A Conference for Policymakers and Practitioners

Ismail Serageldin gave the keynote address at the opening of a conference titled Knowledge Management as an Enabler of Change and Innovation in Africa. Serageldin gave an insightful presentation on sharing knowledge effectively and applying research into practice and influencing policymakers. The conference was organized by the Global Development Network, African Capacity Building Foundation, and The World Bank.

Publishing for Impact

At the third conference on Publishing for Impact, Ismail Serageldin encouraged conference participants to embrace the use of print-on-demand and Internet distribution, arguing that it is especially important for non-profit publishers to rise to digital-age challenges to reach readers in developing countries. Publishing for Impact is the only event of its kind that speaks specifically to the concerns of non-profit publishers. Now in its third year, the event focused on publishing across boundaries, both geographic and technological.

Revisiting the Magnificent Coral Reefs of the Red Sea

Ismail Serageldin is once again visiting his beloved corals in the red sea. Ever since Professor Veron named a coral after him, he is hoping to find it in Egyptian waters. The Coral in question, the Montastrea Serageldini (identified in Veron’s monumental 3-volume work: Corals of the world, vol.3) is a native of the Indian Ocean. But hope springs eternal… At any rate, here is a picture of the Montastrea Serageldini:

In the Knowledge Economy, We Are All Developing Nations

Speaking to the assembled dignitaries and students attending the CIP forum, Serageldin delivered a moving keynote address arguing that the need to provide access to all knowledge to all people at all times, was a need that would benefit both advanced and developing countries.

Putting Diversity to Work at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East

Business leaders and policy makers gathered at the World Economic Forum to address the importance of social and political diversity and economic diversification in the region. The theme of this year''s World Economic Forum on the Middle East, Putting Diversity to Work, spotlights efforts to accelerate economic diversification...

On A Boat in Geneva

Meeting with a group of Swiss Egyptians on a boat in the lake by Geneva, Serageldin recreated the inspiring and dramatic story of the ancient library of Alexandria and the rebirth of the new bibliotheca Alexandrina in 2002. Speaking in flawless French, he carried the audience with him on a journey of nostalgia and discovery.

Religion and Science Are Non-overlapping Magisteria

Speaking at a lunch in a discussion moderated by TV anchor Riz Khan, Serageldin spelled out his vision of the need to separate the methods of empirical investigation (the basis for science) from the act of belief and of philosophical reasoning. Serageldin argued that each of these domains or magisteria had its own authority structure and answered different classes of questions.

C-100 Meets Again

Serageldin joined Lord Carey and Princess Lolwah Al Faisal and many others at the meeting of the C-100 held on the occasion of the WEF meetings in Jordan. The discussion centered on the future orientations of the C-100, and the importance of rigor in preparing an annual report on the status of west-Islamic relations.

IUBS Conference Starts with a Bang in Washington DC

Serageldin joined Rita Colwell, Bill Clark, Claire Fraser-Liggett and other distinguished speakers in the opening plenary to launch the IUBS meeting. He spoke of the need to have a new system of measurement that would be capable of capturing the reality of sustainable development.

Committee Reconvenes on Millennium Development Goals

Serageldin and members of the high-level committee on the Millennium Development Goals convened in Rome at the FAO headquarters for their second meeting. The meeting focused on three main topics, the lessons learnt from SPFS; emerging threats to food security with a particular emphasis on climate change and FAO as a knowledge organization.

One, Two, Three, Four…The Hidden Geometries in Shakespearean Constructs

- Alexandria, Egypt

On a bright sunny day, half a century after the death of Shakespeare, a young man darkened his room in Cambridge, and made a hole in his window shutters, allowing only a single beam of sunlight to enter the darkened room. He placed a glass prism in the path of the light, and lo! The bright white light, suddenly became a spectacular explosion of colors! A multicolored rainbow!

Serageldin Presents the Hidden Patterns in Shakespeare’s Plays

At the annual Shakespeare conference, Serageldin engaged his audience by comparing the hidden patterns in the construction of Shakespearean drama to the geometrical phenomena of kaleidoscope and fractals.

Bibliotheca Alexandria Trustees Convene for their Eighth Meeting

Meetings of the BA’s Board of Trustees were held in Alexandria and reflected well on the enormous progress achieved at the BA throughout the previous year. The Board also authorized the release of the fifth Annual Report of the BA.

Wikipedia Interviews Serageldin

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina welcomed Mr. John Murillo and Mr. Brishen Mahoney, who were on a journey around the world preparing a documentary about free access to knowledge. They came to Alexandria to interview Ismail Serageldin and to visit the BA, its specialized libraries, exhibitions, galleries, the Planetarium, Culturama, and the BA conference center.

Serageldin Hosts Helsinki Process Roundtable at the BA

Religions for Peace Honorary President, Ismail Serageldin, hosted a roundtable meeting of the Helsinki Process at the BA. More than twenty participants, from religious organizations, governments, academia, and development agencies, worked together in the Roundtable.

Brainstorming on “Hate as a Contagious Disease"

The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity convened a meeting on “Hate as a Contagious Disease”. The meeting was hosted by Dr. Vartan Gregorian, President of the Carnegie Corporation. In his opening remarks, Professor Wiesel said that “Hate is ultimately self-destructive…while memory can be a shield against hatred, memory can also be used to fuel hatred and to justify violence.”

BA Hosts GFAR Meeting

Ismail Serageldin hosted the participatory retreat of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The meeting discussed ways to formulate the central theme, direction and priorities through a business plan for the coming three years. Serageldin stressed on the vital role of GFAR in mobilizing agricultural research globally for development.

President Khatami Speaks on the Dialogue of Civilizations at the BA

Former Iranian President – Mohamed Khatami – came to the Library of Alexandria to speak about the Dialogue of Civilizations. President Khatami started off his speech by speaking about the value of books, science, and rationality. On the role of the Library of Alexandria as a modern knowledge center, Khatami spoke fondly of the efforts to revive the Library of Alexandria, as a center of knowledge, research and information for the whole world.

Serageldin Speaks at the Belgium Senate

At the invitation of the European Movement International, Ismail Serageldin gave a speech to the Belgium Senate on the “Alliance of Civilization”. The event was co-hosted by the European Movement International via its Vice-President, Mr. Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb in partnership with the Belgium Senate and its President Mrs. Anne-Marie Lizin.

A Record Attendance at BioVision 2007

Serageldin joined a record number of world leaders in science, society and industry, who gathered in Lyon for the BioVision conference to debate the role and contribution of life sciences to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDSs). The conference was attended by 2,285 delegates (1,639 in 2005) representing 75 countries.

Charles Correa Presents the Language of Architecture at the BA

Ismail Serageldin welcomed good friend and world renowned architect, planner, activist, theoretician and a fundamental figure in the world-wide panorama of the contemporary architecture to the BA where he delivered a lecture on the language of architecture. Throughout the lecture, Correa covered a wide range of his works...

Serageldin Welcomes Superstar Hussein Fahmy to the BA

Film star and former UN Goodwill Ambassador came to the BA to speak about the role of the arts in community development. The talk was organized and hosted by the BA Friends Association. During his talk, Hussein Fahmy highlighted the importance of art in reflecting the reality of people and their aspirations in developing their community.

World Bank African Development Indicators Launched at the BA

At a seminar at the BA, the World Bank African Development Indicators were launched by the World Bank Public Information Center. Serageldin chaired the session during which the report was presented Mr. Jorge Saba Arbache.

Women and Human Rights Take Center Stage at the Fourth Arab Reform Conference

The BA organized and hosted the fourth conference on Arab reform issues with a special focus on women and human rights. Ismail Serageldin chaired both the opening and closing sessions of the conference in addition to a session on the role of social capital in reform.

A Magisterial Series of Lectures on American History and Contemporary Reality

In answer to the recurring requests by the students of the Alexandria University, Ismail Serageldin delivered a series of five lectures on American history and contemporary reality over the course of two days! Serageldin gave a lucid account of the epic transformation of a handful of colonial settlements into the world’s undisputed superpower forges a nation and a national character.

CREF Board of Trustees Meeting Brings Serageldin to Cyprus

Ismail Serageldin attended the Board of Trustees meeting of the Cyprus Research and Educational Foundation (CREF) of which he is a board member. The meeting was chaired by H.E. President of the Republic Mr. Tassos Papadopoulos at the Presidential Palace.

Tenth BA Management Retreat

Ismail Serageldin gathered all the BA senior and junior managers for a two-day management retreat in Cairo, in which he delivered a number of presentations that ranged from staff attitude surveys to the Millennium Development Goals!

Serageldin Meets with the New Head of Japan’s Delegation to the JA Dialogue

Ismail Serageldin visited Tokyo to meet with H.E. Mr. Taro Nakayama, the new Head of Japan’s delegation to the Japan Arab dialogue forum. Serageldin and Mr. Nakayama overviewed the agenda of the fifth meeting of the forum and discussed the proposed conference on Japan Arab relations scheduled to take place in November 2007 in Alexandria.

Serageldin in Trieste for TWAS Steering Committee Meeting

Ismail Serageldin attended the first meeting of the TWAS Steering Committee. Members of the steering committee convened to overview the latest objectives and activities of the Academy.

Serageldin Welcomes Robert Putnam to the BA

Renowned Harvard Professor of Political Sciences, Robert Putnam delivered a talk at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina on community involvement in America. The talk was moderated by Ismail Serageldin and was very well received by the audience.

Freedom of Expression

 Ismail Serageldin    Download

Inventing Our Future: Essays on Freedom, Democracy and Reform in the Arab World. 2nd ed

 Ismail Serageldin    Download

We are living in truly historic times. At the dawn of the new millennium, a scientific and technological revolution grips the world and is pushing us all, willy-nilly, into the information age...

Science: The Culture of Living Change. 2nd ed

 Ismail Serageldin    Download

Islam and Democracy

 Ismail Serageldin    Download

Thank you for inviting me to deliver this important address. There has never been a time when the polarization of feelings has been as acute, and the stakes for the promotion of common understanding and mutual respect as great as right now. The advocates of the ostensible "clash of civilizations” who want to make it a self-fulfilling prophecy, find ample comfort in the statements and actions of the extremist few. The media amplify the statements and views of those who do not want to know better, and the voices of reason are drowned out in the cacophony of images and messages that preach hatred and destruction.

Hassan Fathy : The Man and His Legacy

 Ismail Serageldin    Download

Much More Than a Building … : Reclaiming the Legacy of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

 Ismail Serageldin    Download

التجديد و التأصيل: في عمارة المجتمعات الإسلامية تجربة جائزة الأغاخان للعمارة

 Ismail Serageldin    Download

Meeting on Biotechnology and Human Security

Ismail Serageldin was invited to a meeting hosted by the Secretary-General Kofi Annan with leading figures from life science, industry, government, international institutions and civil society at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Reinventing Egyptian Education

- Conference Closing Summation at the AMIDEAST 50^th Anniversary Celebration, Cairo, Egypt

I am delighted to join you in celebrating the 50th anniversary of AMIDEAST’s activities in Egypt. Half a century where AMIDEAST has helped build bridges between the US and Egypt, even in turbulent times, like the period we are going through right now.

Reinventing Egyptian Education

Serageldin Presents Science in Egypt from Imhotep to Zewail

Ismail Serageldin delivered a lucid presentation on science in Egypt at the opening session of the InterAcademy Panel conference themed ''The Unity of Science'' hosted at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

An Evening to Remember

Gathered among many friends and family, Nevine and Ismail Serageldin celebrated their 40th Wedding anniversary with a dinner and reception. In a memorable speech, Ismail Serageldin said that forty years of marriage have gone by in a blink of an eye.

Alliance of Civilizations – THE REPORT

The Report of the High-level Group of the Alliance of Civilizations was presented to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and to Prime Ministers José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the final meeting of the High-level Group.

Information, Savoir et Sagesse

- Geneva, Switzerland

Au début de cette allocution que vous me faites l’honneur de me permettre de vous présenter, je voudrais essayer de préciser les termes de mon exposé. Car pour discuter une réalité complexe, il faudrait utiliser des concepts précis… comme le disait le président Mitterrand:

Statement of Thanks

- Bajaj Foundation, Mumbai, India

It is difficult to speak at a moment like this. For any person who believes in human dignity, in human rights, in peace, in non-violence… the name of Mahatma Gandhi shines like the sun… it extinguishes from view all the stars of the firmament. Indeed, it has been rightly said that it is difficult to imagine that such a person walked the earth…

Freedom of Expression… at the Close of 2006!

- Remarks Delivered at the Close of the Ibsen Centennial Celebration at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt

Consider the paradox of our times. We live in a time of peerless communication, where news is instantaneous, and more information – and disinformation – is available on the Internet for all, at all times. The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) revolution is creating a more connected world, a more informed world, and a world with much more in common than we ever had before.

Nantes University Honors Serageldin

Ismail Serageldin received an Honorary Doctorate from Nantes University in recognition of his efforts towards cultural development. The celebration heard a talk by Serageldin on the cultural, social, and scientific role of the Library of Alexandria.

Serageldin Receives Award for Promoting Gandhian Values

The prestigious Jamnalal Bajaj Awards for this year were declared yesterday and will be conferred upon the recipients in a ceremony in November 2006. Ismail Serageldin will be honored for promoting Ghandian values outside India.

Vision for Alexandria

Under the auspices of H.E. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and in collaboration with the Alexandria Governorate, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) held a conference to present the projects submitted for the development of the Eastern Harbor and the area surrounding the BA.

STS Plenary Session Speech “Summaries from Concurrent Sessions”

- Speech at Plenary Session “Summaries from Concurrent Sessions” - Summarizing Track D Concurrent Sessions, Third Annual Meeting of the STS forum, Kyoto, Japan

The Three sessions that I am reporting on dealt with Science literacy for all; universities in the 21st century; and science and technology for/in developing countries. The discussions were very rich. Some issues such as IPR, the digital divide and the gender dimension were recurring background themes but have been formally addressed in other sessions.