ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ

Japanese

On October 27, 2025, a delegation from the Ministry of Education and Technical Education of the Arab Republic of Egypt (hereinafter referred to as ¡°the Egyptian Ministry of Education¡±), including H.E. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Egyptian Minister of Education, and H.E. Hany Helal, former Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, together with a delegation from SPRIX Inc. (hereinafter referred to as ¡°SPRIX¡±), led by President and CEO Mr. Hiroyuki Tsuneishi, visited the Higashi-Senda Campus of ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ (HU) and held a discussion with HU President Mitsuo Ochi. Executive Vice President (Global Initiatives) Shinji Kaneko also attended the meeting. During the meeting, the participants exchanged views on potential areas of future collaboration.

Following the courtesy visit, a signing ceremony was held for a tripartite agreement on educational cooperation in AI and programming curricula among HU, the Egyptian Ministry of Education, and SPRIX. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Mr. Kazuhiro Kotani, Chief Inspector of the Higher Education Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT); Mr. Hidehiko Yuzaki, Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture; and Mr. Kazumi Matsui, Mayor of Hiroshima City.

Based on this agreement, the three parties will establish a framework for developing and implementing a new AI and programming curriculum within the Test of Fundamental Academic Skills (TOFAS), in order to promote reforms in Egypt¡¯s basic education system. The Egyptian Ministry of Education will lead the nationwide implementation and educational policy initiatives. HU will contribute by providing international academic expertise on educational assessment and validation of academic soundness. SPRIX will be responsible for developing and operating the TOFAS assessment tools and digital platform, as well as supporting the training of educators. Through this tripartite collaboration, the three parties aim to enhance the quality of education and establish internationally recognized standards for educational evaluation.

In his remarks as a signatory, President Ochi looked back on the history of cooperation between Egypt and HU and stated powerfully, ¡°Building upon the trust and achievements we have cultivated thus far, I sincerely hope to contribute to further progress in educational reform and human resource development in Egypt,¡± expressing his strong expectations for future development.

H.E. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Egyptian Minister of Education, then stated, ¡°This marks the first direct collaboration between the Egyptian Ministry of Education and HU, and signifies the birth of an unprecedented tripartite partnership uniting the private sector, academia, and government. At the heart of this collaboration lies an ambitious initiative - the development of a programming certification program for Egyptian students.¡±

Following this, President Tsuneishi stated, ¡°There is still no universal standard in the world to measure educational outcomes. Aiming to create such a standard, we have developed the international assessment TOFAS and expanded its frameworks for mathematics and programming across the globe. With the cooperation of HU, we will further advance our efforts to contribute to the education of children in Egypt.¡±

The signing of this agreement was realized following a request for cooperation made by H.E. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Egyptian Minister of Education, during his meeting with HU President Ochi at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), held in Yokohama in August of this year. Around the same time, SPRIX signed an MOU with the Egyptian Ministry of Education to jointly develop curricula and teaching materials in the fields of mathematics and ICT programming, as well as to introduce nationwide academic assessments. Through continued discussions among HU, the Egyptian Ministry of Education, and SPRIX regarding possible areas of collaboration, this tripartite agreement has now been successfully concluded.

Through this courtesy visit and the signing of the agreement, the international partnership in education and research among HU, the Egyptian Ministry of Education, and SPRIX has been further strengthened. This collaboration is expected to make a significant contribution to enhancing the quality of education in Egypt and fostering the development of the next generation of human resources.

[Comments from Chief Inspector Kazuhiro Kotani, Higher Education Bureau (MEXT), Following the Signing Ceremony]

¡°The Brilliantly Shining Orient!¡±
When I was a high school student, I memorized the fact that the ancient Oriental civilization was born around 3000 B.C. using the above phrase. (In Japanese, the words ¡°brilliance¡± and ¡°3000¡± are both pronounced ¡°sanzen¡±.)
In world history class, we first learned that human civilization began with the ancient Oriental civilization. Since then, I have felt a deep sense of respect and awe for Egyptian civilization ¡ª the core of that ancient world ¡ª and for the people of Egypt who have inherited its remarkable culture and traditions. Perhaps many people in Japan, to a greater or lesser extent, feel the same way.
I would like to express my heartfelt respect and gratitude to President Mitsuo Ochi for his many years of dedicated effort and outstanding leadership, as well as to Minister Abdel Latif and all those involved, whose cooperation made the signing of this partnership agreement possible.
We were also honored today by the presence of Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki of Hiroshima Prefecture and Mayor Kazumi Matsui of Hiroshima City.
At MEXT, we established the Regional University Promotion Office on the very first day of this month. We are determined to make even greater efforts to promote regional universities. In doing so, given the rapid decline in the 18-year-old population expected in the coming years, it is essential to have the support of local communities in developing policies that fully consider human resource development in each region. I believe today¡¯s collaboration is a testament to the close partnership regularly fostered among President Ochi, Governor Yuzaki, and Mayor Matsui.

Indeed, as a university that promotes international education and research, and as an institution that addresses challenges ranging from local issues to those shared by all humankind - creating innovations through the power of scholarship - HU is expected to achieve even greater progress in the future. In this regard as well, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved in making this collaboration possible.