Cairo Gets to Know Saxony

Tea Ahmed has been heading the Saxon Science Liaison Office (SSLO) in Cairo since July 2026. In late September and early October 2026, she visited universities throughout Saxony. The Free State of Saxony is currently expanding its relations with Egypt on many levels, including science, education, and business. The office in Cairo serves as a key point of contact for these efforts. It advises prospective students, supports Universities in establishing partnerships, and facilitates delegations and initiatives that bring Saxony and Egypt together. The long-term goal is to attract qualified young people to pursue their studies and build their professional futures in Saxony. Egyptian universities are also expected to benefit from this, for example through joint degree programs and exchanges in teaching and research. To achieve this, Tea Ahmed needs to be familiar with Saxony’s universities: their profiles, the people driving the collaborations, and the locations where students study and conduct research. She was accompanied by Susanne Fentzel, who, as program coordinator for the Saxony-Egypt higher education partnership, is overseeing the establishment of the office in Saxony.

The SSLO Cairo is part of the network of Saxon Science Liaison Offices. It is supported by the five state-run Saxon universities of applied sciences under the leadership of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. The office is located in the DAAD Regional Office in Cairo and is funded by the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture, and Tourism (SMWK). It combines the recruitment of students with the establishment of long-term university partnerships, ranging from joint degree programs to exchanges in teaching and research. Its services are open to all Saxon universities as well as other institutions in the fields of science, research, and innovation.

Tea Ahmed is the Contact Person in Cairo for prospective students, universities, and institutions. Susanne Fentzel coordinates the office’s work at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and coordinates projects with the universities, the SMWK, and the DAAD.

The trip took us through Leipzig, Dresden, and Chemnitz, as well as Zwickau, Freiberg, Mittweida, and Zittau, visiting both universities and universities of applied sciences. The smaller university towns, in particular, are hardly known in Egypt. Yet they offer what matters most when choosing a place to study: short distances, personalized support, and an environment where you can quickly settle in.

At every stop, the itinerary included meetings with university administrations and international offices, as well as tours of laboratories, workshops, and libraries. In Leipzig, Tea Ahmed met with the university administrations of the universities of applied sciences that support the office. At HTW Dresden, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, and Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, she attended the enrolment ceremonies for new students. Visits to 'Studienkollegs' showed how young people from abroad prepare to study in Germany.

To conclude her visit, Tea Ahmed visited Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. During the enrolment ceremony at St. John’s Church, she had a discussion with State Secretary Dr. Handschuh. A drive through the Zittau Mountains was also part of the visit, as those who enrol here are also choosing this landscape and life in the border triangle.

The international offices of the participating universities met at HTW Dresden for a workshop. There, the universities identified which degree programmes are suitable for students from Egypt, which target groups they wish to reach, and what forms of collaboration with Egyptian partner universities are feasible. Based on this, a joint model is currently being developed to show how the universities can establish partnerships as a consortium and support students on their path to Saxony. At the SMWK, Tea Ahmed and Susanne Fentzel spoke with Minister of Science Sebastian Gemkow and State Secretary Prof. Dr. Heike Graßmann about the establishment of the office. In Berlin, Tea Ahmed introduced the office at the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Prof. Sameh Soror, the head of the Education Department. Both sides discussed future collaboration.

The experiences from the trip and the results of the workshop are currently being incorporated into a plan for further cooperation with Egypt. An initial practical test will take place in November at the DAAD’s Study Information Day in Cairo. In addition to Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, West Saxon University of Applied Sciences in Zwickau, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, and TU Dresden will also be presenting themselves there. The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences will be sending a delegation that includes professors from several faculties. Discussions are also planned with Egyptian universities, with the aim of establishing academic partnerships between individual departments and partners in Egypt. Tea Ahmed will be coordinating the program on site.