The first conference in Egypt: "Early childhood development, bridging the gap between the theory and practice"

In the frame work of highlighting the importance of Early Childhood Development (ECD) as one of the priorities of the National Development Strategy, the first conference of its kind addressing this critical phase of children’s development was held in Egypt. The two day conference (18-19 November) was organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in partnership with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, Ministry of Health and Population, Ministry of Education and Technical Education, UNICEF and the Center of Educational Excellence at the Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University.

The Opening session was attended by H.E. Dr. Tarek Shawki, Minister of Education and Technical Education; Prof. Abdel Nasser Sangab, Vice-Chancellor of Ain Shams University, on behalf of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Ms. Sahar Mashhour, Advisor to the Minister of Social Solidarity, on behalf of the Minister of Solidarity; Dr. Suad Abdel Meguid, Head of the Basic Care Sector, on behalf of the Minister of Health, and Mr. Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Egypt. Senior officials, academics, researchers, experts, international organizations and relevant civil society organizations participated in the sessions.

The Conference addressed means of increasing awareness on the importance of ECD and identifying the most effective strategies to attract investments in it. As well as encourage researchers, academics and civil society institutions to strengthen coordination and cooperation in this field to help achieve the "National Development Strategy and vision for 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Conference also highlighted the latest findings in the field of child development and discussed the results of global research enriching the field of early childhood development with focus on the Lancet Series Highlights.