Thursday, 17 August 2017
  • New round of Newton-Mosharafa PhD Scholarships for early career Egyptian researchers.
  • HMA John Casson, British Ambassador in Cairo: “Britain is expanding its role as Egypt's number one partner in education to equip Egypt for 21st century success.”

The British Embassy in Cairo and the British Council have announced a new round of science and research opportunities under the Newton-Mosharafa Fund, the British-Egyptian partnership worth £50m over seven years.

Applications open today and run until 15 October, for the Newton-Mosharafa Fund’s PhD scholarship programme.

The PhD Programme supports Egyptian researchers to do their PhD at UK Higher Education institutions. The programme covers all fees and living/travel expenses. The programme will support both general missions (full degree scholarships 3 years), as well as joint supervisions (1-2 year placements at a UK university as part of their Egyptian PhD).

The Newton-Mosharafa Fund was established in 2014 with the aim of developing close collaboration between the British and Egyptian science and innovation sectors. Worth £50m over seven years (shared between UK and Egyptian governments), the Fund focuses on five main areas identified by the Egyptian government as priorities for Egypt’s long-term sustainable development: sustainable water management, renewable energy, sustainable food production, archaeological and cultural heritage, and affordable and inclusive healthcare.

128 Egyptian scholars have already been awarded educational grants that have allowed them to study in the UK.

Jeff Streeter, Director British Council Egypt, said: “These PhD scholarships will change lives not just of the scholars but all the Egyptian people that will benefit from their research. The Newton-Mosharafa PhD scholarship programme provides for the best and the brightest of early career Egyptian researchers a chance to benefit from world class British universities and will help strengthen the ties between the UK and Egyptian research sectors, supporting Egypt’s great ambitions in science as expressed during the recent National Science Day”

HMA John Casson, British Ambassador in Cairo said: “Britain is expanding its role as Egypt's number one partner in education to equip Egypt for 21st century success. That’s why the U.K aims to be Egypt’s number one education partner just as it is the number one foreign investor. And that’ why UK and Egyptian governments are together investing EGP1bn in the Newtown-Mosharafa science partnership. Whether it is research to turn shrimp shells into biodegradable bags to protect the environment or to preserve Egyptian maritime archaeological sites through virtual reality, Newton-Mosahrafa is a great British investment in Egypt’s future.”

Interested researchers can learn more about all of these opportunities and how to apply by visiting Newton-Mosharafa page.

Notes to Editor

For media enquiries, please contact:

Hend Kamal, Communications Officer, British Council Egypt

Tel: + 20 (2) 3300 644

 Email: hend.kamal@Britishcouncil.org.eg

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. Using the UK’s cultural resources we make a positive contribution to the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we directly reach over 65 million people and more than 660 million people via broadcasts and publications.

Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. The majority of our income is raised delivering a range of projects and contracts in English teaching and examinations, education and development contracts and from partnerships with public and private organisations. Fifteen per cent of our funding is received from the UK government.

The Newton-Mosharafa Fund is £50 million, seven year science and innovation partnership between the UK and Egypt.

About Newton-Mosharafa

The Fund brings together the British and Egyptian scientific research and innovation sectors to find joint solutions to the challenges facing Egypt in economic development and social welfare. Read the Newton Mosharafa Fund brief.

Through Newton-Mosharafa, we will:

build the skills and knowledge of British and Egyptian scientists through training and researcher mobility schemes; support British and Egyptian researchers to develop new innovations and partnerships in development areas; facilitate collaboration between universities and industry to ensure that new research can benefit all in society.

Newton-Mosharafa fund support projects in five priority areas:

Sustainable water management

Renewable energy

Sustainable food production

Archaeology and cultural heritage

Affordable and inclusive healthcare