Bridging Home and Abroad: Introducing the Dialogue Center for Egyptian Students Abroad

Anyone who has studied abroad or far from home, knows of the importance to feel and stay connected to their home country. Those abroad seem to have a heightened sense of wanting to stay in-the-know, wanting to keep their culture alive and wanting to perhaps eventually return home with something more to offer. 

As such, Egypt’s Ministry of Emigration and Expatriate Affairs officially launched their ‘Ministry of Emigration Dialogue Center for Egyptian Students Abroad’ (MEDCE) initiative on 31 January, 2021. According to a description provided by the Ministry, “The dialogue center aims to become a focal point of communication between Egyptian students abroad and the Ministry of Emigration and Expatriate Affairs. The center will celebrate and provide resources for Egyptian students abroad, highlighting their greatest achievements and providing them with opportunities as well as benefiting from their experience abroad.”

With many Egyptian students opting to venture into their studies abroad, it is only natural that some may feel quite lost and may seek some kind of support – whether that be financially or otherwise. The Ministry of Emigration and Expatriate Affairs understands the importance of providing Egyptian students abroad with the best possible atmosphere to thrive. 

“I believe my experience along with others’ experiences can be regarded as a success story for the Ministry of Emigration’s initiative… it is important to combine all the success stories into a comprehensive strategy, acting as an effective platform to connect and communicate with students abroad. The MEDCE will encourage students’ inclusion, enabling more people to benefit from such great initiatives offered by the ministry of emigration,” expressed Seif Saleh, a King’s College London graduate and employee at the Ministry of Planning. 

Saleh in fact found the initiative and activities associated with it to be so beneficial, to the point that he also co-hosted the official launch event to further express his support. 

While Minister Nabila Makram played a key role in the MEDCE Initiative’s launch event, it was mainly student-led, ultimately highlighting the importance of such an initiative when it comes to the country’s youth.

“As a student who has lived and studied abroad, [the MEDCE] website is a place for me and others like me to add our information and study majors and it helps all students from around the world to connect, share their ideas and be up to date with the correct knowledge about all the new developments happening in Egypt,” explains University of Toronto student Mariam Tarek.

“It also helps all students to participate in internships with different ministries in Egypt, and to keep students in contact with each other and with their own country to concentrate on understanding and getting the knowledge about the right information to what is being developed now in Egypt,” she continues. 

With the constant aim of increasing students’ capacity to develop themselves and reduce their feeling of alienation, MEDCE’s main goal is to bridge any gaps between home and those who are abroad by keeping them connected and in the loop, as well as providing them with potential national investment opportunities.

Some of the activities provided by the initiative include digitally launched workshops, as well as periodic meetings with the various student networks that formed during the launch of the center or happened to exist before.

In addition to this, the center also provides permanent membership for all Egyptian students abroad, all soon to be Egyptian students abroad and alumni; a membership that comes with various benefits including participation in digital and real events in the future, as well as participation in valuable meetings and partnerships with Egyptian decision-makers and experts around the world.

Any Egyptians wanting to register with the MEDCE, including to participate in upcoming activities and access other opportunities, or who simply want to learn more about the initiative can do so by clicking here.