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Egyptian Knowledge Bank

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The Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) (Arabic: بنك المعرفة المصري) is an online library archive and resource that provides access to learning resources and tools for educators, researchers, students, and the general public of Egypt.

Establishment and aims

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The initiative was announced on Science Day 2014 by the Egyptian President Abdel El-Fattah El-Sisi,[1] was published online on Egyptian Youth Day January 9, 2016 during a celebration held at the Cairo Opera House,[2] with a full access launch on January 23, 2016:[3] The Egyptian Education and Scientific Research Council signed agreements with over 26 regional and international publishing houses to be included in the Egyptian Knowledge Bank,.[2] Tarek Shawki, chairman of The Presidential Advisory Council for Education and Scientific Research and Dean of the School of Sciences and Engineering at the American University in Cairo said in an interview with Times Higher Education that the project “...is an unprecedented attempt to spread the culture of knowledge and learning, and put a spotlight on the value of research.”[4]

At the Knowledge Summit 2018, talks were held about establishing the Arab Digital Union, a combination of the online resources of the Saudi Digital Library, Egypt's Knowledge Bank, and the Dubai Digital Library. Tarek Shawki, talking on the subject of the Arab Digital Union, has said that it will "...help consolidate the cultural exchange among the Arab nations, as well as help the growth of partnerships based on knowledge and culture.”[5]

Usage statistics

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Over 5,000 users registered on its first day with over 8 million sessions,[6] reaching 69 million searches in its first 10 months.[4]

Wider context

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The project is part of a larger goal of education reform in Egypt, with plans to increase investment in research and higher education sectors,[7][8] and is focused at supplementing the curriculum of schools and universities and on providing high quality resources to lower socioeconomic areas.[9][10]

Overcoming access barriers

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Access is free for all Egyptian citizens, estimated at over 92 million at launch,[11] by using their National ID and email for registration. Seminars have been held in several public universities[12] and Youm7 has reported on how to register to teach users who are unfamiliar with the internet.[13] Formal training for teachers is also available via The Teachers First program run by the Ministry of Education.[9]

Content known to be indexed

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Online Library resources include:[3][14][15][16]

At launch, the service was limited by its predominantly English language content, in a national context where only 35% of the population currently know English as an additional language,[17] and that only 51,7% of Egyptians have access to the internet.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Libraries – Egyptian Knowledge Bank". Cairo Governate. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  2. ^ a b Leila, Reem. "Knowledge Bank launched". Al-Ahram Weekly. Al-Ahram. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  3. ^ a b "EGYPTIAN KNOWLEDGE BANK". AUC Web. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  4. ^ a b Elmes, John. "Egypt 'poised for future of world education competition'". Times Higher Education: World University Rankings. Archived from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Egypt, KSA, UAE to share knowledge via Arab Digital union". EgyptToday. Archived from the original on 2019-08-25. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  6. ^ Charlton, John. "The Egyptian Knowledge Bank Draws Western Publishers". Information Today, Inc. Archived from the original on 17 February 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  7. ^ "Egypt government seeking to fix 'damage' to education system". Times Higher Education: World University Rankings. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  8. ^ "NEWS@AUC | Faculty: Reform Requires Change in the Mindset of Educators, Youth". The American University in Cairo. 2015-11-29. Archived from the original on 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  9. ^ a b "ضمن مبادرة بنك المعرفة فى 50 مدرسةالأهرام يشهد تجربة عودة "المجانية" بالتعليم التفاعلى". الأهرام اليومي (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
  10. ^ "NEWS@AUC | Dean Shawki: Egyptian Knowledge Bank to Widen Research, Education Opportunities". The American University in Cairo. 2015-11-11. Archived from the original on 2017-02-07. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  11. ^ "Population Clock". Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. 7 April 2017. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  12. ^ "أنشطة بنك المعرفة المصرى فى دورة تدريبية بجامعة المنوفية - اليوم السابع". اليوم السابع (in Arabic). 2017-02-20. Archived from the original on 2017-02-25. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  13. ^ "تعرف على طريقة التسجيل ببنك المعرفة المصرى على الإنترنت - اليوم السابع". اليوم السابع (in Arabic). 2016-01-09. Archived from the original on 2017-04-30. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  14. ^ "WOLFRAM + EGYPTIAN KNOWLEDGE BANK". Wolfram. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  15. ^ "Egyptian Knowledge Bank". State Information Service. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  16. ^ "Resources". EKB. Egyptian Knowledge Bank. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  17. ^ "List of countries by English-speaking population – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". Google Fusion Tables. Archived from the original on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  18. ^ "Africa by Country Internet Stats and Population 2020". www.internetworldstats.com. Archived from the original on 2019-08-04. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
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