Ambassador Nasser Kamel Joins NGU Board of Trustees

In conjunction with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, Sada El Balad English (SEE) conducted an exclusive interview with Ambassador Nasser Kamel, Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), to understand the impact of the Union on current issues.

Below is the excerpt of the interview.

It has been 11 years since the establishment of the union.. What are the successes and failures that have been witnessed over the years?

It is clear that the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, also known as the Barcelona Process, was created in 1995, yet, it was formally founded in 2008. The set-up of its General Secretariat and the official inauguration came in 2010 to reinforce the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (Euromed).

A rotating co-presidency was set up, held jointly by one EU member and another Mediterranean one. France and Egypt were the first countries to hold this presidency, and currently, Jordan and the EU holds it

We celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, the first mechanism for creating an institutional framework for Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, and over these years there have been successes and failures in the process.

Is the union effective or just a symbolic one?

We share a single region, so we all have cultural, historical, geographical, economic, and finally political dimensions, so there is a necessity to have cooperation and mutual dialogue between neighboring countries.

There is no doubt that the Arab Spring, as well as the economic crisis and political tensions, have affected the pace of cooperation, yet the Union has so far adopted 55 regional projects, amounting to about 5.6 billion euros, including the water desalination plant in the Gaza Strip, which will provide drinking water to nearly 2 million citizens.

The UfM focuses mainly on 6 sectors including business development & employment, higher education research, social, civil Affairs, energy, climate action, transport, urban development, water, as well as environment and blue economy.

Was there a link between the so-called "Arab Spring" and what was happening in the Union in 2010?

Of course, there was a negative impact on the internal stability of the member countries, and indeed it undermined cooperation between the Euro-Mediterranean countries.

The countries of the region are still preoccupied with what is happening as a result of economic, political instability and consequently, this led to the collapse of several countries in the region, including the so-called national state.

Egypt, however, was able to change course on June 30 and restore the national state, achieving economic growth.

The so-called "Arab Spring" was a phase that ended, and the union faced many challenges during that period.

What is the volume of cooperation between Egypt and the UfM?

Choosing a person from Egypt to be the Secretary-General of the Union is a definite indication of the strength and importance of the country within the Union.

Also, the size of the economic, social and political achievements during the last 4 years has made Egypt one of the biggest countries involved in the projects of the union, notably in women empowerment.

The presence of Maya Morsy, President of Egypt's National Council for Women is a good model for empowering women, highlighting Egypt's modern civil state.

Economic studies confirm that the average domestic product of the southern region will increase from 20-25% in the coming years if women actively participate in the economy.

Egypt also participated in a study on climate change and its impact on the region. The study included a group of 80 researchers and scientists from the region to study the impact of the Mediterranean basin and the effects of climate change on the region.

The result came as the Mediterranean region is indeed one of the most affected areas by global warming. Data indicated that the region is the second most affected after the North Pole.

Moreover, Egypt participates in the Mediterranean Initiative for Jobs (Med4Jobs), which includes 13 different projects, including the "Injaz Al Arab" project, creating 37 thousand jobs in Egypt, and about 90 thousand jobs in other countries.

Egypt did not stop there, Today, the Mediterranean country has a success story to tell in the areas of entrepreneurship, e-commerce, and digital platforms, as it has a large number of electronic platforms such as "Otlob", in addition to social platforms for safe transportation.

What about the Federation's role in the problem of illegal immigration?

There is an incompatibility between the countries of the North and the southern Mediterranean regarding the method of dealing with the problem of illegal immigration.

We find that it is one of the main causes of migration in the number of regions of the world, as it is an employment issue, and the Federation works within the framework of how to legally transfer the population. The union does not mainly work on the issue of illegal immigration, it is a political dimension, but we are working on the causes.

What do you think of partnerships with foreign universities and their impact on school rankings?

The presence of foreign universities' branches is a good and desirable approach, and there is no disagreement on this, especially as they are established according to the classification of the parent university.

Good rankings come with the accumulation of years. Currently, we demand an advanced academic level provided by educational services worldwide.

Rankings come according to the number of international awards obtained by graduates of this university or professors and research and the extent to which the labor market receives students after their graduation.

Looking at the years of establishing private universities in Egypt, we will find that they did not exceed 7-10 years, so the idea of ​​ranking should be viewed in a balanced way.

Some universities are keen to have a good educational service for students, at the same time there are universities that have different criteria such as having a Nobel Prize professor to raise the university’s international rankings.

In my opinion, New Giza University (NGU) will be one university that business owners will put an eye on in the future.

Do you think that cooperation with prestigious foreign universities is a reason for this?

NGU provides 3 principal majors and its partnership with the best universities in the world makes it an outstanding university.

When graduates from the university’s medical school graduate have obtained the same curricula, the scientific and academic methodology of the NGU makes the job market thirsty for the experiences of the university graduates, most notably medical ones.

What is your plan after joining the board of trustees of the university?

At the end of the day, any university is an aspiration and a dream for its founders and those in charge of it.

It is clear that the NGU was established to serve the society before any other personal gains or profit.

After I attended my first council with the university, I confirm that its primary goal is to serve the community by providing a distinctive educational service, in addition to the reconstruction of the new capital.

I remember when I visited this university two years ago with the President of the University of Liverpool, who was extremely impressed with this effort and unique design of the building.

Also, the university was able to equip its educational buildings at the highest level, including excellent laboratories and halls and facilities.

I am also a member of the Council of the University of the Mediterranean, which is very similar to the NGU. Both universities have partnerships with the most reputable universities, providing an educational service that will serve the labor market with the finest and most ambitious youth.

Contributed by: Taarek Refaat