First Data Science University in the Region is Coming to the New Capital

Technology in Egypt is about to get a jumpstart. Dr. Amr Talaat, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, recently unveiled plans for a proposed 'Knowledge City' in the New Administrative Capital, which will include the very first data science university of its kind in the Africa and Middle East regions. Built over 220 acres, the capital's tech hub will come with a training centre, integrated technologies to assist people with disabilities, and an academy for developing new ways of assisting with people's special needs.

We're light on the details, but the ambition's there, with plans for the first phase of the project to be completed by the end of 2020. And while scheduling for big undertakings like this can be difficult to get right, ambition counts for a lot. To hammer home the point, Dr. Talaat brought up Egypt's advancements with the internet during the announcement: Egypt was ranked 40 out of 44 in Africa with a sluggish speed of 5.7 MB per second in 2018, and after a lot of investment, Egypt rose to the number 6 spot with 26.5 MB per second by the end of 2019. Using their capacity for improved internet as a foundation, the Ministry hopes it'll bring that same success in the New Capital.