The Global Forum for Higher Education and Scientific Research (GFHS)
The two editions of the Global Forum for Higher Education and Scientific Research 2019 and 2021 (GFHS) was hosted by The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research under the auspices of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at Egypt’s New Administrative Capital.
The forum gathered more than a thousand leaders, influencers, and practitioners from all over the world in the fields of scientific research, innovation, government, higher education, and philanthropy with the intention of conducting insightful action-oriented discussions and obtaining wide-ranging perspectives for the purpose of envisioning the future of higher education and scientific research in a global, interconnected, borderless world context.
Al Alfi Foundation played a key role in the event, assisting the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research with forum organization and logistics in addition to establishing and managing Al Alfi Youth Dome.
During GFHS 2019, Al Alfi Fellows were honored to meet H.E. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in Al Alfi Foundation booth in the presence of Mr. Moataz Al Alfi. The Fellows expressed their willingness to help in building Egypt and shared their enthusiasm for giving back to Egyptian society and contributing to its sustainable development.
In both editions, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research hosted a Youth Dome powered by Al Alfi Foundation. The one-of-a-kind youth event attracted a group of highly esteemed experts and human development specialists as speakers in the fields of career planning, entrepreneurship, innovation, academia, and scientific research. Thousands of university students flocked to the event from governorates across Egypt. They listened to and interacted with over 60 speakers who shared their experience in parallel sessions during the three-day event.
In the 2019 edition, the Dome also hosted an exhibition of some of Egypt’s most exciting startups. Twenty booths were erected to allow them to showcase their projects to inspire and motivate student attendees. They also had the opportunity to explore funding opportunities with venture capitalists and investors and to network with academics and other successful entrepreneurs, comparing experiences and receiving valuable advice. The exhibition also allowed them to meet with ministers and government officials to voice their problems and understand more about government opportunities and plans for different sectors.
In the 2021 edition, Al Alfi Youth Dome hosted a competition for teams with entrepreneurial ideas from different Egyptian national and private universities. The competition promoted creativity, idea generation, and entrepreneurship by recognizing innovative ideas for new products, services, and technology. Twenty teams participated in an exhibition-style showcase where they interacted with different event attendees interested in learning more about their ideas. Each team was provided with a booth in the Youth Talks Dome branded with its logo. Teams were encouraged to use the designated space wisely and effectively to help judges and dome visitors learn about their entrepreneurial idea and engage with them. They also had access to a dynamic, and diverse platform of young entrepreneurs and were able to build connections and become part of a community of young entrepreneurs and business professionals where ideas, information, and support could be exchanged.
The renowned judges were entrepreneurs, experts, university professors, and visionaries who studied all ideas and projects and assessed them according to specific criteria including consistency with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), entrepreneurial vision, feasibility, innovation, communal benefit, and sustainability, among other factors. When the experienced judges voted on their favorite ideas, two teams from Ain Shams University and Mansoura University received equal votes. Each one of the top-ranked ideas received an award of EGP 30,000 in prize money from Al Alfi Foundation.
Overall, the Youth Dome at the GFHS was a resounding success. It not only aligned with the forum’s themes of research, innovation, human development, and education but also furthered Al Alfi Foundation’s vision of nurturing innovation, supporting excellence, and investing in the potential of youth and entrepreneurship.
