UNIVERSITIES in the North-East have beaten off stiff international competition to win a £9m contract to reform education in Egypt.

The Educational Leadership Consortium, led by Northumbria University together with Newcastle University, human resources consultants Hay Group, of London, and the Ain Shams University, in Cairo, have secured the contract.

As a result, 880 headteachers and education managers from Egypt will receive training in Egypt and another 660 in the North East.

It will reinforce the international reputation of the two North-East universities in the field of educational leadership, as well as providing a welcome boost for the North's hotel industry.

The programme, funded by the European Union, forms a central part of Egypt's education enhancement programme, which aims to improve the quality of teaching and standards of education in the country.

The training programme will start in Egypt this month, with the first group of Egyptians coming to the North-East in September. They will carry out placements in schools in the North-East.

Egypt's President Mubarak has backed the programme and the signing of the contract was of such importance it was broadcast on Egyptian national television.

Dr Bill Dennison, training director for Newcastle University's School of Education, said: "It is a testimony to the collective strengths in the partner organisations that we have been able to secure a contract on this scale, and we look forward to working with colleagues at Northumbria and the Hay Group to deliver this innovative programme."