As Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bibliotheca Alexandria (BA), President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi presided over the opening session of the sixteenth annual meeting of the Board, which was held on 18 and 19 April 2015 in the presence of a number of prominent Egyptian and foreign scientists and intellectuals. The President began his speech by commending the historic and contemporary role of the BA as a center of culture and enlightenment. He also praised its role in preserving heritage in different fields, such as science, art, and culture. President Al-Sisi emphasized the importance of extending the activities of the BA to every corner of Egypt. He stated that the BA should move forward with its projects and focus on education in particular. After the meeting, the President presented Former President Adly Mansour, current President of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, with the first edition of the book published by the BA, documenting Mansour’s presidential term. The Board approved the construction of a conference center, exhibition hall, and museum in the 6th of October City, as well as the restructuring of the Science City project. It also agreed on collaboration with a number of U.S. universities in the Distance Learning program: the first BA educational program for graduate students in Egypt and the Arab world
