President El-Sisi Witnesses the 3rd Medical Conference on the Armed Forces College of Medicine

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi witnessed the opening session of the 3rd Medical Conference of the Armed Forces College of Medicine, which was held at Al-Safwa International Conference Center at the Strategic Command headquarters in the New Capital.

The event was attended by Prime Minister Dr. Moustafa Madbouly; Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense and Military Production Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher; Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Lieutenant General Ahmed Khalifa; Minister of Health and Population Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar; in addition to the world-renowned cardiac surgeon Dr. Magdi Yacoub, along with a number of ministers, Armed Forces commanders, and scientists.

Spokesman for the Presidency Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said the session commenced with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. Then, Director of the Armed Forces College of Medicine, Major General Doctor Ashraf Mohie Mohammed, delivered a speech, followed by a documentary film highlighting 'the achievements and developments in the educational process and medical training at the faculty.’

The program also included a speech by Dr. Magdi Yacoub, followed by a lecture by Dr. Wassim El-Sissy on the history of Egyptian medicine. This was followed by a documentary film titled "From Foundation to Leadership," and a speech by Director of the Armed Forces Medical Services Department, Major General Doctor Tamer Mansour Ayed, on "The Role of the Medical System in the Armed Forces and Its Contribution to Assisting the Civil Sector." After that, Minister of Health and Population Dr. Abdel Ghaffar delivered a speech on the developments in Egypt's health sector since 2014. During the session, speeches were also delivered by Pediatric Surgery Expert at Ege University in Turkey, Dr. Zafer Dokumcu, and CEO of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dr. Kieran Ryan.

The session also witnessed the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Armed Forces College of Medicine and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The protocol was signed by Director of the Armed Forces College of Medicine, Major General Doctor Ashraf Mohie, and CEO of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dr. Kieran Ryan.

At the end of the opening session, the President delivered remarks in which he extended congratulations on the convening of the 3rd Armed Forces Medical Conference, confirming that the state is steering in the right direction to achieve our vision, and emphasizing that Allah the Almighty will reward all these hard efforts with success.

President El-Sisi noted that he has a grand dream of developing the education and health sectors, as they are the primary drivers of progress in any nation. The President emphasized that if we want Egypt to regain its position, priority must be given to health and education. In this context, President El-Sisi pointed out that the state exerted tremendous efforts in 2013 and 2014 in both sectors; however, the challenges were so immense that those efforts were not sufficiently felt. The President explained that the scale of spending from 2014 to 2026 has been substantial, as noted by Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar in his speech. President El-Sisi asserted that the state prioritizes not merely the number of facilities and graduates, but also merit and quality, adding that this focus drove the state to establish twinning agreements with world-class universities and hospitals to leverage their expertise and rapidly elevate Egyptian capabilities and skills.

In this regard, President El-Sisi stressed that signing the cooperation protocol between the Armed Forces College of Medicine and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland represents one of the steps taken by the state, not just the Armed Forces, to guarantee merit. The President reaffirmed the state's focus on human development across all fields and sectors.

Regarding the Armed Forces College of Medicine, the President noted that a large number of civilians applied to join this year. Therefore, a plan was developed to expand upon this initiative by establishing six new faculties at Kayan University in the fields of Medicine, Dentistry, Physical Therapy, Pharmacy, Engineering, and Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence. President El-Sisi said these disciplines represent the most advanced fields, adding that the state is actively seeking to forge twinning agreements between these faculties and their prestigious foreign counterparts. The President noted that Kayan University will have a capacity of approximately 25,000 students.  

The President emphasized that for the state to deliver high-quality healthcare as envisioned, it would require a budget at least double or triple the current healthcare allocation. In this context, President El-Sisi noted that providing healthcare to citizens, or to anyone seeking refuge in Egypt, is a matter that carries not only economic dimensions, but also moral, humanitarian, and religious ones.

The President directed “Tahya Misr Fund” to cover the tuition costs for outstanding gifted students to attend Kayan University, provided they maintain their academic excellence.

In the same context, the President stated that Kayan University will be inaugurated in February 2027. President El-Sisi called upon parents and students to take full advantage of the carefully tailored programs offered by these faculties. The President directed the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research to consider allowing the top ten high school (Thanaweya Amma) graduates to transfer to Kayan University's faculties. In this regard, The President noted that Egypt will not settle for less than having ten thousand Magdi Yacoubs, as this iconic role model inspires us to examine the foundation of his excellence and instill those principles in our young generation.

The President noted his pleasure regarding the upcoming inauguration of Kayan University, as well as another new university along Ain Sokhna Road in March 2027, whose name has yet to be determined. Both the President and the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research pointed out that work is underway to develop eight universities into world-leading institutions across all aspects, including facilities, academic standards, and digitalization, confirming that the state will make significant strides if major progress is achieved in the health and education sectors. 

Regarding the educational system and its link to the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf), the President directed the Prime Minister, as well as the Ministries of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Health and Population, Justice, Endowments, and Education and Technical Education, to establish a reliable, recognized legal framework to encourage and incentivize educational endowments (Awqaf) within a disciplined, institutional structure.

At the conclusion of his remarks, President El-Sisi underscored the importance of continuous communication between officials and citizens to highlight state efforts across all sectors, reassuring the public that Egypt is, by God’s grace, on the right track toward achieving its target goals. The President emphasized that the progress of nations spans decades, requiring a clear action plan, diligent follow-up, robust political will, stability, and continuity.