Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam said the launch of the Egyptian-Italian Agro Schools for Water Technology is part of the second generation of Egypt's Water System (2.0), an initiative aimed at building human capacity, investing in human capital, and preparing specialized technical professionals to support the ministry's operations across its various facilities and worksites.
He said the initiative is designed to equip students with advanced scientific knowledge and practical skills, contributing to the state's efforts to achieve the sustainable management of water resources, address water-related challenges, and keep pace with the latest technological developments in this vital sector.
The initiative seeks to equip trainees with advanced scientific knowledge and practical skills to support the state's efforts to achieve the sustainable management of water resources, address growing water challenges, and keep pace with rapid technological advancements in this vital sector.
Sewilam made the remarks after receiving a report from Head of the Regional Training Center for Water Resources and Irrigation Salwa Abul Ela on ongoing preparations to launch five Egyptian-Italian Agro Schools for Water Technology at the start of the 2026/2027 academic year.
The schools will be established in Sharqia, Qalyubia, Alexandria, Assiut and Minya governorates through cooperation between the Ministries of Water Resources and Irrigation and Education and Technical Education, in partnership with Italy's ITSAgro Academy. The minister said the schools will provide specialized technical education in water-related disciplines and graduate highly qualified technicians with practical expertise in line with the latest international standards.
He added that graduates will be qualified to fill a range of key technical positions within the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, including supervising canal and drain maintenance works, serving as navigation personnel in irrigation departments, operating and maintaining pumping stations, barrages and hydraulic structures, as well as operating and maintaining water treatment and desalination plants.
He stressed that the initiative will help ensure the sustainability and operational efficiency of Egypt's water resources management system while addressing the ministry's growing need for skilled technical personnel. Students will undergo intensive practical training throughout the academic year at ministry facilities, including pumping stations, barrages, irrigation departments, and canal and drain maintenance sites.
The training, conducted under the supervision of the ministry's engineers and technicians, is designed to provide students with the technical competencies and hands-on experience required for immediate integration into the labor market upon graduation. The schools will offer an integrated curriculum combining academic instruction with practical training across four main specializations: water resources management; hydraulic structures; operation and maintenance of mechanical and electrical equipment at pumping stations; and water treatment and desalination.
These priority disciplines have been designed to meet the current and future needs of the water resources sector. Meanwhile, a series of workshops has been held at the Regional Training Center to develop the five-year secondary technical education curriculum. The workshops brought together experts from the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, and the National Water Research Center.