Egypt has commenced executive procedures to establish a specialised “Food University” aimed at supporting national food security and sustainable development, the Education Development Fund (EDF) announced.

The project, which is being implemented in partnership with Japan’s Hiroshima University and the universities of Cairo and Benha, follows a Dec. 19, 2024, decree by the EDF board of directors chaired by the Prime Minister. The initiative is designed to link higher education with the state’s development priorities and the requirements of the labour market in the agricultural and food industry sectors.

Officials from the EDF recently joined Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Ala’a Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, at the New Administrative Capital to discuss the implementation steps for the institution.

Rasha Saad Sharaf, Secretary General of the EDF, said the university represents a model for a “new generation of specialised universities” based on interdisciplinary sciences. Sharaf stated that the project aims to connect education with scientific research and practical application to serve state priorities in food security, water resource management, and sustainable development.

The university will comprise five specialised colleges: smart agriculture, animal production, water resource management, food process technology, and agricultural mechanisation. The campus will also house a food research centre and an entrepreneurship incubator.

According to Sharaf, the university is based on a comprehensive feasibility study and aims to prepare qualified personnel, provide technical consultations, and assist in identifying strategic crops. She noted that the project intends to build an integrated academic and research platform linking water management with food security through programmes that encourage water conservation and increased productivity.

Sharaf emphasised the importance of integration between the EDF and the ministries of higher education and agriculture to ensure the project’s success. She added that food science is an interdisciplinary field requiring graduates with high levels of scientific and practical efficiency to meet local and international labour market needs.

The Food University project is part of the EDF’s vision to develop a modern educational system based on project-based learning and international partnerships. The initiative seeks to align with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and establish the country as a regional hub for specialised education and scientific research in sustainable agriculture and food sciences.

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