CHINLONE has been designed as a structural capacity-building project aimed at fostering the modernization and internationalization of MM’s HES, currently in the midst of an epochal reform that mirrors the country’s transition towards democracy. With this in mind, the project tailors its main efforts on the needs and exigencies of three key target groups, represented by local academic leaders, professors and educators, as well as administrative staffs, in order to train them with the most prominent features of the European expertise in terms of academic governance, degree courses designing, and IR management. In doing so, the notions and know-how consolidated through their interactions with European partners will be further capitalized and disseminated on the local dimension, by means of cascade trainings and related activities with additional universities and local HEIs. Hence, CHINLONE is expected to produce a lasting legacy in MM well before the end of its timeline, through the inception of innovative and updated curricula in the strategic fields of studies of humanities and cultural heritage, economics and geography of tourism, and agricultural sciences, so to equip local prospective students with the tools and skills currently demanded by the labour market and economic stakeholders. This approach, most notably, can provide a valuable contribution to MM’s evolution towards a ‘knowledge economy’, paving the way for the introduction of new national policies in the sphere of HE on project-specific topics; which, in turn, will lead to the progressive ascendance of local HEIs in regional education rankings, to a steady increase in the overall number of students enrolling in MM’s universities, and to a parallel boost in international mobility flows to and from the country.

The conclusions of the follow-up evaluation of MNE HEIs, conducted by EUA Institutional Evaluation Program in 2018, highlighted significant shortcomings in the field of internationalization. In order to overcome these shortcomings, IESP project aims to enhance international competitiveness and visibility of MNE HEIs, by providing the best model for strengthening capacities for various aspects of internationalization. The project’s activities will result in: developed guidelines for enhancing internationalization; installed IT equipment with software for administration of mobility at IR offices and Language support centres; redesigned English web sites; capacity building of teaching/researchers staff in internationalization strategic planning, internationalization of research and innovation, and improved teaching skills for delivering courses in English; capacity building of administrative staff related to internationalization and improving English skills; developed internationalization strategies with action plans; developed supporting documentation for internationalization; designed catalogues for courses in English; developed summer schools in English; developed teaching materials in English; developed criteria for assessing quality of internationalization; established bodies for monitoring and evaluation of internationalization; established and equipped Language centres for support of internationalization. The project will have positive impact on the international competitiveness and visibility of the MNE HEIs as a result of the developed capacities and implementation of targeted internationalization measures. HEIs will improve their management, decision and policy making, and better respond to the needs and requirements of the society, and will be brought closer to EHEA/ERA through increased international visibility and networking with EU HEIs.

This project aims at creating dual (university-school) integrated diploma for developing a new generation of STEM teachers in Egypt, who are capable to provide adequate and innovative teaching in Science, Technology, Math and Engineering-based subjects, embracing STEM philosophy and are capable to bridge the gap between current school education methodologies and those needed for future pre-university school evolution. Adequate school education is the foundation for any human capacity development in Egypt, which has suffered continual degradation during last 3 decades in both quality and quantity of students pursuing STEM-based careers. This has directly contributed to ranking Egypt in the tail of the list of innovative-driven countries affecting both social and economic prosperity and effective integration in the global system. This shall be realized by an EG and EU accredited multi-track diploma lasting for 9 months, 6 of which introduced at participating universities covering pedagogical, psychological, technology-based education and engineering modules followed by 3 selective knowledge-specific tracks. The remaining 3 months are covered via apprenticeship integration in operating schools. The diploma program is equipped with a STEM resource center capable of feeding STEM schoolteachers with ever-developing ICT- and hardware resources converting abstract math/science education into engineering and technology-based innovative applications. The targets of this program are the employed and future math/science primary/secondary schoolteachers. The proposed diploma shall be developed in cooperation between universities, public authorities and NGOs. The plan is to start running this diploma during the third year of the project to account for fine adjustments. A gap analysis will be developed and followed by comprehensive course development. A wide community impact is expected as outlined by various stakeholders from the higher and pre-university education communities.