The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Egypt was established in 1961. MHESR's main tasks are to determine the higher education strategies at national levels, to design plans and develop programs to implement the educational strategies and set the required legislations, propose means of spreading University and higher education, and post-secondary training centres, in addition to contributing in the theoretical and applied scientific research, and considering the geographical distribution in meeting the state's needs of universities, higher institutes and research centres.
Recognizing the need for international cooperation in Science and Technology (S&T), Research, Development and Innovation (RDI), and in particular with Europe, MHESR has established a designated unit for European Cooperation, which deals with all S&T and RDI programmes on a regional and a bilateral level. MHESR is currently mobilizing all resources, and capitalizing on all opportunities to actively disseminate and enhance the participation of Egyptian researchers in international Research projects and programmes, with particular focus on EU funding programmes. In pursuing the above objectives, MHESR assigned an active network of thematic NCPs in almost all FP7 themes coordinated by a NCP Coordinator who is part of the Ministry.
Additionally, MHESR has institutional Focal Points in all Egyptian Universities, Research Centers and some Ministries and Industrial organizations. Within the framework of FP7, MHESR is actively involved in 7 current 21 projects, 3 INCONETS namely; the Mediterranean INCONET (MIRA), the Sub Saharan Africa INCONET (CAASTNet) and the Gulf INCONET (INCO GCC), 1 ERANET project (ERAfrica), INCO One world (INCO NCPs Network project) in addition of being the coordinator of Egypt BILAT project (ShERACA 244364).
