Monday 26/January/2026 – 02:11 PM
issued Supreme Administrative Court Its ruling in appeals No. 107718 and 108791 of the Supreme Judicial Year 69, confirming that the appealed ruling was in violation of the law, and must be cancelled, with its consequences, the most important of which is granting students upon their graduation an academic certificate according to the designation contained in the executive regulations of the Universities Organization Law, without adding any other designations such as “professional bachelor’s degree.”
Rationales of the Supreme Administrative Court’s ruling regarding the return of open education
The court confirmed that the basis of the first appeal submitted by the Minister of Higher Education, in his capacity as President of the Supreme Council of Universities, is based on the fact that the contested ruling violated the law, erred in its application, and was marred by corruption in its reasoning.
She explained that the certificates granted by blended e-learning programs, whether a professional diploma, a professional bachelor’s degree, or a professional bachelor’s degree, are professional certificates accredited by the Supreme Council of Universities, but they are not equivalent or equivalent to the academic certificates granted by universities subject to the Universities Regulation Law, whether formal education, affiliation, credit hours, or open education.
The second appeal submitted by the President of Ain Shams University indicated that the contested ruling erred in applying the law, was marred by corruption in reasoning and deficiency in justification, and violated the right of defense.
He stated that the Supreme Council of Universities is the authority responsible for drawing up the general policy for university education and scientific research and directing it according to the country’s needs, and that the decision to establish the blended e-learning system came within its powers, without abusing its authority, and that it grants professional certificates that do not fall within the official academic certificates.
The court explains that the Universities Organization Law No. 49 of 1972, amended by Laws No. 142 of 1994 and 82 of 2000, grants the Supreme Council of Universities broad powers that include drawing up general policy for university education, coordinating between colleges, determining majors, regulating student admission, setting the executive regulations for universities, following up on their implementation, expressing opinions on government subsidies, and other issues related to university education.
The court also indicated that the executive regulations of Law No. 49 of 1972 stipulated that study be organized according to the full-year system, the system of stages, two semesters, credit hours, or any other system in accordance with the internal regulations of the colleges, with the granting of academic degrees and postgraduate diplomas in accordance with the provisions of the law, without prejudice to any of the articles regulating these degrees.
The ruling pointed out that the executive regulations for universities specified the academic degrees and diplomas granted by Egyptian universities, and did not mention any term “professional bachelor’s degree” or “professional bachelor’s degree,” while the blended e-learning system grants a professional diploma and a professional bachelor’s degree or a professional bachelor’s degree, with students acknowledging that these certificates are professional and not academic.
The ruling indicated that the Supreme Council of Universities had adopted the open education system since 1992, and its certificates were equivalent to academic certificates, before it decided to stop accepting new students through the open education system in 2016, and then established the blended e-learning system in 2017, which grants professional certificates after students sign a declaration stating that they are not equivalent to academic certificates.
The court concluded its rationale by emphasizing that any certificate granted outside the official academic system must make it clear that it is a professional certificate, in order to preserve the rights of students and the integrity of the educational system, and to prevent any confusion between professional and academic certificates.
