About Us
Out of his interest in the welfare of Al-Azhar international students, HE the Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmed Aṭ-Ṭayyeb, endorsed the establishment of the Center of Education Development for Envoys and Foreign Students (CEDEFS). As per Al-Azhar resolution issued by the Supreme Council of Al-Azhar, in its session No. 245 on Jan. 1, 2018, the CEDEFS founding was approved, while Professor Nahla As-Sa‛idi was appointed as CEDEFS President.
Achievements of the Center
- Establishing a kindergarten and elementary levels institute for the international students.
- Facilitating university applications by enabling international students to use electronic application forms on the center’s portal at Al-Azhar’s website.
- Developing regulations for the program of international elderly students.
- Introducing international student services, including student affairs, passports, accreditation of certificates at one portal.
- Preparing placement tests for non-native speakers of Arabic at Arabic Language Institutes.
- Preparing curriculum plans for prep and secondary levels at the Institutes of Islamic Envoys.
- Preparing the prep and secondary levels syllabi for the Institutes of the Islamic Envoys.
- Preparing an Arabic Teaching Plan for non-native speakers of Arabic.
- Holding forums and workshops for international students.
Achievements of the Educational Development Center (EDC)
for Al-Azhar International Students
Pre-University System of Learning for the International Students
- Laying a strategic pre-university learning plan (2018-2030) for the international students studying at Al-Azhar
- Preparing the Arabic learning book series of At-Tuḩfah Al-Azhariyah (Al-Azhar’s Wonderful Gift) for the non-speakers of Arabic
- Developing the international student curricula at the preparatory and high school stages
- Starting a new adult student program for those who do not meet the admission terms of Al-Azhar’s institutes of Arabic for the non-speakers of Arabic
- The inauguration of ideal international student Islamic institutes: (Kindergarten – Elementary) levels, for the first time
- Launching the International Program of Arabic Teachers for the non-Speakers of Arabic
- Starting an Arabic teaching program for the foreign diplomats in Egypt
- Launching an intensive electronic program to teach Arabic online for the non-speakers of Arabic all over the world
- Setting up a web page at Al-Azhar’s website to offer electronic services for the international students
- Launching an electronic program to teach Arabic online for the non-speakers of Arabic all over the world
- Launching an online system of evaluation to assess the level of the non-speakers of Arabic desiring to learn Arabic
- Renovation and improvement of the readiness of the premises of the Islamic Missions Institute for Girls and Al-Azhar’s Institute of Arabic for the Female Non-Speakers of Arabic, and equipping them with the most modern educational technologies
- Offering medical care for the international students who are not enrolled on Al-Azhar’s scholarships
- The international students of Al-Azhar institutes are exempted from the Interior Minister’s decision that requires the international student to renew his/her stay-permit where it was first issued. To facilitate this process, it is possible for them to renew it at the Islamic Missions Immigration Department.
- Low-price subway tickets can be issued for the international students
- Setting up a one-window service at the Education Development Center (EDC) for Al-Azhar International Students, where all the administrative measures necessary for issuing and renewing stay-permits are issued and approved by the concerned departments
- Setting up official web pages on Face-book and Twitter in Arabic and English to communicate with those interested in the educational programs for the non-speakers of Arabic
- Developing the efficiency of Imam At-Tayeb School for the Memorization of the Qur’an and Learning of Arabic
- Implementing the Great Competition to discover the talented foreign students in 16 fields under the title “Talents and Skills”