The IIOE Egypt National Centre's Story Behind its"Pioneer Award"
In front of a large screen in a classroom at Ain Shams University, a teacher is demonstrating how to design a blended learning course using open digital tools. Learners watch attentively—some following along on their devices, others taking notes as the screen's visuals shift and update. Here is a glimpse of the IIOE Egypt National Centre.
Scenes like this capture a powerful shift taking place across Egyptian higher education. They symbolize a nationwide transformation—from traditional classrooms to digital, intelligent, and globally connected learning environments.
Classroom Scenes at Ain Shams University Since 2022, Ain Shams University has led efforts to advance a nationwide digital teaching system, moving faculty development into a certification-based model. By 2023, digital and blended learning models had spread across the national higher education network, embedding competency-based training at the core and cultivating a digitally capable teaching workforce. At the heart of this transformation is the IIOE Egypt National Centre, jointly established by the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) and Ain Shams University. Under the leadership of Prof. Mona Abdel-Aal Elzahry and with strong institutional support, Egypt is advancing higher education digitalization in a systematic and networked way.
From One University to a Nationwide Movement
Egypt's drive to digitize higher education stems from an urgent need to modernize its learning ecosystem. On one hand, automation and the digital economy have reshaped the job market, demanding universities update curricula to meet new skill requirements. On the other, traditional teaching models have faced limitations in resources and resilience—challenges that Ain Shams University sought to address through online learning initiatives. To ensure students gain the competencies needed for modern society, the higher education system began shifting toward blended and competency-based teaching. In this context, Ain Shams University took the lead in co-launching the IIOE alongside UNESCO-ICHEI, together with 14 institutional partners and 9 enterprise partners in 2019，initiating digital learning projects with UNESCO-ICHEI. At the time, digital education was still a new concept in Egypt—but Prof. Mona Abdel-Aal foresaw that it would spark not only a technological upgrade, but a profound pedagogical transformation. Two years later, the IIOE Egypt National Centre was officially established as IIOE's national hub in Egpyt, providing comprehensive support for faculty training, course co-development, and quality enhancement. By March 2023, it had become a key platform for national policy dialogue on digital higher education, hosting events such as the Egyption Digital Leadership Symposium, which brought together policymakers, university leaders, and industry partners to explore future pathways. IIOE Egypt National Centre Team with UNESCO-ICHEI Representative
From its beginnings as a single university to today's national network, the IIOE Egypt National Centre has progressively developed an integrated framework connecting training, curriculum innovation, and policy collaboration. As Prof. Mona Abdel-Aal Elzahry observed: Our partnership with UNESCO-ICHEI has evolved from a simple collaboration into a strategic, symbiotic alliance—a shared vision for advancing educational modernization and digital capacity building across the region. ——Mona Abdel-Aal Elzahry
Making Educational Transformation "Come Alive"
In 2025, the IIOE Egypt National Centre received the BGI·2025 IIOE Higher Education Digital Pioneer Award, recognizing its systematic and scalable achievements and marking the moment when Egypt's educational transformation truly "came alive". To date, more than 3137 teachers across Egypt have received training through the IIOE platform. Among them, 4 IIOE Micro-Certification Courses for Higher Education Workforce Digital Competency Building—covering digital pedagogy, blended learning, data literacy, and foundational AI applications—have been officially incorporated into Ain Shams University's faculty evaluation and promotion framework, becoming a standard part of professional development. The Micro-Certification Project, developed by UNESCO-ICHEI and IIOE, is a capacity building mechanism that empowers higher education workforce through a more flexible approach to learning outcomes and competency certification. Co-developed courses This innovative initiative breaks free from the discipline-based constraints of teacher professional development, placing the immediate needs of digital teaching at the forefront of teacher growth. One senior professor reflected:"The meaningful discussions I now have with students surpass anything from my 20 years of traditional lecturing." From initial skepticism toward technology to actively publishing lecture videos and online assessments, this transformation is now unfolding across Egyptian universities. More importantly, the Micro-Certification Project has been formally institutionalized and embedded into university management processes, becoming a sustainable mechanism for teaching and learning reform. Consequently, teacher training is no longer a series of isolated events but has become an ongoing part of their professional career development. Micro-certification program orientation session
The Power of Example Crossing Boundaries, Not Professions Prof. Mona Abdel-Aal Elzahry's academic roots lie in public health. In her view, educational reform and public health share the same logic—both emphasize systemic thinking, human-centered approaches, and long-term impact. For her, teacher training and digital education are essential tools to strengthen society’s overall capacity. She does not see her work in faculty development as a career shift, but rather as a new way to contribute to the continuous improvement of the education system. From Projects to Systems Institutionally, the IIOE Egypt National Centre is more than a university collaboration—it is a key implementation hub for national strategies. Its work aligns closely with Egypt's Education 2.0 reform and National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, providing the Ministry of Higher Education with a tangible model for digital transformation in higher education. IIOE Egypt National Centre Team A Cultural Shift Perhaps the most profound transformation has taken place within the teaching culture itself. In the past, many educators were skeptical of digital tools and online learning; now, they record courses, share experiences online, and form teaching communities. Many former trainees have become trainers themselves, establishing "micro-trainings" within their institutions. The Smart Classroom Project is one of UNESCO-ICHEI's flagship initiatives, dedicated to connecting educational technology enterprises to provide pro-bono donations of model digital teaching spaces to higher education institutions in developing countries. Following its establishment, the smart classroom has quickly evolved into a high-quality lecture recording studio, where over 20 courses have been recorded, with online views of lecture content exceeding 100,000. As emphasized by Prof. Sherif Keshk, Assistant to the Egypt Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research for Digital Transformation: One of the project's most significant achievements has been its ability to foster a vibrant culture of innovation and continuous improvement within Egyptian universities. —— Sherif Kishk The Power of a Growing Network 
Another major achievement of the IIOE Egypt National Centre lies in its scaling-up model across the country. Starting from Ain Shams University, trained teachers returned to their institutions to establish "sub-training points", multiplying impact. Through a "demonstrate–replicate–expand" mechanism,universities collaborated to spread digital teaching practices, supported by IIOE's unified platform and resources.
Today, the Centre's network spans 21 public universities, 2 national universities, and 1 private university, forming a nationwide learning community. This growth has not been driven by directives from above, but by a combination of teacher enthusiasm, policy support, and international cooperation. "Through IIOE, we are not only building teachers' capacity—we are building a community of continuous learning and shared growth." This expanding network gives the "Pioneer Award" its deeper meaning: it recognizes not just individual excellence, but the living vitality of system-wide innovation.
Looking Ahead: The Path of a Pioneer
Building on Egypt's digital foundation and AI advancements, Prof. Abdel-Aal has outlined a forward-looking vision:
- Developing interdisciplinary micro-certificate courses such as AI + Medicine, AI + Engineering, and AI + Sustainable Agriculture; - Establishing a National Digital Teaching Talent Development Framework; - Creating a lifelong learning ecosystem that supports Egypt's Education 2.0 and national AI strategies. Egypt's "pioneer" status lies not only in taking the first steps, but in enabling others to move forward together. Its story demonstrates that digital education reform is not a distant ideal—but a realizable pathway through localized, collaborative action. Back in that bright smart classroom, the scene is no longer unique. Across Egypt, teachers now confidently use digital whiteboards, students engage in interactive discussions, and online and offline resources weave together into a new learning ecosystem. "We ultimately aim for the IIOE Egypt National Centre to become the nation's primary engine for digital teaching talent development, creating a definitive hub for digital lifelong learning. Our hope is to ensure that Egyptian higher education is not just keeping pace with the global digital economy but is actively shaping it, preparing every Egyptian student to be an innovator and leader." — Prof. Mona Abdel-Aal Elzahry This is the true meaning of being a "pioneer": not recognition alone, but the spark of ongoing collaboration and growth. From a single classroom at Ain Shams University, Egypt's educational innovation continues to expand—across the nation, and outward to the Global South.
