The BA is hosting a conference entitled Investing in Cultural Heritage, in preparation for the Second International Cultural Heritage Conference to be held in Rome in 2009. As Vice-President of the World Bank (at the time), Serageldin had played a key role in the First International Cultural Heritage Conference held in Florence in 1999, which was co-sponsored by the Government of Italy, the World Bank and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Serageldin inaugurated the conference with a film displaying the laudable achievements of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, stating that it was the express wish of HE Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak - under whose auspices the conference is being held, but who was unable to be present in person - that the film be shown to demonstrate why the conference was held at the BA in particular.
Serageldin then went on to fascinate the audience, once again, with an inspiring presentation entitled Culture and Development, where he demonstrated people’s yearning for identity and authenticity, and emphasized the importance of investing in the preservation of the cultural identity, its continuity and its renewal.
Over the next three days, about 150 participants from various fields of expertise in the MENA region will discuss the political, economic, social, and technological aspects related to investment in cultural heritage, and will focus on the necessary action to be taken for this goal.