Talks Continue with Egypt for Potential Partnering Opportunities
Sedki Riad, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of
VT-MENA Program, has been working with CRaDIE and OERO
(Office of Educational Research and Outreach) to broaden
Virginia Tech’s activities in Egypt. In 2006, CRaDIE and OERO
joined together to write a white paper “Fostering Interactive
Teaching and Learning with ICT,” which Riad took to Egypt
for discussion. As a result a proposal, “Educator Exchange
Workshops (E2W): Reforming Instructional Practice through
Interactive Teaching and Learning” was written. No action
has been taken on this proposal as yet.
In February 2007, CRaDIE responded to the Democracy
Initiatives Program Announcement (DIPA) from the U.S.
Department of State for capability statements for the Middle
East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). Partnering with Legacy
International, a non-governmental organization (NGO)
located in Lynchburg but with experience in the international
arena, and Futures Alumni, a NGO based in Cairo, Egypt,
with nationally recognized expertise in program development
and outreach. CRaDIE submitted a capability statement for
Egypt that focused on developing leadership skills among
youth and civic education. In April, the Center was notified
that it had been accepted to receive grants until 2010, based
on regional or country-specific interest and needs as
determined by the U.S. Government. The award pool is up to
three million dollars.
Riad and John Burton hosted Dr. Galal Said, President of
Fayoum University, and Dr. Abdallah Bazaraa, Director of
Egyptian Cultural & Educational Bureau in DC, for a campus
visit on May 7, 2007. They were interested in exploring
collaboration efforts in Education among other areas. As a
result of that visit, Burton traveled to Egypt to meet with
various parties to determine mutual interests.
Despite Cairo traffic and taxi rides that Burton claims were “nothing like it in my experience,” he met with the President
of MUST (Misr University for Science and Technology), who is
planning to establish a college of humanities, including a
school of education.
.
He is interested in help from Virginia Tech to design
curriculum and to train instructors in current pedagogy. The
new college has passed his board, and Burton says, “We are
now talking.”
As a result of discussions with the Egyptian Minister of Higher
Education and many of his undersecretaries about a new
education thrust involving student centered, interactive,
problem-based, technology infused education, a grant “Modern Schools for Egypt: A Proposal for a Model Teacher
Preparation Program Offered to the Education Development
Fund” was submitted.
While in Egypt, Burton visited one of the Futures Schools, run
by a NGO that is a partner of CRaDIE. In this private,
technology centered school every student had a computer,
every class had a smartboard that the teachers used;
lessons, homework, grades, etc. were available on-line and
by cell phone. Burton said, “It was the best whole school
integration of technology I've seen. The head of the system
is interested in courses to train the trainers so that all of his
schools American, International, German, etc.) can go
technology heavy.”
Burton met with faculty of Alexandria University and later its
president, Dr. Hassan Nadir Kheirallah. They discussed
collaborative programs to market within and outside of Egypt
to other Arab nations. On July 16, Dr. Kheirallah came to
Virginia Tech for further discussions. At this writing, the last
proposal has been re-submitted with a revised budget.
John manages to get away to enjoy the pyramids in Egypt. “It was the best whole school
integration of technology I’ve seen.