A campaign to replace English with Arabic as the language of instruction for medical studies in Egypt has worried academics, who have warned of the negative impact on medical education.

"This move will do more harm than good to medical students and graduates, especially as we in Egypt import science," said Dr Sameh Farid, Dean of the medical school at Cairo University, the country's biggest public university.

"Our students have to continue learning science in the [English] language widely used in the world. We would not be able to cope with global scientific advances, including in medicine, without mastering English. China, for example, is interested in sending postgraduates overseas to acquire more scientific knowledge in foreign languages."

The Egyptian Medical Association recently set up a committee to consider 'Arabicising' medical textbooks and instruction in the country's government and private medical schools. The committee has reportedly started contacting institutions and the Arab League, a pan-Arab organisation comprising 22 Arab countries, to elicit support for the idea.

"Arabs were originally the ones who advanced medical science. So why keep teaching medicine in English?" asked Dr Magdi Abdel Haqq, a member of the committee. "Several Arab countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Jordan have already adopted Arabic as the language of teaching medical science without encountering any problems."

Abdel Haqq disclosed that the committee had been making intense efforts to lobby support for a language switch among institutions in Egypt and other Arab countries.

"When the idea was first floated it gained support from most Arab countries," he said. "There is a possibility that a pan-Arab organisation will be created to oversee Arabicising medical science so that the idea will be successfully implemented."

Disagreeing, Dr Ashraf Hatem, Director of Cairo University Hospitals, pointed out that even countries proud of their languages, such as France and Germany, used English to keep abreast of scientific progress.

"The research carried by world-famous scientific journals is published in English. The same is true for scientific conferences," said Hatem. "In addition, thousands of research papers needed by medical professionals are available on the internet in English."

Hatem added that developing education in Egypt required more - not less - interest in learning foreign languages, especially English, and openness to the world.

"Should we use Arabic in teaching medical science, how would we be able to sign cooperation agreements with foreign institutions to exchange knowledge and send Egyptian students on scholarships abroad?" he asked.

Dr Mohammad Abdel Wahab, a paediatrics professor, warned that medical standards in Egypt would suffer. "Replacing English with Arabic would prevent medical students and professionals from keeping abreast of the latest in advances in the field," Abdel Wahab said. "Cooperation would be limited to countries teaching medicine in Arabic whose standards would not provide added-value to Egyptian medicine."

He said many pre-university students did not have good command of their native Arabic language. Medical students might not comprehend terminology in Arabic so Egypt should continue to teach medicine in English if it wished to improve its scientific status.


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