Universities called upon to help implement sport strategy

Egypt has launched its first national strategy for youth and sports, which is expected to be implemented with the help of the higher education sector and research institutions.

Focused on 61% of the population, the strategy aims to harness the potential of the Egyptian youth, transforming them into a driving force for sustainable development.

The seven-year youth and sports strategy (2025-32) was launched on 12 August by Ashraf Sobhy, the minister of youth and sports, coinciding with International Youth Day.

The strategy promotes youth and sports development through investment in human capital, enhancing the youth’s contribution to a knowledge-based economy and achieving sustainable development.

It is built on four main pillars, including developing the youth and adolescents; promoting sport as a lifestyle; bolstering competitive sports and creativity; and improving governance in the youth and sports sectors.

It was developed through a participatory, multi-stakeholder approach, bringing together the youth, government institutions, civil society, and international partners, including United Nations agencies.

The strategy aligns with the National Strategy for Higher Education and Scientific Research and supports both Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Universities as intellectual and social engines

Professor Hamed Ead, who is based in the faculty of science, Cairo University, and is the former cultural counsellor at the Egyptian Embassy in Morocco, welcomed the strategy.

“It presents a unique opportunity for universities to integrate sports into their academic, cultural, and developmental life,” Ead told University World News.

“Universities can act as intellectual and social engines of the youth and sport strategy by fostering a ‘sports-for-development’ culture that extends beyond athletics.

“Aligning campus sports programmes with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will enhance students’ health, strengthen social inclusion, and build transferable skills,” Ead added.

This approach is supported by the UN, which views sport and participation in sport as an enabler of sustainable development as indicated in the report entitled, Sport and the Sustainable Development Goals: An overview outlining the contribution of sport to the SDGs.

Measures to advance the role of HE

According to Ead, universities should organise inclusive campus-based sports programmes, focusing on gender equity, students with disabilities, and under-represented groups.

“They should also integrate sports into the curriculum through interdisciplinary courses linking sports science, management, psychology, and sustainability.

“Research should be promoted on the role of sport in achieving the SDGs such as health promotion, social cohesion, gender equality, and environmental sustainability.

“University-community partnerships should be developed to extend sports initiatives beyond campuses, engaging local youth, schools, and civil society organisations,” Ead said.

He added that innovation hubs for sports technology, data analytics, and performance science should be established, linking students with the sports industry. Also, career pathways should be provided through internships, apprenticeships, and job fairs in sports management, coaching, sports journalism, and related sectors.

Coordination and development hub

The Egyptian Sports Federation for Universities (ESFU) could reinforce Egypt’s pivotal role in advancing university sports across Africa and the Arab world and could coordinate and streamline efforts among all Egyptian universities, Ead said.

ESFU can organise national championships, manage national teams for international university competitions and ensure all activities align with national strategies. This will prevent duplication, ensure consistent standards, and allows for the sharing of best practices and resources,” he said.

Examples of university sports competitions organised by ESFU include the Helwan University International Karate Championship, the Alexandria University Rowing Regatta, the Ain Shams University Athletics Meet and the National University Football Cup.

According to Ead, the ESFU must also use the 12th All Africa University Games (AAUG) that will be held in Egypt in 2026 for fostering connections between universities, industry leaders, and sports organisations for enhancing collaboration and sport knowledge transfer as well as reinforcing strategic partnerships, hosting forums and workshops for expert discussions on integrating sports into educational policies.

The AAUG can also highlight emerging opportunities in university sports, such as funding and infrastructure, Ead added.

More work needs to be done

“Sports science and physical education faculties and departments at Egyptian universities have the brainpower and the strategic vision and, therefore, are well-positioned and have a strong academic foundation, to play a significant role in preparing sports stars for the international sports stage, similar to the work done by higher education institutions in other parts of the world, notably the United States,” Ead said.

An example is the Egyptian athlete Feryal Ashraf Abdelaziz, who won the gold medal in karate at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 – giving Egypt its first gold since 2004.

However, said Ead, higher education institutions, are not fully ready yet to realise their full potential in implementing the youth and sport strategy because they face a key challenges in performing research on sport for development, developing talent, building technical and support expertise for national teams and providing world-class training facilities.

“They need more investment in modern, cutting-edge training facilities as well as stronger practical connections and more formal partnerships with professional sports clubs and national federations along with more interdisciplinary research to meet global benchmarks and integrate the latest sports science innovations,” he said.

No Egyptian university was included in the group of top 150 universities around the world that offer sports-related subjects and among the top 300 sports-related institutions and units within universities, according to the 2025 QS World University Rankings by Subject and the 2024 Shanghai Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments, which include six sport science schools and departments at African universities, namely the universities of Cape Town , Pretoria and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa along with the universities of Manouba, Jendouba and Sfax in Tunisia.