31/03/2004
|
Alexandria
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.
29/03/2004
|
Alexandria
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.
17/03/2004
|
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.
16/03/2004
|
Alexandria
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.
16/03/2004
|
Alexandria
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.
15/03/2004
|
Alexandria
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.
15/03/2004
|
Alexandria
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 ...
14/03/2004
|
Alexandria
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.
12/03/2004
|
Alexandria
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.
26/02/2004
|
Washington DC,
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.
23/02/2004
|
Cairo
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.
22/02/2004
|
Alexandria and Cairo
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 ...
21/02/2004
|
Cairo
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.
20/02/2004
|
Alexandria
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.
20/02/2004
|
Cairo
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.
20/02/2004
|
Cairo
The Al-Ahram Weekly yesterday published an article by Ismail Serageldin, entitled "Arab Reform: from Rhetoric to Reality".
05/02/2004
|
United Nations, New York
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.
30/01/2004
|
Alexandria
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.
22/01/2004
|
Davos, Switzerland
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.
22/01/2004
|
Davos, Switzerland
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.