Full details of Kuwait’s decision to stop scholarships for medical specialties in Egypt and Jordan
The Kuwaiti Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Hamad Al-Adwani, issued a decision to stop scholarships for medical specializations in Egypt and Jordan.
According to the Kuwaiti newspaper, Al-Qabas, the decision stipulated the cessation of direct dispatch and the missions of the children of diplomats, and the cessation of inclusion in the ministry’s missions for medical specializations, “human medicine, dentistry, doctor of pharmacy, pharmacy” to Egypt and Jordan, as of the next academic year 2023-2024.
This decision came within the framework of the Ministry of Higher Education’s efforts to control the quality of education, to ensure the validity and safety of academic certificates, and to promote quality education.
The decision included “stopping the change of medical specialization in universities for students enrolled in Jordan and Egypt before the decision was issued, and it also included stopping the transfer of scholarships to Egypt and Jordan.”
The newspaper quoted what it called “informed sources”, that this step came after multiple visits by specialized delegations to medical universities in Egypt and Jordan during the past months, and the reports of these delegations were based on extensive studies to measure the quality of education. Higher education institutions in medical specializations and programs outside Kuwait, according to their meeting at the end of last May.
quality of education
The sources noted the approval of the Board of Directors of the National Agency for Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance on June 4, 2023, and the recommendation of the Committee for Setting Standards and Determining Higher Education Institutions in Medical Specialties outside the country.
The sources confirmed that the decision came based on the approval of the Board of Directors of the National Bureau for Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance on June 4, 2023.
The decision came within the framework of the Ministry of Higher Education’s endeavor to control the quality of education and as a continuation of the ministry’s efforts to ensure the health and safety of academic certificates and quality education, and after a series of decisions taken by the ministry during the past years, in this context.
In a historical sequence of what the ministry issued in this regard, the beginning was October 2018, when the Minister of Education and the Kuwaiti Minister of Higher Education at the time, Dr. Hamed Al-Azmi, issued a decision to reduce the number of accredited Egyptian universities from about 30 universities to only 7 accredited universities, after the recommendations of delegations Academic accreditation, since accreditation became limited to “Cairo University, Alexandria University, Ain Shams University, Mansoura University, Assiut University, Al-Azhar University and the American University in Cairo” only.
Months later, and in continuation of the Ministry’s efforts in the file of controlling the inventory of certificates issued from abroad, Dr. Hamed Al-Azmi issued a decision in July 2019, stipulating the accreditation of only 5 Jordanian universities, after it was about 20 universities, as the list of accredited universities included the University of Jordan, and the universities of Science and Technology, Yarmouk and Al Hashemite University, in addition to Princess Sumaya University for Technology.
Determination of proportions
The decision to set the minimum percentages for enrollment in medical specialties in Egypt came in May 2021, when the Minister of Higher Education at the time, Dr. Muhammad Al-Faris, issued a decision specifying the minimum general secondary percentage, so that it is not less than 85% for students wishing to enroll in medical specializations in accredited Egyptian universities, after that It was 79%, in the specializations of human medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, whether to join or join the mission.
Certificate settings
The Minister of Education and former Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Ali Al-Mudhaf, continued to work on the education quality file, as he issued a decision in June 2022 specifying the approved majors for study in the Republic of Egypt, specifying only about 100 accredited majors in a number of Egyptian universities.
Note that the decisions were made in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education, represented by the former Undersecretary of the Ministry, Dr. Sabih Al-Mukhaizim, and the National Agency for Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance.
The new decision comes to stop direct scholarships and missions for the children of diplomats, and to include medical specializations in Egypt and Jordan as a continuation of the education quality control file in the ministry.