NIGSD, Cairo University sign MoU to develop entrepreneurship

Egypt relies on encouraging entrepreneurship to stimulate creativity and innovation, says Hala El-Said

The National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD) and Cairo University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop Egypt’s entrepreneurship sector.

The MoU will see the NIGSD, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development’s training arm, and the Business Incubator of Cairo University’s Faculty of Economics and Political Science collaborate in supporting and developing human capacity building and entrepreneurship.

Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala El-Said, who is also Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at the NIGSD, emphasised that investing in the human element is one of the Egyptian Government’s most important priorities. She noted that this is because it forms the basis of construction and development nationwide.

El-Said said that the development of human resources has become a basic pillar for achieving comprehensive future development.

This comes particularly as the human element has been able to prove it is the main and effective element in every development plan, making training and qualification of utmost priority.

The minister also said that encouraging entrepreneurship is one of the main gateways that the Egyptian state relies on to stimulate creativity and innovation. It also helps achieve economic development and increase and create job opportunities, in a way that promotes youth empowerment and benefits their creative capabilities.

She added that the MoU comes from the full awareness in the importance of cooperation between institutions aiming to support the process of human and sustainable development.

El-Said pointed out the importance of the role the NIGSD plays in the formation, qualification, and upgrading of youth knowledge and skills in all fields. It intends to enable them to efficiently and effectively manage state resources, and achieve sustainable development by Egypt’s Vision 2030.

The minister emphasised the distinguished position of Cairo University’s Business Incubator in supporting development initiatives aimed at achieving sustainable human development. It does so by supporting the ideas of young entrepreneurs.

For her part, NIGSD Executive Director Sherifa Sherif said that the areas of cooperation defined by the MoU are joint support for the process of sustainable human development and entrepreneurship.

The joint support process takes place through designing and implementing training programmes in areas of mutual interest between the two parties. These cover entrepreneurship, digital transformation, project management, sustainable development, and governance.