Strategic Future Directions for Developing STEM Education in Higher Education in Egypt as a Driver of Innovation Economy

Abstract

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education has been achieving growing international attention. As the world economy is becoming more diversified and dependent on innovation, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills and expertise are progressively more needed for competition and development. Egyptian students are less competitive with other countries in STEM fields. With this new movement in education to focus more on STEM, Egyptian policymakers need to develop strategic future directions for developing STEM education in higher education in Egypt as a driver of innovation economy. The main objective of this paper is to propose strategic future directions for developing STEM education in higher education in Egypt as a driver of innovation economy, to achieve this objective the paper starts by outlining historical perspective regarding the roots of STEM education, and then followed up with the attempt to conceptualize and define the basic terms of the paper. It then outlined the features of STEM education as a national priority, since it is a driver of innovation economy. The contemporary current status of STEM education efforts in Egypt was analyzed by utilizing SWOT analysis. Finally, strategic future directions for developing STEM education in higher education in Egypt were proposed.

Keywords: STEM education, Innovation Economy.