Cairo,
23 February 2004 --
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.
He then went on to sketch out six proposals for action that this most
distinguished and venerable institution MUST undertake to become again
a beacon of knowledge and a promoter of the values of science, as it has
been for so many periods in its long history. Reached for comment, Serageldin
said that he was absolutely thrilled to be a member, that he had many
ideas, especially about involving the younger generation of Egyptian scientific
talent, and that he would be actively engaged with the Board of the Institut
to bring whatever energy he could to support the Institut’s mission
in these rapidly changing times. We note in passing that Ismail’s
grandfather, Aly Ibrahim Pasha, was a member of the Institut and served
as its president for a term in the 1941-1942.
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