OER Regional Consultation

Towards a National Policy on Open Educational Resources in Egypt: Insights from Regional Experiences

Nora Helou
Nora Helou
Authored on
Meeting

1. Background

As part of our ongoing efforts to support Member States in advancing the implementation of the 2019 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER), the UNESCO Regional Office for Egypt and Sudan is organizing a Regional Consultation Meeting on OER under the theme "Towards a National Policy on Open Educational Resources in Egypt: Insights from Regional Experiences" in Cairo, Egypt during 15-16 December 2025. This meeting is in partnership with the Egyptian Ministries (Education, Higher Education, Communications), National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), public and private universities, and civil society.

Open Educational Resources (OER) are central to inclusive, equitable, and quality education, especially in the context of digital transformation. UNESCO’s 2019 OER Recommendation underscores the global commitment to promoting OER to reduce barriers to access, enhance teaching and learning, and foster educational innovation.

In Egypt, interest in digital education is growing, yet the structured adoption and implementation of OER remains limited. There is a pressing need to develop a national OER policy that reflects local priorities while leveraging global and regional expertise.

The objectives of the meeting are to:

  • Share regional and global experiences in OER development and policy.
  • Assess Egypt’s current OER landscape.
  • Explore the role of AI and digital public goods in advancing OER.
  • And provide policy and technical guidance to formulate a national OER roadmap.

This event will serve as a platform to introduce the 2019 UNESCO OER Recommendation and highlight its regional implications through case studies of Arab countries, sharing lessons learned from ongoing initiatives. It will also provide an opportunity to assess Egypt’s current OER landscape through national consultations and explore potential synergies between regional efforts and Egypt’s context. In addition, the meeting will examine the relationship between OER, artificial intelligence, and digital public goods, while offering policy guidance and technical advice for Egypt’s draft OER framework. The discussions will culminate in the formulation of actionable recommendations to guide a national OER roadmap and strengthen regional cooperation.

2. Target Participants

  • · Government representatives from Egypt (MoE, MoHE, MCIT, NTRA)
  • · OER and education policy experts from Arab countries
  • · UNESCO specialists and international consultants
  • · Representatives from public and private universities and research institutions
  • · Educational content developers, librarians, archivists, and ICT professionals
  • · Civil society organizations working in education, digital rights, and technology
  • · Development partners and donors supporting education and digital transformation

3. Expected Outcomes

  • · Strengthened understanding of OER among Egyptian and Arab education stakeholders
  • · Documentation of regional experiences and good practices relevant to Egypt
  • · Assessment of the status of OER development in Egypt
  • · Preliminary recommendations for Egypt’s national OER policy
  • · Formation of a national OER working group supported by regional expertise
  • · Actionable roadmap for policy development, pilot projects, and capacity-building
  • · Identification of potential regional and international partnerships and funding sources

4. Key Resources and Guidelines

  1. Action Area 1: Capacity Building
  2. Action Area 2: Policy
  3. Action Area 3: Quality, Accessibility, Multilingualism
  4. Action Area 4: Sustainability
  5. Action Area 5: International Cooperation