to better the system.
As a leading voice of the private sector here in Egypt, the Chamber has an obligation to provide leadership on this issue. Beyond businesses’ social responsibility to help improve the communities they operate in, there is clearly an element of self-interest here. Improving the education system will increase the competitiveness of the Egyptian labor force, acting as a boon to employers of all stripes.
The Chamber has taken steps to act upon this obligation. Perhaps most prominently, the relatively recently formed Education Committee serves as a forum to discuss relevant issues.
During this July-June period, the committee has invited multiple guest speakers to discuss important issues. In March, for example, the committee hosted Joan Dassin – executive director of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program – as a featured speaker, discussing the topic “Managing mobility in international education: towards a social justice framework.”
The Chamber’s involvement does not end there. As I mentioned in my letter last month, AmCham has also taken steps to help promote e-learning in Egypt.
While the Chamber has been active regarding educational issues, there is a great deal of room for expanded engagement. We must look for new and innovative ways to get involved in improving the system. Moving ahead, the Education Committee will undoubtedly play a strong role in guiding AmCham’s actions in this arena, and I look forward to its members’ continuing good work.
M. GAMAL MOHARAM
President, AmCham Egypt
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