Egypt's new education minister faces controversy over alleged fake PhD

Lawyer urges public prosecutor to investigate Mohamed Abdel Latif's doctoral credentials

Controversy over Egyptian Education Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif's qualifications has raised questions over vetting for government appointments. Photo: Egyptian Ministry of Education.

The recent cabinet reshuffle in Egypt, which saw the appointment of 13 new ministers and 16 new governors, has been overshadowed by a controversy surrounding Education Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif's doctoral degree.

Mr Abdel Latif, who previously served as executive director of the private Nermin Ismail Schools Group, has been accused of obtaining a fake PhD.

There has been no comment from Mr Abdel Latif regarding the claims.

Prominent lawyer Amr Abdel Salam has filed an urgent request to the Public Prosecution Office, demanding an immediate judicial investigation into the university from which Mr Abdel Latif claims to have received his doctorate.

According to the minister's new biography on the Education Ministry website, he “obtained his doctorate from Cardiff City University in the United States, and he also obtained a master's degree in educational development from Lawrence University in the United States in 2012” .

However, after Mr Abdel Latif's CV was widely circulated by several media outlets and the official cabinet page, online Egyptian fact-checkers raised concerns about the legitimacy of his doctoral credentials.

They said that while there is a well-known Cardiff University in Wales, no Cardiff City University exists in the US.

Further investigation revealed a Facebook page for Cardiff City University, which linked to a website offering academic degrees for prices ranging from $5,000 for a diploma to $10,000 for a doctorate.

The website lacked information about the faculty or a physical campus and used an image of Trinity College, University of Cambridge.

These allegations have raised questions about the minister's integrity and the government's vetting process for cabinet appointments.

The Egyptian public and media are closely monitoring developments, which could undermine trust in the government's appointment process and the integrity of its ministers.

The cabinet reshuffle, mandated by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi last month, aimed to bring new perspectives and expertise to tackle Egypt's challenges.

While several prominent figures retained their positions, key changes were made in departments such as foreign affairs, defence, finance, tourism and energy.