Minister of Education Signs an MoU with the Presidents of Japan's Hiroshima University and SPRIX to Roll Out Curriculum on Kiryu Platform.
Ministers of Investment, Education, Finance, and Planning, alongside the Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority and the Chairman of the Egyptian Exchange gather at the floor of the Egyptian Exchange to witness the official launch of the Financial Literacy curriculum for second-year secondary school students.
Dr. Mohamed Farid, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade (MIFT):
- Integrating financial literacy into school curricula is becoming a reality—an achievement that inspires pride and contributes to building financially aware youth capable of supporting Egypt’s future.
- Promoting investment and trade literacy is a key priority within the Ministry’s strategy.
Minister of Education and Technical Education:
- Financial literacy will be taught as an activity within the programming and artificial intelligence platform for second-year secondary students; it will not be a pass/fail subject.
- Students who successfully complete the course will be registered with the stock exchange and provided with a portfolio valued at EGP 500 to enable them to trade in listed shares.
Minister of Finance:
- Education is at the forefront of our priorities. I am very pleased to see innovative ideas being transformed into a new reality that invests in the future of our children.
Minister of Planning and Economic Development:
- Enhancing financial literacy among school students is a strategic step toward preparing a generation that is economically aware and capable of dealing with modern changes.
Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA):
- Integrating financial literacy into education is essential to empower youth and strengthen their investment decision-making.
Chairman of the Board of the Egyptian Exchange (EGX):
- Building financial awareness among young people is the foundation for developing informed investors and linking education to the economy.
President of Hiroshima University:
- We support the development of an economically aware Egyptian generation equipped for the future.
President of SPRIX INC. Company:
- The Egypt–Japan agreement enhances financial literacy and supports the advancement of education.
In a significant stride forward for Egyptian education, aimed at strengthening financial literacy among school students through a Japanese partnership, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hiroshima University and the Japanese company "SPRIX INC." to implement a financial literacy curriculum in Egyptian schools. The signing ceremony took place at the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) headquarters, in the presence of Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, MIFT Minister; Dr. Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance; Dr. Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development (MPED); Dr. Islam Azzam, FRA Chairman; Mr. Omar Radwan, EGX Chairman; Mr. Mitsuo Ochi, President of Hiroshima University; and Mr. Hiroyuki Tsuneshi, President and CEO of " SPRIX INC." This initiative is part of the state's efforts to develop the education system and enhance students' essential skills, particularly in financial literacy, in line with international best practices.
The MoU of Understanding aims to establish a comprehensive framework for cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, Hiroshima University, and SPRIX INC. to implement and ensure the quality of the financial literacy curriculum within Egypt’s education system. This will be achieved through the application of the Test of Fundamental Academic Skills in financial literacy (TOFAS), along with related educational initiatives. The three parties share a common vision of positioning Egypt as a regional model for education modernization and innovation across the Arab and African regions.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, MIFT Minister, delivered several key messages during his remarks. In his first message, he expressed his pride in the achievements realized during his tenure as FRA Chairman, noting that the current progress—particularly the integration of financial literacy into school curricula and the establishment of strategic partnerships—is the result of extensive efforts, coordination, and institutional integration among various state entities, including the Ministry of Education, FRA, and EGX. He also conveyed his optimism about these developments, emphasizing their importance as a foundation for enhancing the capabilities of Egypt’s youth and equipping them with the financial knowledge and expertise necessary to actively contribute to building the national economy. The Minister added that his second message underscored the importance of sustained reforms, policy coherence, and the promotion of awareness as indispensable pillars for achieving sustainable development goals and advancing financial inclusion. The third message emphasized that MIFT will work to promote investment and trade literacy among young people and integrate them into the investment and trade ecosystem as a key priority of the Ministry’s strategy.
The Minister also expressed optimism about the future of the Egyptian economy, stressing that the current phase requires a focus on sustaining reforms and building genuine investment awareness among younger generations, in a way that supports the achievement of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Dr. Farid affirmed that EGX represents a key platform that enables society to participate in the growth of companies and the economy, noting that economic reforms—particularly tax reforms—contribute to improving corporate performance and enhancing their capacity for growth, which in turn has a positive impact on the market and investors.
In his remarks during the MoU signing ceremony, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education, emphasized that the state is moving toward a fundamental transformation of the education system—one that empowers students to transition from theoretical learning to practical application. Under this approach, students will not only study market mechanisms or investment concepts but will also engage in real participation and make actual decisions within an integrated financial environment, thereby strengthening their sense of responsibility and equipping them with direct, hands-on experience. He stressed that this is the transformation being announced today.
The Minister added that the world has changed, and education must evolve accordingly. Preparing students for the future is no longer sufficient; it has become essential to equip them to be active participants.
The Minister noted that, for a long time, education has explained economics through the presentation of concepts and formulas in a purely theoretical manner, far removed from practical application. He emphasized that the rapid changes taking place globally necessitate the development of educational systems so that they not only prepare students for the future, but also equip them to be active and influential participants in it.
He further explained that, based on this vision, the Ministry has made a clear decision to shift from learning about the economy to learning within the economy itself. In this context, the Ministry is announcing today a pioneering national program to integrate financial literacy, investment awareness, and entrepreneurship into the curriculum of second-year secondary students. He stressed that this direction goes beyond merely adding a new subject; rather, it represents a new model of learning—one that links knowledge with action and transforms students from passive recipients into active participants in the real economy.
The Minister added that students who complete this program will not be limited to simulations or classroom exercises. Instead, they will be granted access to real investment accounts and funded portfolios, enabling them to engage in actual trading on EGX under professional supervision and guidance. This provides students with a fully immersive, real-world experience rather than a purely theoretical educational exercise.
He affirmed that understanding how value is created cannot be achieved through memorization alone; it emerges from decision-making, risk-taking, assuming responsibility, and witnessing the real impact of one’s choices. Through this initiative, he noted, efforts are being made to prepare a generation that understands how value is created, how risks are managed, and how long-term decisions shape economic outcomes.
The Minister added that this initiative is not only an investment in students, but also an investment in the resilience and long-term sustainability of Egypt’s economy. He emphasized that this project is not being developed in isolation from the world; rather, the partnership with Japanese counterparts reflects a shared commitment to excellence, discipline, and innovation in education.
He further explained that the subject will be delivered as an activity on the programming and artificial intelligence platform for second-year secondary students, and will not be assessed as a pass/fail course. Students who successfully complete the program will be registered with EGX and will have an investment portfolio opened for them with a balance of EGP 500, enabling them to trade in listed shares.
The Minister added that the core pillars of the financial literacy curriculum focus on start-ups, entrepreneurship, understanding the stock exchange, and developing the ability to make sound economic decisions. The primary objective of implementing this curriculum is to enhance students’ skills and empower them to make informed economic decisions in their daily lives, while strengthening their overall economic awareness.
He also noted that the Japanese experience goes beyond providing technical expertise; it embodies a comprehensive philosophy based on precision, consistency, and long-term thinking—values that the Ministry seeks to embed within Egypt’s education system.
The Minister continued that this direction builds upon well-established prior successes, as joint cooperation efforts have enabled nearly one million students nationwide to benefit from modern educational programs that integrate technology with the development of critical thinking skills. He highlighted that approximately one million students have studied programming and artificial intelligence, with around 500,000 students successfully passing the subject in the first semester.
He further explained that the current phase is witnessing an expansion of this cooperation to include financial empowerment on a broad scale, through an initiative considered among the first comprehensive national models for measuring financial literacy within a formal education framework. He noted that its key distinguishing feature lies in reshaping how these skills are taught by linking them directly to practical application and real-world experience.
Minister Abdel Latif emphasized that the objective goes beyond improving financial education; it also focuses on strengthening students’ ability to act and make an impact, empowering them to understand the world around them, engage with it, influence its direction, and play an active role in shaping the future.
He added that the signing of these MoUs today reflects a shared vision to develop an education system more closely connected to real life, where learning does not stop at theoretical knowledge but moves from knowledge to application and practice.
Mr. Abdel Latif concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the Ministry of Education and Technical Education does not aim only to teach students the principles of economics, but seeks to make them an integral part of the economic system, helping prepare a generation capable not only of participating in the future, but of shaping it.
On his part, Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance expressed great pleasure at seeing innovative ideas turn into a new reality that invests in the future of our children, noting that education is a top national priority and that there is strong commitment to developing students’ core skills and localizing knowledge in a way that enables them to contribute effectively to the development path.
Minister Kouchouk added that Egypt takes pride in the Egyptian–Japanese partnership as a unique opportunity to build students’ capacities and prepare them for the labor market, stressing the importance of enabling public school students to benefit from artificial intelligence skills to enrich their educational, technological, and knowledge pathways.
Additionally, Dr. Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, affirmed that signing the Memorandum of Understanding to promote financial literacy among school students represents a strategic step toward preparing an economically aware generation capable of dealing with modern changes.
Minister Rostom explained that integrating financial literacy concepts into education promotes the principles of saving, investment, and entrepreneurship, supports sustainable development, and strengthens investment awareness in school curricula to empower youth to engage in regulated investments and protect beneficiaries. He added that the MoU supports the implementation rates of the objectives of Egypt Vision 2030, particularly with regard to human capital development and the promotion of financial inclusion, of which advanced levels have already been achieved, approaching 80%.
Dr. Rostom further noted that these initiatives reflect integrated efforts between state institutions and international partners to develop the education system and link it to labor market needs, while supporting programs that build human capital and enhance students’ financial awareness, contributing to a more inclusive and efficient economy.
The Minister of Planning and Economic Development affirmed that financial inclusion is not limited to a specific group, but rather extends to all segments of society, particularly youth and women, through supporting small and micro enterprises in a way that contributes to creating sustainable job opportunities.
Furthermore, Dr. Rostom highlighted the integration of financial development efforts with national initiatives, most notably the presidential initiative “Decent Life,” in cooperation with the Central Bank of Egypt and relevant stakeholders. Financial inclusion services and awareness campaigns were expanded in villages of the first phase of the initiative, through the opening of approximately 2.6 million bank accounts, the issuance of prepaid cards, and the activation of electronic wallets, which contributed to an improvement in the financial inclusion index by 21 percentage points, reaching 76% of the population aged above 15.
In his remarks, Dr. Islam Azzam, Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority, expressed his great pleasure at launching the initiative given that integrating financial literacy into secondary school curricula, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Japanese side, represents a distinguished step toward spreading financial awareness and culture in schools as a fundamental basis for strengthening youth capabilities in investment and entrepreneurship. He also noted the provision of all forms of technical support to ensure the success of this initiative, in addition to FRA’s intention to launch of other initiatives in this regard.
Dr. Azzam highlighted the notable increase in youth participation in the capital market, noting that investors in the Egyptian Exchange aged between 18 and 40 have recently reached approximately 79%, while the share of young investors in new investment funds, such as gold funds, has reached around 80%. This underscores the urgent need to intensify awareness efforts regarding non-banking financial sectors to help young investors make sound decisions and reduce risks.
FRA Chairman explained the importance of the role played by financial technology in integrating young people into investment activities within the capital market and other sectors, in light of the legislative and regulatory framework for this sector established by FRA’s decrees in the recent years. He pointed to the significant role of financial literacy in bridging the gap between the rapid adoption of financial technology and sound investment decision-making, which serves as an additional reason for the importance of incorporating financial literacy into school curricula and focusing on linking theoretical aspects with practical application to enhance the efficiency of students and young people, in line with international developments and modern applications in both the financial and technological fields.
In conclusion, Dr. Azzam stressed that integrating young people into various financial sectors strongly contributes to expanding and deepening the market, while also enhancing the attractiveness of Egypt’s investment environment.
On his part, Omar Radwan, EGX Chairman, stated that EGX’s participation in the MoU on implementing the “Financial Literacy” curriculum for secondary school students comes as part of its commitment to building genuine economic awareness among new generations. He noted that ringing the opening bell symbolized the importance of linking education with the economy and empowering young people with an early understanding of the basics of saving and investment, in a rapidly changing world and increasingly complex financial markets.
EGX Chairman added that these efforts attracted more than 160,000 new investors in Q1 2026, with a growth rate approaching 200% compared to the same period of the previous year, stressing that the main objective is not merely to increase the number of market participants, but to develop informed investors who make decisions based on knowledge.
In his remarks, Mitsuo Ochi, President of Hiroshima University, expressed appreciation for cooperation with Egypt, noting that the MoU aims to enhance financial literacy through implementing the TOFAS system as an international tool for measuring academic skills and improving education quality.
In addition, Mitsuo Ochi explained that this MoU represents an extension of the previous cooperation among the three parties in the fields of artificial intelligence and programming, affirming that Hiroshima University will support the implementation of the system through its academic expertise to ensure the quality of assessments, while the Ministry works on rolling it out nationwide, contributing to preparing a financially aware generation capable of meeting future demands.
Hiroyuki Tsuneishi, President of SPRIX INC. Company, affirmed that this trilateral cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Technical Education and Hiroshima University represents a qualitative step in the development of education, noting that SPRIX views this partnership as a model of integration between educational expertise in promoting financial culture and awareness, and modern technologies for assessing and developing students’ skills.
Hiroyuki Tsuneishi explained that the objective of this MoU is not limited to implementing the “TOFAS” system as an international assessment tool, but also extends to supporting the development of a more inclusive education system that is closely aligned with future skills, particularly in the areas of financial literacy and students’ economic awareness.
He also affirmed that the previous experience in the fields of artificial intelligence and programming has demonstrated the success of joint cooperation and the importance of its continuation and expansion.
This MoU includes the commitment of the Ministry of Education to implement TOFAS within the national education system, and to provide the necessary institutional support and coordination to ensure effective implementation, in addition to utilizing its results to enhance teaching and learning and promote educational equity across Egypt.
Moreover, the MoU stipulates that Hiroshima University will act as the academic partner, reviewing the scientific foundations of the test and ensuring its quality and alignment with educational standards and learning objectives. It will also provide international expertise in the fields of educational assessment and learning outcome analysis, thereby supporting evidence-based educational decision-making.
It also stipulates that SPRIX will provide assessment tools, digital platforms, and the necessary technical expertise, in addition to offering training and support programs to assist teachers, school principals, and education officials in effectively using TOFAS, ensuring its optimal implementation within schools. It further includes the issuance of certified certificates for students under the supervision of the Ministry and academic accreditation from Hiroshima University.
