Bibliotheca Alexandrina: The Rebirth of the Library of Alexandria

- University of Minnesota

Dr. Serageldin delivered this presentation entitled “Bibliotheca Alexandrina: The Rebirth of the Library of Alexandria” at the University of Minnesota.

President Mubarak Inaugurates the Second Conference on Reform in the Arab World at the BA

For the second year in a row, President Mubarak came to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina to inaugurate the Arab Reform Conference, as an additional indication to his committed support to this initiative.

Serageldin Directs the Conference Mission to Focus on the Civil Society

At a press conference that followed the special inaugural session that heard President Mubarak, Serageldin talked to media and press representatives of the importance to forge partnerships between governments and civil society organizations, in order for them to work together harmoniously to pilot the reform process.

A Stronger Civil Society for Egypt's Future

Ismail Serageldin kept the rapt attention of his audience for an hour as he delivered the keynote address at an event to promote a stronger civil society for Egypts future. His speech, accompanied by his trademark slides, mapped out the importance of human capital in playing a key role towards social, economic, and political development.

Supporting NGOs:The Promotion Of Effective Development

- Cairo

Dr. Serageldin delivered this presentation entitled “Supporting NGOs:The Promotion Of Effective Development” in Cairo.

A Task Group Meeting of the Japan-Arab Dialogue Forum

During the course of a single day, Ismail Serageldin chaired an expert group meeting of the Japan-Arab Dialogue Forum to assess the situation in Iraq, and in Palestine after the election. The members of the expert group reviewed and exchanged views on the recent developments in the Middle East.

Information Technology at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

- Alexandria, Egypt

Dr. Serageldin delivered this presentation entitled “Information Technology at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina” at the Library of Alexandria.

Two Intensive Days with the Press

In response to the repeated requests by the Egyptian mass media community, Serageldin met with various press and media representatives, over two successive days, to speak about and discuss many of todays critical issues.

Serageldin Calls for a Mediterranean of the 21st Century

At the closing of an event celebrating the history and culture of the Mediterranean cities, Serageldin gave a highly inspirational talk, during which he illustrated the pivotal role of the Mediterranean cities in empowering their communities towards the betterment of their societies.

On Air

Ismail Serageldin appeared on national television as a special guest of the widely popular TV show El Beit Beitak. The hour long interview aired on Channel 2 of Egypts TV. During the interview, Serageldin expressed optimism as to the performance of the newly appointed government...

Einstein Lecture Series Begins

In light of the upcoming Einstein Symposium to be held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in June 2005, Ismail Serageldin today started the first of a series of lectures intended to introduce the topic and lead up to the big event in June.

Serageldin Ends Knowledge Society Symposium on a High Note

Serageldin gave the concluding address to the Knowledge Society Symposium, in which he effectively summarized the proceedings of two full days in an eloquent 30-minute statement. He left the eminent participants inspired to pursue the challenges that they had been discussing over the course of a two-day international symposium on Building a Knowledge Society in the Arab World.

The Future of Sustainable Development in Rome

Ismail Serageldin and the members of the High Level Panel on Sustainable Development met together in Rome to assess the role of the Sustainable Development Department (SDD) within FAO and how it could be strengthened to enable FAO to better meet the challenges of promoting sustainable development in the policies and programs of its member states.

Serageldin Articulates Link Between Productivity and Governance

In a thoughtful article on Governance, Competitiveness and the Arab Future, Serageldin spelled out the case of the Arab World and illustrated the aspects and steps towards political, social, and cultural reforms while listing a number of recommendations that Arab governments must take to affect change. These include, among others, the establishment of credible macro-management of the economy...

Arab Reform Issues Stirred at Davos

Ismail Serageldin today addressed an eminent gathering of world leaders, politicians, scholars and economists, on the timely issue of reform in the Arab world. He focused his talk on the policy priorities of the Arab world, the mechanisms that enable the Arab world to transform ideas into action and the key obstacles that will face the reform agenda in the coming years.

STS Preparatory Meeting in Washington D.C.

Ismail Serageldin and forty-six founding members of the Science & Technology in Society Forum, convened together at the National Academy of Sciences, to exchange feedback on the outcome of the first forum which took place in November 2004, and to lay out the directions of the upcoming 2nd annual meeting of the STS forum scheduled to take place in Kyoto during the coming month of September.

Serageldin Named Ambassador for the Hans Christian Andersen Bi-centennial

HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark named Ismail Serageldin ambassador for the 2005 bi-centennial celebrations for Hans Christian Andersen. In his acceptance remarks, Ismail Serageldin recalled Andersens literary achievements beyond the childrens tales and reflected on the difficulty of the genre and its enduring appeal.

BA Staff Meet with Mrs. Mubarak

Today a long awaited meeting took place: Mrs. Mubarak met in an informal for a one hour discussion with many of the management staff of the BA. The staff was delighted by her direct and candid manner, and her simplicity and charm created a wonderful atmosphere.

Celebrating the Legacy of Hans Christian Andersen

- Hans Christian Andersen Bi-centennial Celebration by HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark, Alexandria, Egypt

Thank you for the honor you do me. I am delighted to join you in advancing the cause of spreading the joy and happiness that Hans Christian Andersen has brought to the world’s children of all ages.

Scientific Thinking at the Supreme Council for Culture

Starting at 7:30 PM, Serageldin delivered a long and exceptionally rich lecture on Scientific Thinking which was followed by over 90 minutes of debate. It was part of a formidable show of endurance and concentration.

A Magisterial Lecture on Social Capital

In an impressive show of erudition and technique, Serageldin delivered a long and exceptionally lucid lecture on Social capital. It was the keynote address for a special conference by the same title meeting at the Cairo Conference Center.

Tsunamis and the BA Staff

Responding to staff requests, Ismail Serageldin devoted the Tuesday morning lecture to the topic of the scientific basis for Tsunamis. He gratefully acknowledged the material provided by Ali Ardalan, Ron laporte and others, but presented the lecture in his own distinctive style. A lively discussion ensued

Serageldin Meets Young Egyptian Scientists

The BA was host to some promising scientific talent today. Organized by Dr. Mohamed Fahham of the CSSP center of the BA, it was the occasion to salute the new generation on the occasion of announcing the first set of awards by the BA for research grants...

Serageldin Heads Delegation to Third Meeting of the Japan Arab Dialogue

Ismail Serageldin, Head of the Egyptian Delegation to the Japan Arab Dialogue involving Japan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, declared himself satisfied by the outcome. The joint overview statement reaffirmed earlier agreements arrived at in Alexandria in March 2004.

An Eloquent Summation on the Role of Women and Peace

At the closing of the outstanding international panel discussion organized by the Suzanne Mubarak International Women for Peace Movement, Ismail Serageldin delivered an impromptu summation of the activities that was widely appreciated.

An Intense Managerial Retreat

At the end of a two-and-a-half day retreat for the BA managers, in which Serageldin delivered no less than six lectures and moderated the debate among the 120 participants, both staff and director declared themselves satisfied with the results.

Islam, Science and Values

 Ismail Serageldin    Download

Consider the paradoxes of our times. We live in a world of plenty, of dazzling scientific advances and technological breakthroughs. Adventures in cyberspace are at hand. The Cold War is over, and with that we were offered the hope of global stability. Yet, our times are marred by conflict, violence, debilitating economic uncertainties and tragic poverty. Globalization and the assertion of local group specificity seem to be everywhere. Worse, we live in a world where the rising inequities between the rich and the poor are everywhere, nationally and internationally. But these inequities are probably even more acute in the domain of knowledge, at the time when the world is hurtling towards the information-based society.

Inventing our Future: Essays on Freedom, Governance and Reform in the Arab World

 Ismail Serageldin    Download

We are living in truly historic times. At the dawn of the new millennium, a scientific and technological revolution grips the world and is pushing us all, willy-nilly, into the information age.

Writing Clearly: Punctuation and Meaning

- Alexandria

Dr. Serageldin delivered this presentation entitled “Writing Clearly: Punctuation and Meaning” at the BA.

Architecture as Text and Context: Educating Architects in the 21st C

- Egypt

Dr. Serageldin delivered this presentation entitled “Architecture As Text and Context: Educating Architects in the 21st C” at the BA.

Remembering the Many Who Contributed

Ismail Serageldin celebrated the Aga Khan award for architecture that the BA won in November with a special lecture on the AKAA, its origins, and its philosophy and the other winners of the 2004 Award.

An Eloquent Vision for Arab Reform

Ismail Serageldin was the main speaker at the meeting of research institutes interested in Arab Reform. He delivered a luncheon address that was both short and moving, mixing poetry and economics, social and political considerations, he gave a boost to the cause of home-grown reform in the Arab world.

Summing up a Lively Consultation on Africa

Ismail Serageldin provided a moving and eloquent summation to the North African Consultation for the Commission on Africa, held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina 14-16 December 2004. The text was widely requested and a copy is provided here.

North Africa Regional Consultation Report

- Summing up a Lively Consultation on Africa, Alexandria, Egypt

We the representatives of the civil society of the five north African countries, meeting in Alexandria, Egypt from 14-16 December, 2004, would like to record our views, which we hope that the Commission on Africa will duly take into account and present to the G-8 and the EU. We are grateful to the organizers of this consultation for giving us this opportunity. We hereby record these views, and the three detailed statements prepared by our three working groups, hereby attached, should be considered an integral part of this report.

Thinking About Africa’s Future

- Egypt, Alexandria

Dr. Serageldin delivered this presentation entitled “Thinking About Africa’s Future” in the Library of Alexandria.

Visions for 2025: Engineering, Environment and Wellbeing

- Alexandria

Dr. Serageldin delivered this presentation entitled “Visions for 2025: Engineering, Environment and Wellbeing” at the Library of Alexandria.

Goncourt Prize Celebrates Centennial at BA

Ismail Serageldin Welcomed Edmonde Charles-Roux and the members of the academie Gongourt and Prof Kopp the historian/biographer of the Goncourt brothers in a celebration of the centennial of the academie Gongourt and its prize (1904-2004).

Serageldin Gives the Keynote Address at RETBE 2004

Ismail Serageldin gave a characteristically rich presentation on the role of engineering and the environment in the next 25 years. His signature use of many slides in a short time left the audience breathless and opened up many avenues for discussion.

Educational Reform in Egypt Provokes a Lively Debate

Ismail Serageldin invited the Ministers concerned and the key intellectuals of Egypt to meet in a special conference on the reform of Egyptian education (all levels, including research and S&T).

Aspects of Educational Reform: Some International examples

- Alexandria

Dr. Serageldin delivered this presentation entitled “Aspects of Educational Reform: Some International examples” at the BA.

Serageldin Outlines Plan for Egypt's Economic Reform

Ismail Serageldin gave a masterful presentation to the Society of Political economy in which he laid out a ten-point program for the reform of the Egyptian economy. The lecture was very well attended and provoked a lively discussion. Serageldin's full understanding of the issues was evident in both the presentation and the discussion.

The Egyptian economy at the beginning of the new century: an analytical perspective (Presentation in Arabic)

- Cairo

Dr. Serageldin delivered this presentation entitled “The Egyptian economy at the beginning of the new century: an analytical perspective” in Cairo.

Water Again Takes Center Stage

Ismail Serageldin inaugurated the Ahram Centerss g-20 consultation on water with a series of incisive comments. The Consultation was being held at he BA. Serageldin reminded the participants of the many other urgent issues tat should also be adopted by the g-20 especially in terms of the negotiations of the Doha round.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina Wins Aga Khan Award for Architecture

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) was selected as a winner of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA), one of the most prestigious architectural prizes a building project can win. This particular prize was especially pleasing to Ismail Serageldin who had personally chaired two previous AKAA juries (1983 and 1992). He had also served on three steering committees in the early days of the AKAA and helped set the course of the world-famous triennial prize.

Women Defending Peace Conference in Geneva

The Suzanne Mubarak Womens International Peace Movement (SMWIPM) and the Swiss government hosted a major conference on the topic of women defending peace. Ismail Serageldin, a member of the Board of the SMWIPM, participated in the conference, which was chaired by Mrs. Mubarak, and which featured many eminent personalities including Dr. Boutros Ghaly and Nobel Laureate Jody Williams.

Ismail Serageldin Elected Fellow of the AAAS

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world's largest general scientific societies, has awarded the distinction of Fellow to Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria. Election as a Fellow of AAAS is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers.

Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum in Kyoto Charts Future Course

Ismail Serageldin was one of forty founding members of this outstanding event that brought together decision-makers, scientists and business leaders to discuss the issues of S&T in Society. The STS forum was a great success, especially given the enormous attention the Japanese government has been giving it. Prime Minister Koizumi spoke at the inaugural session and Former Minister Koji Omi was the driving force behind the whole exercise, ably supported by Dr. Kurakawa, President of the Japan Science Council.

Serageldin Serves on Special Advisory Group on Africa

Ismail Serageldin Joined a group of distinguished individuals to serve on an advisory committee organized by UN Secretary General (SG) Kofi Annan. The SG met the group for about two hours to discuss the progress of their deliberations. Their primary mandate is to advise the SG on how to strengthen the effectiveness of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).

An Alexandrian Celebration and an Egyptian Opera

Ismail Serageldin welcomed some 650 persons for a gala dinner and an evening show to celebrate the second year of the BA. The reception was given to the many partners of the BA in Alexandria and Egypt as well as the representatives of the 35 international associations of friends who came from all over the world.

Library of Alexandria Celebrates its Second Year

On October 10, Ismail Serageldin welcomed the ambassadors of over 20 nations and the representatives of the Associations of friends of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina for a business like review of the achievements of the BA in the past two years and the forward design of the next two years. Mrs. Mubarak, who had been detained on official business abroad, sent a message to the participants that was delivered by Ismail Serageldin.