The Cairo Initiative
Investing in Egypt’s Development
June 2010
OVERVIEW
Inves
In his June 2009 Cairo speech, President Obama announced his vision for a new
direction in the United States’ engagement with the Muslim world, to include
support for workforce strengthening and human capacity building through
enhanced exchange, training and scholarship programs, as well as through the
promotion of science and technology advancements and entrepreneurship.
I
In pursuit of President Obama’s vision, shared by Egypt’s leadership,
USAID/Egypt designed cross-sectoral activities under the rubric of the “Cairo
Initiative”. It focuses on six areas that foster new opportunities for the Egyptian
population and strengthen the ties between the U.S. and Egypt.
“Education and innovation will be the
currency of the 21st century.” President
Barack Obama
Total Investments in Egypt’s Human
Capital Development:
$217Million
FOR FISCAL YEARS 2009-2010
The following are USAID's planned
workforce development and human
capacity building activities:
Science and Technology: $71M
Centers for Excellence in Science and Math
Secondary Schools; US-Egypt Science Year
Private and Public Sector Training: $60M
School Leader Fellows; Civil Leader
Internships; Short-term Internships; Shortterm Leadership Training; Professional
Development for Teacher’s Training; Capacity
Decentralization Training; Health Sector
Training: Focus on Nurses; Education Reform
Scholarships and Higher Education: $59M
AUC LEAD and New Scholarship Program;
Master’s Degrees in Economic Reform,
Education and Health; MBA’s for Health Care
Providers and Administrators, US Science
and Technology PhD’s
Work Skills Development: $9.5M
Agricultural and Industrial Technical
Schools; Entrepreneurship Support
Program
Youth Employability: $17.5M
Career Centers; Youth Centers;
ACCESS English Language; Youth
Activities
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TARGET AREAS
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
USAID will partner with Egyptian institutions to provide Egyptian students with
opportunities for quality education in Science and Technology. In collaboration
with selected governorates, USAID will transform existing educational facilities
into preparatory and secondary schools of excellence. These schools will serve
as incubators to prepare gifted students to pursue higher education degrees in
the fields of science and mathematics.
PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR TRAINING ACTIVITIES
USAID will fund short- and long-term training opportunities in Egypt and the
United States for Egyptian middle managers. Training will address the gap in
leadership and management skills, which is a primary constraint to improving
institutional performance in Egypt.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND HIGHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
USAID will fund scholarships for Egyptians to attend local and American-based
Universities to obtain their Master’s, MBA and PhD level degrees in the areas of
Economic Reform, Science and Technology, Education and Health. Such a
cadre of graduates will support workforce development within the Egyptian
government and the private sector.
WORK SKILLS DEVELOPMENT: TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
USAID will finance activities that include literacy, numeracy, technical and
vocational elements. In order to better match the supply and demand of skilled
labor, USAID will expand its support for Agricultural Technical Schools into Lower
Egypt and the Delta; likewise, USAID will support improvements in the quality of
Industrial Technical Schools.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Working with both private and public sector Egyptian stakeholders, USAID will
promote the establishment of a business-friendly enabling environment and the
development of entrepreneurial skills. Emphasis is placed on small and mediumsized firms with the potential for rapid growth and job creation. Areas of
intervention will include access to finance, business-related training, research
and development, and innovation.
YOUTH EMPLOYABILITY
USAID will support a comprehensive skills training and job placement program to
improve the employability of Egyptian youth. Training focused on enhancing
literacy and numeracy skills and English language proficiency, as will develop
technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills of unemployed youth.
For more information, contact the USAID/Egypt Public Outreach Office at tel: (202) 2522-6557 or visit http://egypt.usaid.gov