Professor Lu Wei, Dean of Beijing Jiaotong University's School of Software Engineering, described to the academics, officials and students assembled at the Egyptian Chinese University (ECU) in Cairo how the Internet has changed lifestyles worldwide, especially in China.

"There is no industry or profession in the world that is not connected to the Internet today," he said.

Trade, education, shopping - everything is done online. "Today's youth in China are called the Internet generation," he said. "They turn to the Internet to resolve all their problems because they rely on the Internet as a way of thinking - not independently thinking. I expect Egypt to become more like China."

Lu and his delegation were in Cairo in May to sign a cooperation initiative with the ECU, the first Chinese university in the North Africa. The partnership will result in Beijing Jiaotong University providing training in software engineering to ECU students.

The collaboration falls within the China-Egypt cooperation framework and China's efforts to promote an e-Silk Road. The goal is to transfer high-end technology to countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative to boost economic growth.

"The Chinese Government wishes to work with Egypt to realize industrialization," Lu said, citing China's expertise in manufacturing bullet trains and information technology engineering. Software technology is a core part of China's industries.

The new initiative will also offer ECU students the opportunity to gain scholarships and travel to China for short-term study and training at large software companies. At the end of a five-year course, students will graduate with two certificates, one from the ECU and the other from Beijing Jiaotong University.

Joint expertise

The ECU has a history of cooperation with Chinese educational institutions.

In February 2013, former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi issued a decree to establish the ECU as part of a 10-year higher education plan. The vision was to set up 60 universities which would produce graduates with improved skills to contribute to a knowledge-based economy.

The ECU was born in Cairo out of collaboration between Egypt's Institute of International Education, which provided the infrastructure, and China's Liaoning University, which contributed the curricula and accreditation.

Dr. Karima AbdelKereem, ECU Chairperson, said the university was built to develop Egypt in industry, trade and agriculture through high-end technology. "The ECU is one of the strongest software engineering universities [in Egypt]," she said.

The first classes started in September 2016 with just the faculty of engineering and technology. The presidential decree had envisioned three more: economics and international trade; physical therapy; and pharmacy and medical technology. Next year, three more faculties will be added. The ECU also has a training hospital.

"The cooperation with China will open up different spheres," AbdelKereem said. "I call upon students to apply what they study and benefit their country."

Adel Darwish, Professor of Engineering and Scientific Consultant at the ECU, is enthusiastic about Beijing Jiaotong University's specialization course in transport. "They have offered help in manufacturing trains and also in the field of architecture," he said.

Point of attraction

Students have been drawn to the ECU due to its partnership with China, and the possibility of working there. Mina Hani Attia is an Egyptian engineering student who wants to specialize in mechatronics. "I joined the ECU because of China's success in mechatronics," he said. "And also because of potential opportunities to travel to China," he added.

Sohad Kamaleddin, another engineering student, said she came to know about the ECU while applying for admission to national universities. Like Attia, she too plans to specialize in mechatronics and eventually work in the field of aviation.

In 2015, China completed the first indigenously manufactured jumbo passenger jet, which joined the "big jet club" with manufacturers from France, Brazil and the United States. On May 5, 2017, it consolidated this achievement when their aircraft C919 completed a 79-minute test flight in Shanghai.

Kamaleddin said the ECU has a strong focus on teaching students Mandarin Chinese to better interact with Chinese teachers. It also helps to facilitate their living and working in China when completing scholarships.

Omar Samir, also studying engineering, said he applied to the ECU after coming across their impressive promotional material. "It was a new experiment, and different from the prevailing learn-by-rote system," he said. He especially likes the attention given to practical training.

His fellow student Amr Elsayed Ahmed echoed him. When Ahmed was in high school, one of his friends told him about the ECU; he enrolled because it was a new university with an innovative teaching method that provided more hands-on training.

"The expertise of the teachers will ensure that ECU graduates are able to compete in the job market," he said. The thought of a possible scholarship and receiving training in China was another incentive. Ahmed wants to establish a software company in Egypt after graduation.

Lu said China is good at nurturing students specializing in high-tech software. "Since 2011, China has been able to prepare a new generation of high-level specialists in this technology," he said. "These specialized graduates are in high demand in economic institutions and international companies operating in the software field."

Landing a job

The collaboration will help ECU graduates secure jobs at home, if not in China. The growing numbers of Chinese companies based in Egypt are seeking to recruit local graduates with skills. Technological knowhow and knowledge of the Chinese language substantially increases their chances of gainful employment.

In early May, about 15 Chinese companies based in Egypt, such as agro-industry group New Hope and fiberglass giant Jushi, held a job fair in the Ismailia Province east Cairo, looking to recruit about 300 people. Xinhua News Agency reported that the job fair had received about 1,000 applications.

Zhu Tingting, Director of the Confucius Institute at the Suez Canal University, called it mutually beneficial. "Chinese companies in Egypt cannot grow stronger without Egyptian employees, and building a team of Egyptian professional, qualified and competitive employees is the key to the development of Chinese companies in the Arab country," she told Xinhua. "So it is a win-win situation, as the Egyptians hired to work at Chinese companies will also help Egypt reduce its unemployment rate," she added.

(Reporting from Cairo)