MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Their core work

Egypt's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research serves as the national policy authority governing universities, research centers, and international science cooperation. Within H2020, it acts as Egypt's institutional gateway for EU-Africa and EU-Mediterranean research partnerships, particularly in food security and sustainable agriculture. The Ministry channels funding and coordinates Egyptian participation in large-scale multilateral research initiatives, connecting European researchers with North African and Middle Eastern academic institutions. Its role is fundamentally diplomatic and coordinative — bridging policy frameworks between the EU and the MENA/African research landscape.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

The Ministry's early H2020 engagement (2015-2016) centered on broad science diplomacy and building institutional frameworks — Middle East policy dialogue (MERID) and Mediterranean research agendas (4PRIMA). From 2016 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture, and climate adaptation, with three consecutive projects (LEAP-AGRI, LEAP4FNSSA, FOSC) all targeting EU-Africa food systems. The trajectory shows a move from general R&I cooperation-building toward concrete thematic engagement in agricultural resilience.

Egypt's MHESR is consolidating around food-climate resilience as its primary EU collaboration theme, making it a relevant partner for any Africa-focused food security initiative.

How they like to work

MHESR participates exclusively as a partner — it has never coordinated an H2020 project. It operates in large consortia (91 unique partners across 43 countries), which reflects its role as a national representative rather than a research executor. This is a policy-level partner that provides institutional legitimacy and access to the Egyptian research ecosystem, not hands-on technical contribution.

With 91 unique partners across 43 countries, MHESR has one of the broadest geographic networks relative to its project count, reflecting participation in large multilateral coordination actions spanning Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas.

What sets them apart

MHESR is Egypt's official government body for higher education and research policy, giving it institutional authority that no university or private entity can match for Egypt-EU cooperation. For consortium builders targeting North Africa or the Middle East, MHESR provides direct governmental endorsement and access to Egypt's entire academic and research infrastructure. Its concentrated experience in EU-AU food security partnerships makes it a proven entry point for projects requiring Egyptian or MENA institutional buy-in.

Highlights from their portfolio

• LEAP4FNSSA
  Largest funding (EUR 233K) and most strategically significant — directly supports the long-term EU-AU research partnership on food and nutrition security.
• FOSC
  Most recent project (2019-2025), linking food systems with climate change across Africa, America, and Europe — signals the Ministry's current priority direction.
• MERID
  Represents MHESR's science diplomacy roots — the only project explicitly focused on Middle East R&I dialogue, showing the Ministry's broader geopolitical engagement beyond Africa.