BA Director

The Board of Trustees appoints the Director of the Library for a period of five years, renewable, and determines the Director’s remuneration. This appointment is by a decision of the Board supported by two-thirds of its attending members, and it is essential that the candidate be a person of international standing, wide culture, and managerial and technical competence. The Director is the Chief Executive Officer of the Library, and is entrusted with the execution of the policies established by the Board of Trustees. The Director prepares the agenda for the Board meetings, and attends the meetings, but does not vote on decisions before the Board.

The Director is the Head of the staff, and appoints, promotes and terminates their services, in accordance with the legal personnel statutes of the Library.

The Director is the legal representative of the Library before the judiciary and in its dealings with others. (Presidential Decree 76 for the year 2001, Article 5)

Ismail Serageldin
Librarian of Alexandria
Director of the BA

Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria and Member of the Senate in Egypt (Majlis Al-Shura), also chairs the Boards of Directors for each of the BA’s affiliated research institutes and museums, and is Distinguished Professor at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He serves as Chair and Member of a number of advisory committees for academic, research, scientific and international institutions and civil society efforts. He is also member of the Supreme Council of Cultures, l’Institut d’Egypte (Egyptian Academy of Science), TWAS, the Indian National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He is former Chairman of CGIAR, (1994–2000), Founder and former Chairman of GWP, (1996–2000), CGAP, (1995–2000), a microfinance program(1995–2000).Serageldin has also served in a number of capacities at the World Bank, including Vice-President for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development (1992–1998), and for Special Programs (1998–2000). He has published over 50 books and monographs and over 200 papers on a variety of topics including biotechnology, rural development, sustainability, and the value of science to society. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Cairo University, and Masters’ degree and PhD from Harvard University, and has received 21 honorary doctorates.

For Dr. Ismail Serageldin’s full biography, visit:
http://www.serageldin.com/