India will establish a centre of excellence in information technology at Egypt’s oldest and most prestigious Al-Azhar University as part of an effort to enhance cooperation in education between the two countries. The centre will be set up in the engineering department of the university early next year

• India’s ambassador to Cairo Sanjay Bhattacharyya called on Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between India and the varsity on different issues.
• A group of the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), one of India’s leading computer IT organisations, had come to Egypt earlier this year and they met with people at Al-Azhar University from the department of IT and department of engineering to discuss the establishment of the center.
• The idea is that we would like to work with the youth over here in terms of advanced technologies, IT and give jobs because we’re very happy that Al-Azhar university, besides the teaching of theology also teaches other disciplines and has many faculties so we wish to be supportive.
• The Grand Sheikh was very supportive of the idea of the center, and he wishes to look at this personally and then see its expansion in other Al-Azhar institutions across the country.