Egypt Ranks Fourth Globally for UK Transnational Education
Khadamaty-New
Egypt is strengthening its global education footprint, after ranking fourth worldwide in UK transnational education (TNE) and showcasing a leadership role in digital higher education transformation during the Going Global 2025 conference in London.
A delegation from Egypt, led by Mohammed Aymen Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, attended the forum — held from 28–30 October at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster — to debate the future of tertiary education under the theme “Resilience, Values, Innovation: Surviving and Thriving in a Volatile World.” The theme resonates with Egypt’s own national reforms aimed at creating a technology-driven, inclusive higher education system aligned with its Vision 2030 agenda.
According to a report by UUKi, Egypt moved up from fifth to become the 4th-largest host of UK TNE arrangements globally, with more than 32,000 students enrolled in 2023/24 — a 13 % year-on-year increase and a 63.5 % rise since 2019/20. Egypt now accounts for nearly 5 % of all UK TNE placements worldwide, placing it immediately behind China, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
The participating Egyptian delegation included senior officials from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Supreme Council of Universities and leading Egyptian universities, signalling Egypt’s emergence as a regional hub for digital transformation in higher education and flexible learning pathways. In addition to the main conference sessions, the delegation hosted an event titled “Scaling Digital Higher Education in Egypt: Rapid Insights from Government, Industry and Universities.” That session featured the launch of a report analysing Egypt’s digital higher education ecosystem and underscored how the “Digital Egypt” strategy, the Egyptian Knowledge Bank and the National Strategy for Higher Education 2025–2030 are changing the landscape of tertiary learning.
Speakers highlighted how Egypt’s model of TNE collaboration and its expanding digital infrastructure are strengthening partnerships with UK institutions and enhancing access to quality education. The conference also featured panels on gender equality in higher education, industry-academia linkages and digital learning innovations. Egypt’s advancement in digital education reform is backed by its growing e-learning market, valued at roughly USD 875 million, with uptake driven by AI integration, mobile learning and international partnerships.
As Minister Ashour remarked: “We are proud that Egypt now ranks fourth globally as a host of UK transnational education. This milestone reflects our steady growth in student enrolments and the expanding confidence of international partners in Egypt’s higher-education system.” The new global ranking and leadership role come as Egypt accelerates investment in digital transformation and education innovation.
