ALEXANDRIA — Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the new headquarters of Senghor University in Borg El Arab, Alexandria, in a ceremony highlighting growing Egyptian-French cooperation in education, culture, and African development.
The event was attended by senior African and Francophone officials, including Louise Mushikiwabo, Burundi Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca, and representatives from the African Union and several Francophone member states.
According to Egypt’s Presidency, President El-Sisi described the opening as a strategic step reflecting Egypt’s commitment to supporting African education, institutional capacity-building, and sustainable development through international cooperation. He emphasized that Senghor University has become a leading academic institution for preparing African professionals and decision-makers across fields including governance, resource management, climate adaptation, food security, and sustainable development.
President El-Sisi also highlighted Egypt’s long-standing engagement with the Francophone world since joining the Francophone cooperation framework in 1983, describing Egypt as a strategic bridge linking Africa, the Arab world, the Mediterranean, and Francophone nations.
The new campus, whose establishment was approved in 2019, was built with Egyptian state support and significantly expands the university’s educational capacity and infrastructure. Egyptian officials noted that Cairo continues to provide scholarships and institutional support for African students studying at the university.
President Macron praised Alexandria’s historical role as a global center of knowledge and Mediterranean cultural exchange, while reaffirming France’s commitment to supporting African educational development and strengthening strategic ties with Egypt.
Following the inauguration, the two leaders toured Alexandria’s Corniche and the historic Citadel of Qaitbay, where Egyptian and French archaeological experts presented updates on underwater excavations connected to the submerged remains of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria.
The visit comes amid expanding Egyptian-French cooperation across infrastructure, energy, education, archaeology, and regional diplomacy, with both countries increasingly positioning cultural and academic partnerships as part of broader Mediterranean and African strategic engagement.
As The Middle East Observer notes, the inauguration of Senghor University’s new headquarters reflects a broader geopolitical and cultural strategy in which Egypt and France are leveraging education, Francophone cooperation, and heritage diplomacy to strengthen long-term influence and partnerships across Africa and the Mediterranean region.
