MoU with V-Dem

Serageldin signed an agreement with Staffan I. Lindberg and Abdalhadi Alijla from “Varieties of Democracy Institute” (V-Dem).

BA and EdX Sign Educational Agreement

Serageldin signed an educational agreement with edX, whereby the Library of Alexandria and edX have become partners to bring an educational platform within reach of young people in remote areas of Egypt, to empower women and fight extremist ideology.

Serageldin in MIT for Libraries Visiting Committee Meeting

This week Serageldin joined 17 members of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Libraries Visiting Committee for their biennial meeting. At the end of the two day meeting, which included lunch with the students, the committee presented a report to the Institute Administration.

BA and Institut d’Égypte Have Common Mission

In partnership with the Singer-Polignac Foundation, the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Egypt in France co-organized a conference entitled L'Egypte, hier et aujourd'hui,presenting three aspects of Egypt from both a historical and a contemporary perspective : theLibrary of Alexandria, the Institut d’Égypte and the Suez Canal.

NGIC Convenes in Preparatory Meeting

The Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) convened once again in a preparatory meeting for the third Baku Forum on Shared Societies to be held in April of this year together with Club de Madrid (CdM) on the theme Rebuilding Trust in Wider Europe – A High Level NGIC/CdM Initiative.

World Bank Roundtable Discussions to Combat Poverty

Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, invited Serageldin to a roundtable discussion hosted at the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington DC, with a cross-section of faith-based organizations and religious leaders to foster dialogue and greater collaboration in the common pursuit of combatting poverty.

The Cities of the Future

“... The cities I dream of are humanist creations where buildings are designed for people and their idiosyncratic needs and technology is woven into the very fabric of the urban tissue, to serve the residents, recycle waste and protect the environment..."

On Challenging the Extremist Currents

Serageldin has written an essay representing his reflections on “challenging the extremist currents in our midst, challenging them intellectually, and reclaiming our cultural heritage from those who would usurp it and use it for their own political ends”, and also on “the role that the Library of Alexandria, joining with all the cultural institutions of our society, can play in confronting extremism and violence”.

Confronting Extremist Ideas with Ideas

This week Bibliotheca Alexandria hosted a three day Regional Conference for a Comprehensive Arab Strategy towards the Confrontation of Terrorism and Extremism.

Confronting Extremist Ideas with Ideas

- Alexandria, Egypt

The Challenge: A Cultural Program to Reject Extremism and Violence

 Ismail Serageldin    Download

التحدي رؤية ثقافية لمجابهة التطرف والعنف

 Ismail Serageldin    Download

Cities of the Future

 Ismail Serageldin  

Serageldin's Interview with Mahmoud El-Werwary (El-Hadas Channel)

Strengthening BA Ties with Sweden’s Cultural Institutions

In a five day visit to Sweden, Serageldin held several fruitful meetings with the heads of major cultural institutions in Gothenburg and Stockholm, such as the National Library of Sweden, the National Museums of World Culture, the Tällberg Foundation, the Swedish Institute, and the Stockholm International Water Institute.

Dialogue on Democracy

In a policy dialogue entitled “Democracy and Human Rights in Decline”, organized by the Club de Madrid and the Robert F. Kennedy Center (RFK) Center, with the Bertelsmann Stiftung as knowledge partner, Serageldin joined fellow panelists in a discussion on the state and the future of democracy.

Chirac Foundation Honors Winners of Peace Prizes

As a founding member of the Chirac Foundation, Serageldin participated in the ceremony held at at Musée du quai Branly in Paris to award the winners of the Conflict Prevention Prize and the Culture for Peace Prize.

Serageldin's Interview with Mofeed Fawzi (Dream2 Channel)

Serageldin Appointed Advisor to Egyptian Prime Minister

Egyptian PM Ibrahim Mehleb has appointed Ismail Serageldin as his advisor in matters concerning culture, science, and museums.


As per his request, Serageldin will not be receiving any payment or allowances.

A talk to MIT Egyptian Student Association

Serageldin will give a talk today to the MIT Egyptian Student Association (ESA). The Lecture, entitled "The Library of Alexandria: Rebirth and Revolution", will be held in classroom 34-101, EG&G Education Center, MIT, at 6:30 pm, and will be followed by questions from the audience.

Serageldin Chairs WDL Executive Council Meeting

As Chairman of the Executive Council of the World Digital Library (WDL), Serageldin convened with the members of the Council for a meeting held in Rome on 29 October 2014.

Insights on Digitization at the International Summit of the Book

The third annual meeting of the International Summit of the Book this year convened in Paris at the Grand auditorium, Quai François Mauriac. Organized by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) in partnership with the Centre national du livre (CNL), the conference laid emphasis on the role of translation as the source of a European way of thinking and on digitisation as a new memorial space

Innovative Approaches in Addressing Climate Change

Hundreds of policymakers, business leaders, and researchers from all over the world participated in The First Annual Conference of Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) which was held on the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe’s proposal to establish a new international conference to discuss global cooperation to address climate change.

Serageldin Chairs STS Plenary Session on ICT Impact

At the annual meeting of the Science and Technology in Society (STS) forum (www.stsforum.org), Serageldin chaired a plenary session entitled “Dialogue among Political Leaders, Scientists and Industrialists (Society Changed by ICT – Security and Privacy –)”. The discussion focused on how the ICT revolution, with both the big data that it produces and handles, and the social connectivity it provides, is transforming social and economic relations on a global scale.

Serageldin Shares Insights with JST Advisory Committee

At the invitation of Dr. Michiharu Nakamura, President of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) , Serageldin participates today in the JST Advisory Committee Meeting. JST is a major funding agency in Japan under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Chirac Foundation selects winners of a new Peace Prize

Jacques Chirac, Former President of France, invited Serageldin to sit on the Jury selecting the winner(s) of the Chirac Foundation Culture for Peace Prize. Since the inauguration of the Chirac Foundation in 2008, Serageldin has been a member of its Honorary Committee and has served on the jury of the Chirac Foundation Prize for Conflict Prevention, which rewards women and men committed to fighting on a daily basis so that tensions do not escalate into serious conflicts.

On Rebuilding a New World Order

In the attendance of many former presidents and prime ministers, Serageldin delivered the opening statement at the preparatory meeting for the third Nizami Ganjavi International Center(NGIC)/ Club de Madrid (CdM) Baku Forum on the theme Rebuilding Trust in Wider Europe – A High Level NGIC/CdM Initiative.

Facing Facts: What’s Wrong with the Current World Order!

- NGIC-CdM meeting in Andorra

We are gathered here today at a critical moment in world history. The world order that had so patiently been erected in the last half century has become unraveled. It is not the end of history as Fukuyama claimed, nor is it the clash of civilizations as Huntington believed… it is much worse.

Discussions on Internet Public Policy at the IGF

At the Ninth Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held from 2 to 5 September in Istanbul, Serageldin joined fellow panelists from Australia, Europe, USA, Africa, the Middle East and representatives of International Organizations, in a workshop session entitled “One World, Diverse Content and Flexible Access”.

A Lecture at Martin Bodmer Foundation

The Martin Bodmer Foundation invited serageldin to give a lecture at their exhibition entitled Alexandria the Divine held from 5 April to 31 August 2014. He was specifically asked to give the same highly applauded lecture he had given at the University of Geneva in celebration of its 450th anniversary, in March 2009.

A Panel Discussion on Digitization at CDNL

At the Conference of Directors of National Libraries (CDNL) held during the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Congress, and hosted by the National Library of France, Serageldin joined fellow panelistsin a discussion on Digitization as a tool for national and international cooperation.

Embracing the Challenge, Inventing the Future

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)’s Section on Education and Training (SET) 40th Anniversary Summit opened with Serageldin’s keynote speech entitled “Building Tomorrow’s Library Today: The New Library of Alexandria”...

Valuation of Environmental and Cultural Benefits : Session 03

Valuation of Environmental and Cultural Benefits : Session 04

Valuation of Environmental and Cultural Benefits : Session 05

Valuation of Environmental and Cultural Benefits : Session 02

Valuation of Environmental and Cultural Benefits : Session 01

It's Natural: Know the World, Know Yourself

- Barcelona

Keynote speech at the international conference cycle "Ciutadella Park: The First Science Park in Barcelona".

The Future Roles and Challenges of Museums

In the closing session of the international conference cycle "Ciutadella Park: The First Science Park in Barcelona", organized by the Natural History Museum of Barcelona and the Barcelona Zoo Foundation, Serageldin gave a keynote speech entitled ‘It’s Natural: Know the World, Know Yourself’.

On the Art of Living

Serageldin contributed a short essay to the book, 'The Art of Living: a Practical Guide to Being Alive' compiled by Claire Elizabeth Terry, President, The Art of Living. The collection features contributions by the Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mario Vargas Llosa, Muhammad Yunus, Deepak Chopra,Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Desmond Tutu, and many other international figures.

Ancient Wisdom

It was alongside the rivers here by the Nile and in Mesopotamia that agriculture and the first civilizations arose. Egypt … a land as old as time … a legacy of grandeur and achievement that defies time. Herodotus called Egypt “the gift of the Nile” and the Ancient Egyptian gave the world an unparalleled gift of knowledge and ancient wisdom

Cosmology

Since the earliest times, humans have looked at the heavens and tried to understand the stars, the sun, the moon. Gradually we learned to understand the structure of the universe and today we have come to know the magnitude of the physical universe in which we exist. Its vastness in terms of time and space exceeds the wildest dreams of the Ancients and the enormity of the cosmos is really a challenge to the human imagination to fully embrace. This is the story of modern cosmology.

Voyage to the Moon

Humans have long been enthralled by the moon. … even before machine-powered flight was a reality, some were dreaming of travelling to the moon. In an amazingly short time, 66 years from the first flight of the Wright brothers in 1903, to 20th July 1969, Neil Armstrong actually walked on the moon. It was the greatest accomplishment of humanity … and this is the story of that voyage to the moon.

The New Library of Alexandria

The Ancient Library of Alexandria was the greatest adventure of the human intellect. Part academy, part research center, part library, it welcomed the greatest thinkers of the age. The library completely disappeared over 1600 years ago but continued to inspire scientists and scholars everywhere. A few years ago it came to life again. This is the story of this great Egyptian project … the story of the rebirth of the fabled Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the New Library of Alexandria.

The Glory of Alexandria

To the whole world the very name of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina conjures up the image of a glorious past, of a shared heritage for all of humanity. 2300 years ago, Alexander the Great, in pursuit of his dreams of culture and conquest, selected the site for a new capital, Alexandria, and his successors in Egypt, the Ptolemies, made it the intellectual capital of the world.

Egypt Reawakens

In the 15th and 16th centuries, while Europe was going through a scientific revolution, Egypt had sunk to backwardness and obscurantism. It was first stirred from its slumbers with the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte and his expeditionary force which included 150 scientists, printing presses and the best available science and technology. Later it was at the hands of Mohamed Ali Pasha, sent by the Ottoman Sultan as commander of an expeditionary force, as he set about modernizing the country.

Muslim Grandeur

The dark ages settle in Europe and the ancient world, but out of the east comes a new force … Islam explodes out of Arabia and within a few decades a vast new Muslim empire dominates world civilization. It is to write a brilliant chapter in the history of knowledge and learning, tolerance and understanding. While Europe sinks into the dark ages, from Iran and Iraq in the east to Andalusia in the west, with Egypt and the Levant at the core, the torch of art and science is held high.

How Biology Became a Science

This series of 25-minute episodes, each enriched with an abundance of visual material, is available in both English and Arabic. Dr. Serageldin takes us on a journey of exploration and discovery in the realm of science, from distant space to the frontiers of tomorrow.

The Story of Life on Earth

The story of life starts with the formation of earth from the primeval dust 4.5 billion years ago … but it is not until nearly a billion years later that life begins in the warm waters of the oceans and earth evolves into the planet that we know today .. full of life and wonder.

Encyclopedia of Life (EOL)

The enormous diversity of life … a constant and endless fascination for humans from the most ancient of times. But how do we organize the enormous amount of information that we have about life on earth? With the help of the internet, in the early part of the 21st century, scientists are collectively writing a book that will include all the species known and all the literature on the biodiversity of the planet.