Ashraf AboArafe
KOICA and Egypt’s Ministry of Environment Celebrate Three Years of Environmental Progress through Geographic Information Systems
Cairo, 2 October 2025 –
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), South Korea’s official development assistance body, and Egypt’s Ministry of Environment concluded a transformative three-year capacity-building program under the theme “Capacity Building on Geographic Information System (GIS) for Environmental Planning and Management in Egypt.”
The program, carried out from 2023 to 2025 under KOICA’s flagship Capacity Improvement & Advancement for Tomorrow (CIAT) fellowship, aimed to strengthen Egypt’s environmental planning by establishing and activating effective GIS-based systems.
To mark this achievement, an Online Knowledge Sharing Seminar was held, bringing together officials from the Ministry of Environment, representatives from Beni Suef Technological University (BTU), and the General Authority for Export and Import Control (GOEIC). Alumni from all three training batches presented their experiences, showcasing how their Korean training translated into practical progress back home.
Participants shared stories of how their newly acquired skills are reshaping environmental management in Egypt. One alumna, who completed a KOICA CIAT Master’s program in Korea, described the experience as “transformative on both professional and personal levels,” adding that her time in Korea instilled in her the values of solidarity, kindness, and perseverance—principles she believes can drive sustainable national development.
Throughout the seminar, speakers emphasized that international cooperation remains essential to building human capital and advancing Egypt’s environmental sector. The event underscored how knowledge exchange and partnership can empower institutions and inspire innovation in sustainable governance.
Since its establishment in 1998, the KOICA Egypt Office has played a vital role in nurturing Egypt’s human resources, training over 1,838 alumni through the CIAT program and supporting 132 Egyptian scholars pursuing Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Korea.
In 2025 alone, KOICA provided training to 45 officials from key Egyptian ministries and institutions, including the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Council for Women. Additionally, six Egyptian candidates were selected for advanced scholarships in diverse development fields.
Through the CIAT program, KOICA continues to champion human development—planting seeds of knowledge today to map a greener tomorrow.
