Within the framework of the strategy of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to encourage international scientific publishing for universities and research centers, and its impact on the development of the higher education and scientific research system, and the remarkable growth witnessed by Egyptian universities and research centers in international scientific publishing for the year 2021, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, received a report submitted by Dr. Yasser Refaat, Deputy Minister for Scientific Research Affairs, and Dr. Mahmoud Saqr, President of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, on the development of international scientific publishing in Egypt during 2021.

The report indicated that the scientific research index issued by the Egyptian Observatory for Science, Technology and Innovation at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, indicated that according to the international database SCOPUS, 38,798 international research papers were published by Egyptian researchers in universities and research centers during 2021, with an increase of 21.1% over the year 2020, also the number of Egyptian researchers who published international research reached 52,511.

The report added that the citation impact factor amounted to 1.32, which is higher than the global average (research quality), and the number of citations for Egyptian research reached 70,707 during 2021.

With regard to international cooperation in internationally published research, Egypt jumped to 57.1% in 2021, and this is a reflection of the ministry’s support for international cooperation initiatives and Egypt’s participation in more effective roles with international scientific organizations.

The report indicated that Cairo University ranked first in the number of internationally published research, with 6539 international research papers, or 16.8% of the total published research, then Ain Shams University with 3,628 international research, then Mansoura University with 3,395 international research, then Zagazig University with 3,140 research internationally.

The report stated that the National Research Center ranked first in government research institutions (research centers and institutes) in the number of internationally published research, with 2,930 international research papers, then the Agricultural Research Center with 1,542 international research, and then the Atomic Energy Authority with 729 international papers.

In the areas of the Corona virus, since the beginning of the pandemic until now, the number of researches published internationally has reached 1,476, with a number of citations of 13,794.

The report added that 64 Egyptian research bodies have published international research in areas related to the Corona virus since the beginning of the pandemic until now, and Cairo University came in first place with 335 international research, then Ain Shams University with 179 international research, then Mansoura University with 157 international research.

Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, media advisor and official spokesperson for the ministry, stated that the remarkable growth witnessed by Egyptian universities and research centers in international scientific publishing is due to several measures that took place during the past period, the most important of which is the technical support provided by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to Egyptian universities, as well as training in international publishing. In addition to what universities and research centers are doing to motivate researchers of all degrees to publish in prestigious international journals, and the distinguished appreciation of scientific research published internationally in the work of scientific promotion committees, and providing information sources to researchers via the Internet, and cooperating with the Egyptian Knowledge Bank.

The official spokesman of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research also confirmed that the international publishing of scientific research in Egypt through universities and research centers will increase significantly in the future in light of the implementation of the Ministry's plan to support researchers in the field of international publishing through the role that the Ministry's Science, Technology and Innovation Funding Authority will play in supporting and motivating researchers during the coming period.