Egypt fell among the countries with the lowest rates of expenditure on research and development relative to its gross domestic product (GDP) worldwide, standing at 0.7 percent, according to the UNESCO Science Report. Although Egypt’s gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) as a percentage of its GDP increased between 2009 and 2013, this ratio still remains low in comparison to worldwide trends. Furthermore, many universities in Egypt and the Arab region do not have research requirements in place. “Many students and faculty members do not conduct research and only a few actually publish in refereed journals listed by the Web of Science or Scopus or have international contacts,” the report states. “Many Arab universities are simply not research universities.” Nonetheless, the number of scientific publications increased from 2,919 in 2005 to reach 8,424 in 2014. The report also states that medical and health services comprise the largest group of researchers – “a reflection of the country’s priorities.” According to the report, Egypt and other countries in the region are not lacking in human resources but rather in investment into research, education and development. “Together with Egypt and Sudan, the Mashreq…
