Ismail Serageldin was the Founding Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the New Library of Alexandria (2001-2017) and is currently the Emeritus Librarian of Alexandria.  Before that, he was the VP of the World Bank (1993-2000). He has lectured widely, published more than 100 books and 500 articles, and has received many honors and awards including over 40 honorary doctorates from all over the word.  He currently serves on many advisory boards and committees for many academic, research, scientific and international institutions and civil society efforts, and is the Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) headquartered in Baku, Azerbaijan.

 

 

I.  Education and degrees

 

Education:

 

• 1964: B.Sc. (first-class honors), Cairo University.  
• 1968: M.R.P. (with distinction), Harvard University.  
• 1972: Ph.D., Harvard University.  

 

Honorary degrees:

  

• 1996: Doctor of Sociology, University of Bucharest, Romania.  
• 1996: Doctor of Agricultural Science, University of Melbourne, Australia.  
• 1997: Doctor of Science, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, India. 
• 1998: Doctor of International Affairs, American University, Washington, DC, USA.  
• 1998: Doctor of Science, Punjab Agricultural University, India.  
• 1998: Doctor of Science, Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, India.  
• 1998: Doctor of Natural Resources Management, Ohio State University, USA. 
• 1999: Doctor of Science, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India.  
• 1999: Doctor of Science, ANGRAU, Hyderabad, India.  
• 1999: Doctor of Economics and Management, CNAM, Paris, France.  
• 1999: Doctor of Science, Egerton University, Kenya.  
• 1999: Doctor of Agricultural Science, University of Tuscia, Italy.  
• 2000: Doctor of Humane Letters, American University in Cairo, Egypt. 
• 2002: Doctor of Science, SNHU, Manchester NH, USA.  
• 2003: Doctor of Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. 
• 2004: Doctor of Letters, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. 
• 2004: Doctor of Letters, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. 
• 2005: Doctor of Laws, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. 
• 2006: Doctor of Letters, University of Nantes, Nantes, France.  
• 2007: Doctor of Science, Azerbaijan State Economic University, Baku, Azerbaijan.  
• 2007: Doctor of Society Development, Khazar University, Baku, Azerbaijan.  
• 2008: Doctor of Letters, Laval University, Quebec, Canada.  
• 2009: Doctor of Arts, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon. 
• 2009: Doctor Diploma, Azerbaijan Cooperation University, Baku, Azerbaijan.  
• 2009: Doctor Diploma, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of History, Baku Azerbaijan.  
• 2009: Doctor of Letters, Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.  
• 2010: Doctor Degree, ANAS Institute of Oriental Studies, Baku, Azerbaijan.  
• 2010: Doctor Degree, Georgian American University, Tbilisi, Georgia. 
• 2010: Doctor Degree, Free University of Tbilisi, Georgia.  
• 2012: Doctor Degree, University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia. 
• 2012: Doctor Degree, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia.  
• 2012: Doctor Degree, State Agricultural University, Ganja, Azerbaijan. 
• 2012: Doctor Degree, Odlar Yurdu University, Baku, Azerbaijan.  
• 2015: Doctor of Humane Letters, American University of Beirut, Lebanon 
• 2016: Doctor Honoris Causa of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Bulgaria  
• 2016: Doctor Degree, Ganja State University, Ganja, Azerbaijan 
• 2016: Honorary Degree from the School of Business and Social Sciences, Barcelona, Spain
• 2017: Doctor Degree, Marin Barleti University, Tirana, Albania 
• 2017: Doctor Degree, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
• 2018: Doctor of humane letters, Asian University for Women, Chittagong, Bangladesh
• 2019: Doctor of Education, National Pedagogical Dragomanov University, Kyiv, Ukraine
• 2022. Doctor of Management, Economics and Finance , UMEF University, Geneva, Switzerland.
• 2024. Doctor of Science , University of Information Science and Technology “St. Paul the Apostle”, Ochrid, North Macedonia 

 

He also received an Honorary MBA from Barcelona in 2016

 

 

II.  Publications and Major Lectures:

 

Publications: 

 

Ismail Serageldin has published over 100 books and monographs and over 500 papers on a variety of topics including biotechnology, rural development, sustainability, and the value of science to society. 

 

Major Lectures:

 

Ismail Serageldin has lectured widely all over the world including delivering the Mandela Lecture (Johannesburg, 2011), the Nexus Lecture (Netherlands, 2011), the Keynote Address to the First International Summit of the Book (Washington DC, 2012); The Opening Address at the World Summit on Genome Editing (Washington, DC, 2015) The distinguished Lecture on The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Athens, 2016); and The initiating lecture of the series “Out of the Ashes” at Trinity College Dublin (2018).   He also gave many Keynote addresses at many congresses and conferences all over the world.

 

III.  Honors and Awards:

 

Dr. Serageldin has received many awards including: 

• 1999: First recipient of Grameen Foundation (USA) Award for a lifetime commitment to combating poverty; 
• 2003: Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters awarded by the government of France; 
• 2004: Pablo Neruda Medal of Honor, awarded by the Government of Chile; 
• 2006: The Bajaj Award for promoting Ghandian values outside India; 
• 2008: Order of the Rising Sun – Gold and Silver Star awarded by the Emperor of Japan; 
• 2008: Champion of Youth Award by the World Youth Congress, Quebec;
• 2008: Knight of the French Legion of Honor awarded by the President of France; 
• 2010: The Swaminathan Award for Environmental Protection (Chennai, India); 
• 2010: Millennium Excellence Award for Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize, by the Excellence Awards Foundation, Ghana; 
• 2011: The Public Welfare Medal, by the National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC; 
• 2011: Commander of the Order of Arts & Letters awarded by the Republic of France;  
• 2013: Calouste Gulbenkian Prize, awarded by the Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal; 
• 2015: Nizami Ganjavi Gold Medal of the Republic of Azerbaijan awarded by Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences;
• 2015: The “Dostlug” Order (Order of Friendship)  of Azerbaijan awarded by President of Azerbaijan; 
• 2015: The Rings of Tolerance Award by the European Academy of Sciences and Arts
• 2016: Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation Award (2016);  
• 2016: Honorary Sign of the President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences 
• 2016: Presidential Medal, awarded by the President of Bulgaria
• 2016: Honorary Academician of the Royal European Academy of Doctors, Barcelona, Spain   
• 2017: Presidential Medal awarded by the President of Montenegro
• 2019:  Presidential Medal awarded by the President of Macedonia 
• 2024: Special Honorary Diploma by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
   

 

IV.  Memberships and Affiliations:

 

Chair and member of a number of boards of directors and advisory committees for academic, research, scientific and international institutions and civil society efforts, including:

 

Currently  

 

• Emeritus Librarian of Alexandria, Library of Alexandria  
• Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), Baku, Azerbaijan
• Member of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences (WAAS)
• Member of the European Academy for Sciences and Arts
• Member of US National Academy of Sciences (Public Welfare Medalist). 
• Member of the American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia.  
• Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  
• Member of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Trieste, Italy.  
• Member of the African Academy of Sciences.  
• Member of the Bangladesh Academy of Science, Dhaka.  
• Member of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India. 
• Member of the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg, Sweden
• Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa
• Member of the Board of the Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum.  
• Member of the Supreme Council for Culture, Egypt.  
• Member of the Advisory Council of the Science and Technology for Society (STS) Forum of Japan
• Member of the Steering Committee of the ICEF, Tokyo, Japan
• Member of International Advisory Board of The Regional action for Climate Change (RACC) – an associated activity of the STS Forum in Kyoto.
• Member of the Board of the Sawires Foundation for Social Development.
• Patron, The International Science Council
• Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the African Open Science Platform (AOSP)
• Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Morocco
• Distinguished Professor at Schwartzman College in Tsinghua University in China (2018 - present).
• Distinguished Professor at the Beijing Normal University (BNU) Emerging Markets Institute (EMI)-(2019-present).
• Member of the Steering Committee of the Al-Fozan Prize for Mosque Architecture (Saudi Arabia).
• Member of the Arab Thought Forum (Jordan)
• Member of the Global Commission for the Economics of Water (GCEW)

 

 

Previously:

 

Among many others:

• Former Member of the Japan Science and Technology Agency International High Level Committee 
• Former Member of Board of Trustees of the Library of Alexandria  
• Former Member of Board of Trustees of Beirut Arab University (BAU), Beirut  
• Former Member of the Board of Trustees of the Alamein International University, Egypt
• Former Member of Board of Trustees of the Egyptian-Japanese University for Science and Technology (EJUST), Egypt  
• Former Advisor to the Egyptian Prime Minister in matters concerning culture, science and museums 
• Former Advisor to the Shaikh Al-Azhar on Library matters 
• Former Member of the Advisory Council of the World Food Prize, Des Moines, Iowa, USA
• Former Member of the International Academy of Food Science & Technology, Canada. 
• Former Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Islamic Development Bank
• Former Member of the Advisory Council of the Pacific Institute, California, USA
• Former Member of the Advisory Council of the World Agriculture Prize of India
• Former Member the Lancet International Commission for COVID-19
• Former Co-Chair of the Task Force on “green Recovery” of the Lancet International Commission for COVID-19
• Member of the US National Academies’ committee on Human Genome Editing (2016-2017); 
• Member of the visiting committee of MIT for libraries (2015-2018) 
• UN Ambassador of the Alliance of Civilizations  
• Chairman of the Executive Council of the World Digital Library (WDL) (2010-2017)
• Member of the ICANN Committee on the future of the Internet (2013) 
• Member of the UNESCO-supported World Water Scenarios (2013) 
• Member of the Executive Council of the Encyclopedia of Life (2010-2017). 
• Co-Chair (with Calestous Juma) of the African Union Biotechnology Panel (2006).  
• Co-Chair (with Calestous Juma) of the African Union STI Panel (2012-2013)
• Member of the High Level Group (HLG) of the Secretary-General’s UN initiative for the Alliance of Civilizations, (2005-2006).  
• Chairman of the Youth Employment Summit (YES) Campaign, (1998-2002). 
• Co-Chair (with Jacob Palis) of the Inter-Academy Council Panel on Capacity Building in Science and Technology, (2002-2004).
• Member of the NSF Advisory Committee (2007-2010)

 

 

V. Professional Career:

 

During and after studying at Harvard, Ismail Serageldin worked as a private consultant (1966-1972) and then had a 28-year career at the World Bank (1972-2000) the last seven years of which were as Vice-President of the World Bank (1993-2000). 

 

He also was: 

• The Chairman of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, (CGIAR) - (1973-2000) 
• The Founding Chairman of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) - (1996-2000) 
• The Founding Chairman of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP) - (1997-2000)
• The Chairman of the World Commission On Water in the 21st century (1998-1999).  

 

He then held academic positions as Distinguished Professor in the American University in Cairo(AUC) and in Wageningen University in (2000-2001) 

 

He was Professor at the College de France, holding the Chair for “Knowledge to Fight Poverty” (2010-2011)

 

In 2001 he became the Founding Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the new Library of Alexandria (2001-2017).

 

Subsequently (2017 – present) he serves on many advisory boards and committees for many academic, research, scientific and international institutions and civil society efforts (see above).

 

*****