The BA Board of Trustees: Promoting Collaboration with Al-Azhar and Institut d’Egypte, Supporting Young Researchers, and Focusing on Issues of Development
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The BA Board of Trustees (BOT) held, on 21 and 22 April, its 13th annual meeting presided by Dr. Abd El-Aziz Hegazy. The BOT is comprised of 26 Egyptian, Arab and International public figures, and is the body that sets the BA general policies.
The Meeting discussed the BA’s achievements in 2011-2012: its positive interaction with the Egyptian Revolution, fostering constructive dialogue between the diverse political and ideological players, launching several youth initiatives, and interacting with the different institutions, most significantly Al-Azhar. This was highlighted in the Azhar Declaration, and the dialogue it sparked nationally, regionally and internationally.
The BOT members gave a vote of confidence to Dr. Ismail Serageldin as the Director of the BA, commending his efforts and policies in developing the work done by the different BA departments, as well as the transparency and discipline observed in all administrative and financial procedures during the past ten years. The BOT members also discussed the fostering of partnerships with different Egyptian institutions such as Institut d’Egypte, Sennary House, and collaboration with universities outside Cairo and Alexandria, and other libraries in Egypt, in addition to suggested cooperation with different Egyptian societies such as the Egyptian Engineers Society and the Egyptian Society of Political Economy, Statistics and Legislation (ESPESL). The Meeting also tackled international collaboration, such as the partnership with the Library of Congress in the World Digital Library (WDL) project, the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) project in the field of biodiversity led by different world institutions, the United Nations Universal Networking Language (UNL) project, besides the “Re-issuing the Classics of the Islamic Heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries (13th and 14th Hijri centuries)” Project that was launched in 2006, and produced about 24 books by prominent Arab and Muslim scholars.
The BOT Members have also approved the establishment of “The Center for Development Studies” which aims to promote the democratic system, and to propose visions for future development in all fields, a necessity in Egypt in the context of the current scene. Members also decided on the establishment of a Museums and Exhibitions Sector, which would contribute to the fostering of museum science in Egypt.
The BOT commended the expanded availability of scientific research tools inside the Library, such as Super Computer and VISTA, to Egyptian and international researchers.
The Members proposed an international celebration on the occasion of the BA tenth anniversary this autumn, to be held under the auspices of the next president of Egypt who is the President of the BA BOT.
The BOT concluded its convention with high hopes that the BA will continue its role in promoting freedom and development and the democratic transition of Egypt. They applauded the new spirit of change, the role of youth, and the maintenance of stability.