|
The revolution in information, knowledge and technology heralds a new economic
and social order characterized by the development and exploitation of ICT
within all spheres of human endeavor. This era is giving rise to the emergence
of information- and knowledge-based economies with traditional economic,
industrial and commercial activities moving towards a knowledge-driven process
with most of the advanced economies progressively transforming into
knowledge-based, technology-driven, services-dominated economies.
These economies are increasingly laying emphasis on economic activities with
intellectual content and knowledge. A number of countries are recognizing the
need to rapidly develop their knowledge base through massive investment in
human resource development, laying emphasis on improving and broadening
universal access to higher and quality education and training, including
on-the-job and in-service skill updates and lifelong learning, and creating
e-content in their own language on the web.
The use of these emerging technologies to transform government machineries to
facilitate efficiency in operations and service delivery is likewise a focus of
many governments. Indeed, governments worldwide now recognize the crucial role
that ICT can play in facilitating and accelerating socioeconomic development. A
number of countries in both the developed and developing world have in place
relevant policies and strategic plans that will enable them to transform their
economies into information- and knowledge-based economies. Egypt, like other
developing countries, seeks to take advantage of ICT to facilitate
socioeconomic development and speed up the process of making the nation’s
economy and society information-rich and knowledge-based.
Mapping people’s requirements with respect to e-access, education, health,
e-content and government services, which are essential for Egypt’s
socioeconomic development, MCIT’s 2007-10 ICT strategy reflects its commitment
to using information technology to further sustainable human development and
build an information society capable of capitalizing on the emerging knowledge
revolution.
A feature of all these efforts has been the development of partnerships in
addressing the challenges raised by ICT, including collaboration between the
public and private sectors and civil society. This is exemplified in the
development of a national action plan for ICT in education covering all sectors
of education, e-content development and ICT use for socioeconomic development.
While programs such as IT Clubs have supported the extension of community
technology centers across Egypt, they are expected to address fully the needs
of adults lacking ICT skills and digital literacy. Complemented by programs
such as Egypt PC 2010, Free Internet and others to increase broadband
accessibility, these initiatives have extended the impact of capacity-building
programs.
A highlight of MCIT’s efforts towards promoting ICT for development was its
establishment, in partnership with the UNDP, of the Egypt ICT Trust Fund. The
fund is a mechanism to promote ICT as a means to attain socioeconomic
development. It also aims to raise the awareness of the developmental potential
of ICT, while helping make it more accessible to Egyptian citizens. Through a
select group of programs the Trust Fund has served communities across Egypt,
increasing awareness and utilization of ICT in development. These programs
include the Mobile IT Club, the KenanaOnline developmental portal and the
utilization of ICT in eradicating illiteracy.
ICT
for All
Seeking to guarantee universal, easy, affordable and rapid access for all
Egyptian citizens to ICT, and stimulating awareness of the potential uses and
benefits of this technology, MCIT has implemented a number of programs
promoting computer literacy and encouraging increased public use of ICT.
Among the major programs to support these goals is Egypt PC 2010 – Nation
Online, the successor to PC for Every Home – which aims to increase PC
penetration within households and the academic sector. These programs have been
successful in increasing PC penetration in Egypt to 7%. MCIT has also
facilitated the emergence of an IT Clubs network across Egypt providing
citizens with access to IT, with the focus on rural and underprivileged areas.
The network currently comprises over 1,500 IT Clubs. Additionally, Egypt Post’s
national network provided MCIT with a ready established network of outlets for
the delivery of e-government and other public services.
Egypt’s Free Internet initiative and broadband connectivity programs have
helped increase accessibility to the Internet and made connectivity affordable
to most citizens. As a result, the number of Internet users in the country has
risen to over 5 million.
Through an ambitious and aggressive program, MCIT has supported the increase of
ICT skills across Egypt. Basic ICT literacy training courses have been
completed by over 100,000 people and the program has enabled many Egyptians to
receive recognized international certificates verifying their computer
skills.
Objectives:
To
assist the GoE in its policy to integrate ICT in
government and public services
|
|
| A. |
Increasing ICT penetration in Egypt to help realize the full potential of the
knowledge society.
|
|
|
| B. |
Fostering inclusion and better public services and quality of life through the
use of ICT and access to knowledge for all.
|
|
|
| C. |
Extending the use of post offices in providing public services.
|
|
|
To
facilitate ICT access for all Egyptian
citizens
|
|
| A. |
Increasing PC penetration through the Egypt PC 2010 – Nation Online initiative. |
|
|
| B. |
Extending the reach of Internet connectivity and broadband to all communities. |
|
|
| C. |
Raising the employability of youth through ICT training and encouraging
government employees and the general public to attain international
accreditation in ICT skills. |
ICT
for Education and Lifelong Learning
Aware of the vital importance of education as a driver of the economy, and a
sector in which progress affects all others, the GoE has long made educational
reform a priority, as demonstrated by the almost one-third of government
spending that it receives. A major component of this reform is the utilization
of technology in education, the primary motivation for which is the firm belief
that it will stimulate student-based learning. Working closely with the
Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education, MCIT is strategically
planning for best utilization of ICT in education through a number of projects,
the most notable of which is the Egyptian Education Initiative (EEI).
The Egyptian education system has progressed through several phases of
development as ICT is incorporated. The initial rolling out phase focused on
getting computers into institutions, limited professional development of
teachers and software development. This was followed by pilot schemes to
integrate ICT into the work of schools and educational institutions based on
the overall strategic directions of these institutions. The current focus is on
ensuring that policy for ICT in education is integrated with overall
educational policy. This is particularly important as evidence suggests that
practice in educational institutions remains a mixture of the old and the new,
and that there has not yet been a significant transformation in the way
learning occurs in these institutions and in society.
The Egyptian Education Initiative (EEI) is a public-private partnership between
the GoE, the World Economic Forum’s IT member community and various
multinationals. The initiative supports Egypt’s overall education reform
efforts and maximizes the potential for collaborative partnership to achieve
its goals. The main objectives of the EEI are:
|
|
| - |
To improve the development and delivery of education
for Egypt’s citizens, thereby accelerating the implementation of educational
reform. |
| - |
To raise the quality and effectiveness of education and training
in Egypt |
| - |
To develop the skills needed for the knowledge society |
| - |
To provide education and training to a wider sector of the
populace |
| - |
To prepare all school and university students for the digital
workforce by enhancing their creativity and that of their teachers through the
effective use of ICT |
| - |
To leverage this environment of national government commitment and
corporate citizenship to build a model of educational reform that can be
exported and replicated throughout the Arab region |
|
|
The EEI is divided into four tracks:pre-university, higher education, lifelong
learning and ICT industry development.
The Pre-University Track aims to increase the capacity of
education leaders to plan, implement and monitor policy-level decisions, as
well as projects and programs, to enhance the educational process. It also
seeks to provide e-training to teachers and school administrators to build
their professional competencies in order for them to fully utilize ICT in the
teaching, learning and school management processes. Additionally, the
pre-univeristy track aims to improve the delivery of teaching material through
a wide range of available technologies, leading to the development of
21st-century skills such as critical thinking and problem solving and a culture
of teamwork. These targets are achieved through developing appropriate economic
models for effective, sustainable integration of ICT in the education system,
accelerating the deployment of high-quality infrastructure at a reasonable cost
to increase accessibility in schools, and establishing a system for quality
assurance and accreditation.
The Higher Education Track is designed to connect the higher
education community as well as to assist in the introduction of e-learning in
Egyptian universities, building capacity for e-content development and creating
e-content for basic courses in English, IT, soft skills and entrepreneurship.
In addition, this track aims to support management information and decision
systems in academic and research institutions in order to enhance educational
processes. These targets are achieved through supporting the ICT infrastructure
in academic and research institutions, increasing accessibility for staff,
students and administrators, and establishing a system for quality assurance
and accreditation. MCIT, in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education,
is establishing e-learning labs in all Egyptian universities. The labs will be
managed by highly trained professionals from reputable international
corporations. MCIT has also installed 300 IT Clubs in Egyptian universities,
and has modernized the Egyptian Universities and Research Network (EURN),
connecting all universities and research centers to the Internet.
LifeLong Learning is an essential part of the MCIT training
and education strategy. Through this component, MCIT aims to complete an
assessment of existing Egyptian lifelong learning infrastructure and content,
to develop e-learning content for lifelong learning and to implement a pilot
project delivering localized content for lifelong learning. It also seeks to
establish a connected learning community that creates educational experience
and opportunities for 21st-century learners to realize their full potential.
These targets are realized through assisting in the establishment of the
infrastructure required for lifelong learning delivery channels.
The ICT industry development track complements the other three
tracks by producing relevant professional certification for the ICT industry,
thereby encouraging capacity building in the e-learning and e-content industry.
To this end, MCIT, in partnership with various multinationals, launched the
Professional Training Program in 2000, which aims to build a pool of skilled
Egyptian ICT graduates. The program focuses on engineering and computer science
graduates, who are trained in the latest technologies and receive
internationally recognized certification. So far, 35,000 students have
successfully completed the program. A revision of the program was carried out
in 2005 to ensure that the skills taught more closely match industry and market
requirements.
Other notable MCIT projects to support the integration of ICT in training and
education are the Smart Schools Network Program and ICT for Illiteracy
Eradication. The Smart Schools Program aims to introduce new methods of
pedagogy and administration in 38 preparatory schools across Egypt using ICT to
raise educational standards and promote computer literacy. This program marks
the first integrated move towards a comprehensive modernization plan for the
Egyptian schooling system. It will later expand to cover 50 public schools and
eventually become the standard model for experimental preparatory schools
(grades 7 to 9) country-wide.
The ICT for Illiteracy Eradication program has produced electronic content for
teaching Arabic letters and words and elementary mathematics based on the
General Authority for Literacy and Adult Education (GALAE) curriculum for
illiteracy eradication. The program has adopted a mixture of taught and
self-study courses. MCIT has also established Training of Trainers programs in
15 governorates to serve growing demand for basic literacy training.
Objectives:
To
help the GoE achieve its vision of education and
lifelong learning as a driver for socioeconomic
development
|
|
| A.
|
Optimizing investment in ICT and securing best value through use of economies
of scale and research and development of new technologies to help find and
sustain cost-effective methods for educational institutions to meet their
computer/instructor ratios
|
|
|
| B. |
Satisfying training requirements for industry-related capacity in ICT graduates
C. Setting up the required platforms for and continuing to promote lifelong
learning |
To
integrate ICT within formal education at all
levels and foster better management of education
systems
|
|
| A. |
Using ICT to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the services offered
by educational institutions by Supporting educational institutions in meeting
their computer/instructor ratios and ensuring that all staff in schools,
offices and educational establishments have access to ICT equipment, management
systems, intranet and Internet supported by appropriate training.
|
|
|
| B. |
Connecting the education community through broadband and establish an open
learning environment
|
|
|
| C. |
Promoting the embedding of ICT in the curriculum of all pupils and encouraging
intermediary level students to attain certification in ICT. |
|
|
| D. |
Increasing the utilization of ICT in educational management systems to raise
the general quality of education. |
|
|
To
support the training of world-class technically
skilled ICT graduates
|
|
| A. |
Integrating ICT skills, with a special focus on content development, within the
curricula of faculties of education, law and business across Egypt |
|
|
| B. |
Developing the confidence, competence and capability of all education
professionals and educational institutions to use ICT effectively; providing
guidance on appropriate content; and working to enable teachers and instructors
to support content development |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ICT
for Health
The GoE and its Ministry of Health have established several e-health programs
to bring better diagnostic and health services to a wider segment of Egyptian
society. MCIT has facilitated the integration of ICT in health services, such
as for health administration, clinical consultation and to bring continuing
medical education to remote and underserved areas. Collectively, these programs
aim to provide all citizens equal access to quality health services and enhance
the skills of doctors and nurses.
One means to achieve these targets is through improving information
dissemination and knowledge acquisition within the health sector. This is the
aim of the Integrated National Health Record System project, through which MCIT
is developing a medical health record system for the Ministry of Health. The
first phase will be implemented in 400 health units, also known as family
health units, spread across four governorates with one central site. Another
project, the Information System and National Network for Citizen Health
Treatment by the Government, uses automated systems to develop central
management of treatment and direct patients to relevant therapeutic units and
specialized centers around the country.
Emergency systems and telemedicine applications are
essential to guarantee rapid response and high standards of medical care to
citizens across the country. Telemedicine assists in relaying patient
information that helps doctors to reach a diagnosis and to direct patients to
the most suitable location for treatment. It provides those in remote areas
with access to high-level diagnostics and allows for an enhanced response in
emergencies. The Medical Emergency Call Center project aims to establish a
modern automated system including a central medical emergency call room to
control and direct ambulances. This will improve coordination of services,
particularly in rural areas, saving effort and funds, and guarantee universal
high standards.
MCIT and the Ministry of Health are also working together to establish a
surveillance network to gather epidemiological information and monitor
laboratory capacity in order to enable isolation of certain diseases. The
network will assist epidemiologists in their work and enable the rapid
dissemination of information, which will significantly facilitate disease
control. Using cancer as a model, the focus at the current stage is on
assisting the National Cancer Registry.
Objectives:
To
improve the level of healthcare services in
partnership with the Ministry of
Health
|
|
| A. |
Creating knowledge networks to support decision-making by health authorities
and health managers
|
|
|
| B. |
Supporting the integration of ICT infrastructure in the public health
management system
|
|
|
To
boost information dissemination and knowledge
acquisition for the development and improvement
of public health
|
|
| A. |
Developing the infrastructure necessary for secure transmission of patient data
in compliance with international EMR standards and laws for data and identity
protection |
|
|
| B. |
Promoting the integration of and access to ICT in medical assistance and
development services provided to the public |
|
|
To
assist in reducing the cost and increasing the
efficiency of public health services across the
country
|
|
| A. |
Promoting telemedicine and online health services |
|
|
| B. |
Developing the capacity of medical professionals to utilize ICT to deliver
improved public health services |
|
|
| C. |
Conducting research and development activities on the use of technology to
assist the health sector |
|
|
e-Content
The digital content industry encompasses the creation, design, management and
distribution of digital products and services and the technologies that
underpin these activities. It comprises companies producing traditional
content, media and entertainment, software and multimedia, and electronic
hardware and telecommunications services. Convergence among these sectors is
being led in large part by the rapid growth in ICTs, the Internet and broadband
fixed and wireless access, which are driving demand for the electronic
distribution of content.
Egypt’s business environment has a number of important strengths that
facilitate the development of a sustainable competitive digital content
industry. Strong skills have been developed in a number of digital content
sectors, in particular e-learning, culture and entertainment. Aware that
e-content production is a key step in the establishment of a knowledge society,
MCIT has led the way to establishing an e-content industry in Egypt through its
Arabic e-content initiative. This initiative aims to enhance the
competitiveness of the Egyptian e-content industry by supporting the
production, use and distribution of Arabic digital content on global networks.
Given the lack of Arabic content on the Internet, this industry will provide
significant export opportunities as Arabic content-producing businesses
develop.
In order to realize these goals, MCIT has entered into partnership with various
international corporations, the Ministry of Culture, the National Information
Center as well as local enterprises involved in content creation, development
and conversion, web hosting, data security, and e-commerce and e-payment
services
The initiative has developed content in many categories. The digitizing of
material from the National Library and Archives of Egypt, books from Egyptian
publishers, material from the National Theater and media from news agencies. It
has also developed portals focusing on news, entertainment, and science and
technology.
The Arabic e-books and software initiative aims to enhance literary and
artistic tradition in Egypt. A partnership between MCIT, the Egyptian
Publishers’ Union and the e-Learning and Application Union, this initiative has
developed a sustainable economic model for content developers and publishers
using Internet portals. This model facilitates the propagation of Arabic
literary output and Arab thought in international libraries and bookshops by
reducing potential publishing monopolies.
MCIT has also embarked on availing community content. This includes the
community development portal www.kenanaonline.com, which aims to enable groups
of citizens in cities and rural areas to use IT tools to obtain the knowledge
necessary to improve their lives. Content is provided by communities, including
NGOs, research institutions and local companies, to address local needs.
Objectives:
To
develop a world-class, high-value Arabic digital
content industry and the required Arabic
applications as a base for economic and social
development
|
|
| A. |
Supporting universities, research centers, centers of excellence and companies
in developing research and development capabilities in support of digital
content
|
|
|
| B. |
Increasing the efforts to encourage the creation and sustain the flow of local
community digital content addressing issues of socioeconomic development |
|
|
To
increase the level and accessibility of Arabic
online digital content
|
|
| A. |
Expanding broadband capacity and ensuring its availability country-wide |
|
|
| B. |
Expanding the electronic documentation of Egypt’s cultural heritage and its
accessibility |
|
|
To
create an environment conducive to the
sustainable production of Arabic online digital
content
|
|
| A. |
Developing an economic model based on revenue sharing between content providers
and Internet service providers |
|
|
| B. |
Supporting development of the skills required for the e-content industry |
|
|
| C. |
Increasing legal protection for digital intellectual property through the
introduction of legislation on theft of proprietary information |
|
|
ICT
for Government
While MCIT led the introduction of e-government in Egypt and the extension of
ICT into public services, this responsibility was shifted to the Ministry of
State for Administrative Development in 2004. Nonetheless, MCIT remains
commited to enhancing the use of ICT on many fronts, including the health
sector. Today, as a general mandate, MCIT supports other ministries in their
ICT-related advancement programs and is currently acting as the ICT consultancy
house for the government. MCIT’s activities in this regard include establishing
partnernerships with multinational corporations working in ICT through frame
agreements and negotiating IT licensing schemes and application packages on
behalf of the government.
MCIT has signed 40 protocols with other ministries and their affiliate
organizations since 2001 for collaborative work and support, and has worked on
a number of initiatives, among them infrastructure and capacity-building
projects, to implement these protocols. Following its involvement since 2000 in
a number of pilot projects serving various government entities, the ministry is
now moving into the implementation of national mega-projects. These include the
automation of the Land Registration System, a project that seeks to digitize
all land data and maps in Egypt in order to simplify registration procedures.
Objectives:
To
provide the necessary technical support to the
GoE in issues pertaining to ICT and find
cost-effective ICT solutions to support the GoE
in national projects
|
|
| A. |
Building competence within MCIT to provide consultancy for the GoE on issues
pertaining to ICT |
|
|
| B. |
Facilitating the provision of government services to citizens C. Maximizing the
use of post offices to provide public services D. Surveying government needs to
determine ICT-related requirements |
|
|
To
liaise on behalf of the GoE in issues involving
systems software and application
|
|
| A. |
Helping reduce levels of ICT piracy in Egypt |
|
|
| B. |
Establishing partnerships with multinationals in the ICT sector to provide
cost-effective solutions addressing the requirements of the GoE |
|
|
| C. |
Increasing legal protection for application and system software in Egypt |
|
|
|
|
Related
Documents
|
|
|
|
| Egypt's Information Society
|
|
|
|
|
An outline of the initiatives implemented to bolster Egypt's transition into a
fully-fledged information society while simultaneously addressing internal
development issues through R&D, total domestic e-Access as well as the
implementation of adaptable regulatory procedures in order to attract foreign
investment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Published :
|
Dec 2003
|
|
Updated :
|
April 2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Egypt’s Vision of the Information Society |
|
|
|
|
The document outlines Egypt's vision of building the Information Society and
bridging the digital divide together with a closer look at the country's
Egyptian Information Society Initiative (EISI), structured around seven major
tracks: e-readiness, e-learning, e-government, e-business, e-health, e-culture
and ICT export initiative.
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Published :
|
May 2005
|
|
Updated :
|
Oct 2005
|
|
|
|
|
Introduction
ICT Sector
Reform
ICT for Development
Innovation
and ICT Industry Development
Conclusion
|