President of Mansoura University Presents its Experience as a Productive University at the Arab Universities Twinning Forum in the Sultanate of Oman

Prof. Cherif Khater: The Shift Towards a Productive University Represents an Investment in the Future and a Gateway to Integrating Education with the National Economy

Prof. Cherif Khater, President of Mansoura University, presented a keynote research paper at the Third Arab Universities Twinning Forum, organized by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) in cooperation with Sohar University in the Sultanate of Oman, under the theme "The Productive University," held from November 12-13, 2025.

The paper provided a detailed overview of the pillars of the shift towards a productive university, showcasing Mansoura University's pioneering experience. The aim was to enhance cooperation and integration among Arab higher education institutions and to build an Arab model for productive universities that contributes to supporting the knowledge economy and achieving national development visions in Arab countries.

The second day's events were attended by Her Excellency Dr. Rahma bint Ibrahim Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation of the Sultanate of Oman; His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO); Dr. Hamdan bin Sulaiman Al Fazari, President of Sohar University; and a number of university presidents and representatives of Arab and regional organizations and bodies concerned with scientific research and sustainable development.

During his presentation, Prof. Cherif Khater highlighted the factors that have established Mansoura University as one of the most prominent institutions of higher education in Egypt and the Arab world. He showcased its human resources, advanced research, medical, and community capabilities, as well as its distinguished infrastructure and logistical resources. He emphasized that the university is the first Egyptian public university to receive accreditation from the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education, in addition to its continuous progress in global and local rankings, reflecting its institutional excellence and academic leadership. He added that the university achieved first place in digital transformation among Egyptian universities and won the 2024 Confucius International Literacy Award. It also launched a global digital platform for knowledge and scientific research. Furthermore, Mansoura University's Vertebrate Paleontology Center successfully entered the Guinness World Records, and the university topped the list of Egyptian universities in innovation and governance in the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. It was also among the top four Arab universities in the 2024 QS World University Rankings for Sustainability. He pointed out that the shift towards a productive university represents an investment in the future and a genuine gateway to integrating education with the national economy. He explained that the university is working to transform scientific research into commercially viable products and services by supporting business incubators, adopting smart and sustainable financing, and establishing a university venture capital fund to finance startups resulting from university research, while diversifying capital sources among government funding, the private sector, and entrepreneurs.

The paper also included a detailed presentation of the key aspects of Mansoura University's transformation into a productive university. Prof. Cherif Khater highlighted the university's efforts to strengthen partnerships with industry and the community by supporting applied research projects and funding initiatives with economic value. He also emphasized the university's collaboration with national institutions to produce local tests and vaccines that contribute to achieving self-sufficiency.

The paper reviewed the university's most prominent projects in the fields of innovation and digital transformation. These included the launch of the I-Water project in collaboration with the University of Cologne in Germany to promote integrated water resources management in Egypt, the establishment of the "Intilaq" company as a pioneering model for transforming specialized units into productive companies, and the "Beit Mansoura Engineering Consulting" company. Furthermore, it highlighted the launch of the "Knowture" digital platform, which offers advanced online postgraduate programs and training, thus reinforcing the university's position as a productive and innovative academic institution.

Prof. Cherif Khater concluded his presentation with several practical proposals to enhance the Arab transformation towards productive universities. These included establishing an Arab network for technological twinning and joint funding, creating a unified Arab standard for assessing the market readiness of patents, allocating a percentage of the scientific research budget as venture capital for researchers' and students' projects, and launching a joint Arab electronic platform to showcase patents and investment opportunities to the private sector.

The second day featured several specialized dialogue sessions that discussed mechanisms for transforming universities into productive institutions capable of contributing to the knowledge economy and sustainable development. This would be achieved by leveraging the outputs of scientific research and developing partnerships with the industrial sector.

The sessions also addressed working papers presented by several Arab and international countries. These papers included case studies of productive universities and strategies for partnerships between higher education institutions and the industrial sector. Discussions also covered current challenges and mechanisms for building a comprehensive Arab model for the productive university.

The forum concluded with a closing session that addressed key recommendations and future proposals for strengthening integration among Arab universities and activating cooperation in the fields of scientific research, innovation, and sustainable development.