Towards a New Water Strategy for Egypt

- Alexandria

Dr. Serageldin delivered this presentation entitled “Towards a New Water Strategy for Egypt” at the Library of Alexandria.

Board Meetings of BA Centers End on a High Note

In a marathon few days, Ismail Serageldin successively chaired the Board meetings of all the centers affiliated with the BA and the overall tone of the meetings was a very upbeat one. Despite the brevity of their existence the centers and museums are well on their way to implementing many ambitious plans n their respective domains, ensuring that the BA will be a lively place and a true producer of knowledge as well.

Serageldin Addresses International Publishers

Ismail Serageldin today addressed the International Publishers Association, on the topic of free expression, censorship and the Muslim World. His remarks sparked a lively debate in the panel and led a number of participants to comment afterwards that they had not had this kind of perspective from the Muslim world before.

Serageldin Speaks in Dutch Senate

Ismail Serageldin gave an opening keynote address to a developmentally minded gathering held in the Senate chamber of the Dutch Parliament. The topic was the risk society from the perspective of the developing countries. On the big picture, Serageldin impressed the audience with the needs of the developing countries and their problems. But he also addressed methodological issues and analytical techniques.

Keynote Speech of Ali Gomaa, Ismail Serageldin & William Vendley

Arab Workshop on Free Expression Starts in the BA

Ismail Serageldin today welcomed some 50 eminent writers, journalists, artists and intellectuals from the Arab world for a workshop on the promotion of free expression. He emphasized that this was part of deepening the discussion of reform in the Arab World that the Alexandria Declaration had helped crystallize. He also posed some challenging philosophical questions for the participants to consider in their deliberations.

Michel Rocard Speaks at the Institut d'Egypte and the BA

Ismail Serageldin introduced Michel Rocard, former PM of France to a packed audience in the Middle Auditorium of the BA for the second lecture in two days, the first having been delivered at the Institut d'Egypte in Cairo the night before. Mr. Rocard explained the construction of the new Europe and reflected on the likely role of Europe, the US and the Middle East.

French Minitser of Culture Hosts Ceremony to Honor Serageldin

In the gilded Jerome room of the premises of the French Ministry of Culture, a small group gathered to witness the Minister of Culture, Donnedieu de Vabre, give a laudatory speech about Ismail Serageldin, and bestow upon him the order of Officer of Arts and Letters. The small ceremony was attended by a few eminent persons from the French cultural scene and Egypt's ambassador to France, Hatem Seif-el-Nasr.

First Ever Cooperation Agreement Signed between French Academy of Sciences and an Arab Institution

At the historic Institut de France, Prof. Emile-Etienne Beaulieu, President of the French Academy of Sciences, and Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, signed the first ever cooperation agreement between the prestigious academy and an Arab Institution. The agreement covers the collaboration of the two institutions in the international program, "la main a la pate", a hands-on approach to teaching science to children.

Serageldin Speaks at Foundation for Political Innovation

The newly established Foundation for Political Innovation welcomed Ismail Serageldin who delivered a speech about "Mirrors and Windows: Contemporary Views of the Self and the Other for the Dialogue of Cultures", which was followed by an active debate that lasted quite a while. Overall the lecture had a good impact on the audience, and many participants promised to follow up by E-mail and by other means on the many questions raised by the presentation and the debate that followed.

Region of Midi-Pyrenees Gives Serageldin its Honorary Medal

President Martin Malvy gave Ismail Serageldin a special medal of the region of the Midi-Pyrenees at a special luncheon held in his honor at the seat of the regional government in Toulouse. The short ceremony was followed by a tour of historic Toulouse and its new Mdiathque.

Serageldin Receives Honorary Doctorate from Toulouse Paul Sabatier University

The Universit Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, today held a special ceremony to honor Ismail Serageldin with a special Doctorate Honoris Causa, and to confer upon him a special medal of the university. The University of Toulouse is one of the oldest in the world, dating back from 1229 AD. The recent developments of the University saw a strong focus on sciences and a regrouping of the engineering and science node in Toulouse III, named after the eminent French Chemist Paul Sabatier, who received the Nobel Prize in 1912.

Serageldin Lays Out Reform Activities in Al-Ahram Article

Ismail Serageldin published an important essay (in Arabic) in Al-Ahram today. Entitled "What comes after the Alexandria Declaration?" Serageldin made the case for focusing on a bottom up approach to Arab reform, and laid out a thoughtful and complete program of work for the coming year to move in that direction. The essay elicited many reactions and has already been translated into French and English, and at least one eminent intellectual reprised he title to make a strong case for the civil society approach being pursued.

After the Alexandria Declaration, What Next? Heated Debate Focuses on Democratic Aspirations

Over 400 persons attended a Lunch discussion organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham) at the Marriott Hotel. The topic: After the Alexandria Declaration, what next? The speakers were Ismail Serageldin, Kamal Aboulmagd and Mahmoud Mohie-Eldin, all three among the drafters and signatories of the Declaration.

Egyptian Intellectuals Meet at the BA

Over 100 of Egypt’s leading intellectuals met at the BA in Alexandria to help guide the BA’s programs of activities. Ismail Serageldin set out for them a series of challenges for the year ahead and they responded to these challenges with their recommendations and made suggestions to improve the overall performance of the BA in various domains.

Harvard University Board of Advisors Meets in the BA

Jointly The BA hosted the meeting of the Advisory Board of the Harvard Center of Urban Development Studies (CUDS), whose members met for three day in Alexandria. The event marked another first in the BA’s efforts to become a special meeting place for the elite institutions of learning in the world. The Board interacted with a number of the young managers at the BA and the meetings were deemed to have been a great success.

AAAS Conference Gives Serageldin a Standing Ovation

The 300 scientists assembled at the special AAAS fellows 30 th anniversary conference in Washington DC gave Ismail Serageldin a standing ovation after he delivered an impassioned plea to harness science for the benefits of the poor and not just for the service of the rich. The organizers of the conference felt that the keynote address, rich in imagery and filled with evocative language, had been “inspiring”.

Getty and the BA: Prospects for Future Collaboration?

Serageldin visited the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and held discussions with Tim Whalen, GCI president and with Harold Williams CEO emeritus of the Getty. Serageldin also delivered a public lecture on the BA, past present and future that was very well received by the 500 plus attendees at the Getty’s Williams Auditorium.

Serageldin Speaks at Brookings

The Brookings institution, the famous Washington think-tank, welcomed Ismail Serageldin for a talk followed by Q&A over a two-hour Breakfast session with the leading specialists in Middle Eastern Affairs in the Washington Area. The talk addressed the timely issue of Arab Reform, and was very well received.

Serageldin Delivers Keynote Address at International Water Conference

Ismail Serageldin delivered the keynote address at an international conference on water issues being held at this bucolic University town. Serageldin addressed the global water dimensions of the challenge, and positioned the small water systems at the heart of the required response if the Millennium Development Goals are to be met.

Honorary Doctorate from UTS Highlight of Serageldin's Visit in Australia

In a whirlwind two days, Ismail Serageldin met the PM of NSW and current Culture Minister of Australia, and the deputy leader of the NSW parliament, as well as the Association of friends of the BA headed by Lorenzo Montessini, received an Honorary Doctorate from UTS, delivered a thoughtful and inspiring commentary to the graduates, delivered a major open lecture on the role of Libraries in creating and promoting Civil Society, met with the media, had extensive discussions with Alex Byrne the President-elect of IFLA, and met with the Egyptian community in Sydney.

Remarks by Ismail Serageldin at UTS Graduation Ceremony

Thank you for the great honor you do me and for the special privilege of standing before you at this special moment of renewal and transition. Perennial as the grass, graduations celebrate achievement and promote transition. To the graduates, our speeches today must both help and challenge you as you embark on your new journey of

Egyptian Reform: The Time for Action is Now!

At a time when the whole world has put the Arab world under a microscope, and Arab as well as foreign voices are crying for reform, the question is no longer whether reform is needed, but rather how to bring about lasting change.

Conference on “Hegemony and Identity in the age of Globalization” Launched at the BA

Jointly sponsored by the Academy of the Latinity and the BA, a conference on “Hegemony And Identity In The Age Of Globalization” was launched at the BA. Inaugurated by a long slide-supported presentation by Serageldin who presented an analysis of the cultural dynamics in the world of Muslim societies undergoing rapid transformations, the conference brought together many of the most eminent names in the field of the social sceines and the humanities ...

BioVision Conference Concludes with an Impassioned Defense of the Scientific Enterprise

Three days of high-level discussions at the BA were capped by Serageldin’s closing statement, which was an impassioned defense of the scientific enterprise. The conference was organized in partnership with BioVision (Lyon) the initiator of the world life sciences forum since 1999. The conference as a whole was lauded by the participants, who found the frank and in-depth discussions to be very useful.

Nobel Day Held at the BA

Nobel Day was inaugurated by the Prime Minister and featured lectures by four eminent Nobel Laureates: Profs. Zewail, Lehn, Noyori and Rowland. The day was capped by a roundtable discussion moderated by Ismail Serageldin, who got the laureates into the discussion of the nature of science and the type of imagination that goes into scientific discovery as well as the responsibility of scientists to society.

BA’s Board of Trustees Commends Progress at the BA

Meetings of the BA’s Board of Trustees were held in Alexandria and reflected well on the enormous progress achieved in establishing the BA and pushing it towards becoming a true Center of excellence. The Board also authorized the release of the first Annual Report of the BA.

Experts Brainstorm about the Future of IT

A two-day brainstorming conference organized by William A. Wulf, President of the National Academy of Engineering and comprising such luminaries as Michael Keller of Stanford and Sid Karin of San Diego, spent two days building scenarios for the future of digital libraries and where the BA should be positioned in such a future.

Shakespeare Comes to Life – again – at the BA

The annual conference celebrating the Bard of Avon included film showings in Arabic and English, and a superb one day symposium featuring Prof. Kiernan Ryan, who delivered two spectacular lectures, Dr. Azza Karrara who participated by video and read sonnet 66 in Arabic and English with a brief commentary and visuals, and finally Ismail Serageldin who delivered a wide-ranging discussion of Hamlet, tribal story telling, Imru’u Al-Qais classic Arabic poem and even Racine’s Phaedra in French.

Serageldin Speaks at the Inauguration of the Millennium Assessment Conference Held in Alexandria

Conventional economic analysis came in for a thorough critique in the opening speech of Ismail Serageldin, who quoted chapter and verse and showed many compelling graphs to highlight the need for a thorough revision of conventional economic analysis methodologies to incorporate the insights of the leading thinkers in environmental economics. The speech was very well received by the participants.

The BA’s First Children’s Book Fair is Launched

The First Lady inaugurated the Book Fair of the BA. The fair which is launched in collaboration with the Arab Publishers’ Union. Serageldin approved he cultural program and delegated the responsibility to colleagues at the BA. He declared himself delighted with the results.

National Women’s Council Meetings Conclude on a High Note

The Conference of the National Women’s Council concluded on a high note as Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak gave a rousing endorsement of the NWC’s declaration as well as the Alexandria Document of the Arab Reform Forum (ARF). She specifically thanked Ismail Serageldin for his efforts on that forum and generally in support of women’s issues.

Serageldin speaks at the Meeting of CEDIMES

The Directors of the leading research institutes of the francophone world met at the Senghor University auditorium for a two day conference and Ismail Serageldin delivered an eloquent critique of the prevalent analytical methodologies used in social science research in relation to development issues. The participants were very interested by the long and thoughtful presentation and engaged in a lively Q&A after the presentation.

Arab Reform Forum is Born

The Conference on Arab reform came to an end with a proposing a follow-up mechanism involving the creation of an Arab Reform Forum at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Ismail Serageldin immediately surprised all the participants by declaring his immediate adherence to this recommendation, and the young and dynamic team at the BA immediately implemented the action by launching the website www.arabreformforum.org ...

“The Alexandria Document – March 2004” is Endorsed by Acclamation

The Conference on Arab reform came to an end with a resounding endorsement of the "The Alexandria Document March 2004" . In an unprecedented process of participatory democratic decision-making, all 170 participants in the conference actively joined in the discussions and drafting of the document. A committee of 28 persons did the final drafting, most of whom appeared on stage as Serageldin read the final version which was approved by acclamation.

President Mubarak Delivers Opening Address to the Arab Reform Conference Organized by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

In a surprise move to many, President Mohamed Hosny Mubarak came to inaugurate The on Arab Reform Conference organized by Ismail Serageldin and his colleagues at the Library of Alexandria with the co-sponsorship of the Arab Business Council, the Arab Academy for Science and Technology (AAST), The Arab Womens Council, and the Economic Research Forum, and the Arab Organization fro Human Rights.

Washington Meetings Reflect Great International Interest in the Arab Reform Conference

While in Washington to discuss joint programs with the Academies of Science and of Engineering, Serageldin – at the behest of Ambassador Nabil Fahmy -- met with many members of the Washington Establishment. Ambassador Fahmy knew of the widespread interest of many in Washington to know more about the Arab Reform Conference being organized for the 12-14 March 2004 at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

Serageldin Becomes Member of Oldest Scientific Institution Outside of Europe

The Institut d’Egypte, founded in1798 by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the oldest scientific academy outside of Europe, today welcomed into its ranks Ismail Serageldin and several other new members. At 59, Ismail Serageldin is one of the youngest members of this venerable academy. Addressing a packed hall, Serageldin gave a magisterial lecture on the new scientific revolution and the challenges it posed, illustrating his theme with the many slides we have become accustomed to see him deploy, but reinforcing his words with the important InterAcademy Council report on capacity building.

A Very Busy 48 Hours

In a whirlwind of activity, fast and furious even by the standards of Ismail Serageldin’s usual diversified and packed schedule, Serageldin went from management reviews within the library, to speaking at a celebration on the Arabic language with the minister of education and the governor of Alexandria, to giving awards to children who excelled in Arabic, to a meeting with the President and eminent persons of Alexandria University to present a lengthy lecture to engage them more fully with the upcoming biology conference in April, to a meeting with the Arab organizing committee for the Arab Reform Conference ...

A Lively Debate "On the Air"

Appearing as the sole guest on the important Arab TV program “On the Air” with distinguished media personality Emad Eddin Adeeb as host, Ismail Serageldin fielded questions form Adeeb and telephone callers for 90 minutes. The topic was as expected, the Alexandria Arab Reform Conference.

Serageldin Lays out his Vision of the Arab Reform Process

The Al-Ahram Weekly yesterday published an article by Ismail Serageldin, entitled "Arab Reform: from Rhetoric to Reality".

Alexandria Hosts Egyptian Civil Society

After two days of hectic meetings and impassioned discussion, participants in the preparatory meeting involving the Egyptian civil society activists writers and intellectuals came to a broad consensus on how to amend the first outline of the paper circulated by Ismail Serageldin in preparation to the Arab civil society meeting to take place in 12-14 March 2004 at the Library of Alexandria.

Happy Ending to Controversy on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion

The Al-Ahram Weekly yesterday published an article by the name “More than a building”, which reviews the story of the controversy of “the Protocols of the Elders of Zion” noting the remarkable and happy ending to this sad tale, which showed that the Library was in its short existence (barely a year old, inaugurated in October 2002) had become the key focal point that rallied many voices of tolerance and rationality in Egypt.

Science and Technology Take Center Stage at the UN

Ismail Serageldin and Jacob Palis, co-chairs of the IAC panel on capacity building in S&T, presented their panel’s report to a large audience at the UN’s meeting room no.1. Secretary-General Kofi Anan presided over an hour-long session with the UN ambassadors in which the inter-Academy Council Report on “Inventing a better future” was presented by Serageldin, Palis and Mamphela Ramphele.

Anesthesia and Intensive Care at the Start of the New Millennium

- Egypt, Alexandria

Dr. Serageldin delivered this presentation entitled “Anesthesia and Intensive Care at the Start of the New Millennium” at the Library of Alexandria.

Library of Alexandria to Host Arab Reform Meeting

In a major announcement made in Al-Ahram (Friday 30 January 2004) Serageldin announced that the Library was convening a major conference of Arab reformers to discuss the needed changes in the Arab World on the economic, social and political fonts. The meeting would be for civil society leaders and for writers and intellectuals, but no governments or non-Arabs would be invited.

Serageldin Chairs Davos Panel on Heritage at Risk

A distinguished panel of experts on the issues of heritage and protection of heritage in time so strife and conflict. The discussion was lively and elicited valuable inputs from such distinguished personalities as Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer, who was in the audience.

Turning Brain Drain into Brain Gain

The discussions on the role of the universities were attended by extremely eminent panelists and resulted in the presentation of many innovative ideas. Ismail Serageldin, having just completed the inter-academy report on capacity building in Science and technology, focused his remarks on three aspects learned from that large-scale review.

The C-100 to Develop Programs in Culture

The Committee of 100 members (the C-100) who meet under the auspices of the WEF at Davos and elsewhere, met again to develop particular programs of action as the group moves from rhetoric to action. Several themes were selected, and Serageldin co-chaired the culture work-group with Lord David Putnam.

Serageldin Speaks at Davos

Ismail Serageldin will be speaking at Davos again this year. He will address the participants at two panels dealing with “Universities and the brain drain”, and with “protecting cultural heritage in times of conflict”. In addition, as an active member of the C-100, he will participate in the day-long dialogue of civilizations organized by the C-100 on the 21st of January.