Higher education reform in Egypt: preparing graduates for Egypt's changing political economy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges facing the higher education system in Egypt particularly in the area of education quality. It builds upon several existing studies conducted in Egypt to make the case for improving education outcomes while analyzing the social, political, and economic ramifications of the current higher education system. Design/methodology/approach Samples were drawn from existing studies conducted in Egypt by experts in the education field. Findings Results suggest that the higher education admissions process should become more competitive thereby limiting the number of enrollments. More resources should be devoted towards higher education with a particular emphasis on workforce development and Egypt should seek the help of donor agencies and experts to advise and reform the system. Research limitations/implications The findings were based on existing literature and were not conducted in Egypt which somewhat limited qualitative analysis. Originality/value A contribution is made to the literature as the research reinforces the view that the lack of quality in the higher education system fails to prepare graduates to the workforce and impacts on the social stability of Egypt. By questioning aspects of the current higher education system and calling for more freedom of research and expression, the research raises interesting questions about the impact of closed societies on education systems.