Ismail Serageldin (; born 1944 in

Giza Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah, Gizeh, Geeza, Jiza''; , , ' ) is the third-largest city in Egypt by area after Cairo and Alexandria; and fourth-largest city in Africa by population after Kinshasa, Lagos, and Cairo. It is the capital of ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

), Founding Director of the

Bibliotheca Alexandrina The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Latin, 'Library of Alexandria'; , ) (BA) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria, once one of the larg ...

(BA), the new Library of

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, inaugurated in 2002, is currently, Emeritus Librarian, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Library of Alexandria. He serves as Chair or Member of a number of advisory committees for academic, research, scientific and international institutions and civil society efforts, and serves on the Advisory Committee of the World Social Science Report for 2013 and 2016, as well as the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

-supported World Water Scenarios (2013) and the executive council of the Encyclopedia of Life (2010) and Chairs the Executive Council of the

World Digital Library The World Digital Library (WDL) is an international digital library operated by UNESCO and the United States Library of Congress. The WDL has stated that its mission is to promote international and intercultural understanding, expand the volume ...

(2010). He also co-chaired the African Union's high level panel for Biotechnology (2006) and again for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in 2012–2013, and was a member of the ICANN Panel for the review of the internet future (2013). Before that he notably co-chaired the Inter-Academy Panel on Capacity Building for Science in (2003-2004) and was a member of the High Level group for the Alliance of Civilizations convened by the Secretary General of the United Nations (2006-2007). He has held many important international positions, including Vice President of the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

(1992-2000), and Chairman Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (

CGIAR CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) is a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security. CGIAR research aims to reduce rural poverty, increase food ...

, 1994–2000), founder and former chairman of the Global Water Partnership (GWP, 1996–2000) and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP), a micro finance program (1995-2000) and was professor of the International Savoirs Contre Pauvreté (Knowledge Against Poverty), at

Collège de France The (), formerly known as the or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment () in France. It is located in Paris near La Sorbonne. The has been considered to be France's most ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, and distinguished professor at

Wageningen University Wageningen University & Research (also known as WUR) is a public university, public research university in Wageningen, Netherlands, specializing in life sciences with a focus on agriculture, technical and engineering subjects. It is a globally i ...

the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. Serageldin is sometimes referred to as the "most intelligent man in Egypt". Serageldin has published over 100 books and monographs and over 500 papers on a variety of topics, including

biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...

, rural development, sustainability, and the value of science to society. He has hosted a cultural program on television in

(over 130 episodes) and developed a TV Science Series in Arabic and English. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from

Cairo University Cairo University () is Egypt's premier public university. Its main campus is in Giza, immediately across the Nile from Cairo. It was founded on 21 December 1908;"Brief history and development of Cairo University." Cairo University Faculty of En ...

and a master's degree and a Ph.D. from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and has received 38 honorary doctorates. In August 2017, an Egyptian judge sentenced Serageldin to three and a half years in prison, for alleged management decisions he made prior to 2011. Over 300 eminent persons, including 90 Nobel Prize winners and 20 current and former heads of state, signed a letter supporting Serageldin and objecting to the verdict, and the case was appealed. On 26 December 2017, the Appeals Court delivered its verdict and dismissed all the charges against Ismail Serageldin. The Court found that all the accusations were baseless. Ismail Serageldin is now declared innocent of all the allegations made against him during the previous seven years.

Biography

Ismail Serageldin, Founding Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), the new Library of Alexandria, inaugurated in 2002, is currently, Emeritus Librarian, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Library of Alexandria. He is advisor to the Egyptian prime minister in matters concerning culture, science and museums. He serves as Chair or Member of a number of advisory committees for academic, research, scientific and international institutions and civil society efforts, including as co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), and serves on the Advisory Committee of the World Social Science Report for 2013 and 2016, as well as the UNESCO-supported World Water Scenarios (2013) and the executive council of the Encyclopedia of Life (2010) and Chairs the Executive Council of the World Digital Library (2010). He also co-chaired the African Union's high level panel for Biotechnology (2006) and again for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in 2012–2013, and was a member of the ICANN Panel for the review of the internet future (2013). Before that he notably co-chaired the Inter-Academy Panel on Capacity Building for Science in (2003-2004) and was a member of the High Level group for the Alliance of Civilizations convened by the Secretary General of the United Nations (2006-2007). He is a member of many academies, including the US National Academy of Sciences (Public Welfare Medalist), the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the World Academy of Arts and Sciences (WAAS), the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the African Academy of Sciences, Institut d'Egypte (Egyptian Academy of Science), the Royal Belgian Academy, the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He lectures widely, and has delivered the Mandela Lecture in Johannesburg (2011) and the Nexus Lecture in Tilburg, the Netherlands (2011) as well as the opening keynote address to the first International Summit of the Book at the Library of Congress in Washington DC (2012). He has received the Order of the Rising Sun from Japan and the Légion d'honneur from France and is a Commandeur of Arts and Letters of the French Republic. In 2013, Serageldin and the BA received the Calouste Gulbenkian International Prize for thoughts and actions that make a decisive contribution to, and have significant impact on understanding, defending and fostering the universal values of respect for diversity and difference, a culture of tolerance and the conservation of the environment. He has also received the Pablo Neruda Medal from Chile, India's Bajaj Prize for upholding Gandhian values outside India, and was the first recipient of the Grameen Prize for lifelong efforts to fight poverty, and received the Champion of Youth Award by the World Youth Congress in Canada.

Early years

Serageldin was graduated with First class honors in 1964 from

from which he holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering. In 1968, he earned his master's degree with distinction from

followed by a PhD from the same university four years later. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked as a consultant in city and regional planning, and taught at Cairo University and Harvard University.

Career

Serageldin joined the World Bank through the Young Professionals Program after completing his Ph.D. at Harvard University. Serageldin worked in a number of capacities in the World bank since joining in 1972 and became vice president for Environmentally Sustainable Development in October 1992 (effective January 1, 1993). Economist in education and human resources (1972–76); Division Chief for Technical Assistance and Special Studies (1977–80), and for Urban Projects in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (1980–83); Director for Programs in West Africa (1984–87), Country Director for Central and Occidental Africa (1987–89), Technical Director for all Sub-Saharan Africa (1990–92), and vice-president for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development (1993–98). In addition, he was active in promoting NGO-Bank relations, and served as co-chairman of the NGO-Bank Committee (1997–99). He has held many important international positions, including Vice President of the World Bank (1992-2000), and the 7th Chairman Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR, 1994–2000), founder and former chairman of the Global Water Partnership (GWP, 1996–2000) and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP), a microfinance program (1995-2000) and was professor of the International Savoirs Contre Pauvreté (Knowledge Against Poverty), at

, Paris, and distinguished professor at

in the Netherlands. After a career of 28 years at the World Bank, Ismail Serageldin resigned on 10 July 2000 to return to his home country, Egypt. Currently, Serageldin is Emeritus Librarian, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Library of Alexandria. Throughout that long career, Serageldin has been known as an innovator who always pushed the envelope of current thinking with a view to introduce more of the "non-economic" facets of development into the mainstream paradigm: social issues, gender, environment, culture, and governance. An ardent advocate of the poor and the marginalized, he also built bridges between the civil society and the Bank. An overall assessment of Ismail Serageldin's career at the Bank is eloquently summed up in the statement released by World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn on the occasion of Serageldin's retirement.

Currently

* Emeritus Librarian, Library of Alexandria * Member of Board of Trustees of the Library of Alexandria * Member of Board of Trustees of Beirut Arab University (BAU), Beirut * Advisor to the Egyptian Prime Minister in matters concerning culture, science and museums * Ambassador of the Alliance of Civilizations * Chairman of the Executive Council of the World Digital Library (WDL). * Chair and member of a number of Boards of Directors and advisory committees for academic, research, scientific and international institutions and civil society effort. * Co-chair of the UNESCO supported World Water Scenarios (2013) and the executive council of the Encyclopedia of Life (2010).

Personal life

Ismail Serageldin was married to the late Mrs. Nevine Madkour with one son. He is tri-lingual: Arabic, French and English.

Honorary degrees

* 1996: Doctor of

Sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

* 1996: Doctor of

Agricultural Science Agricultural science (or agriscience for short) is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. Professio ...

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

, Australia * 1997:

Doctor of Science A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...

, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, India * 1998: Doctor of

International Affairs International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...

American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, United States * 1998: Doctor of Science, Punjab Agricultural University, India * 1998: Doctor of Science, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India * 1998: Doctor of

Natural resource management Natural resource management (NRM) is the management of natural resources such as Land (economics), land, water, soil, plants and animals, with a particular focus on how management affects the quality of life for both present and future generati ...

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

, United States * 1999: Doctor of Science, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,

Coimbatore Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...

, India * 1999: Doctor of Science, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University,

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

, India * 1999: Doctor of

Economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

and

Management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...

, CNAM,

, France * 1999: Doctor of Science,

Egerton University Egerton University is a public university in Kenya. It is the oldest institution of higher education in Kenya. Location The main campus of the university is located in Njoro, a small community approximately , southwest of the town of Nakuru. T ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

* 1999: Doctor of

, University of Tuscia, Italy * 2000: Doctor of Humane Letters,

American University in Cairo The American University in Cairo (AUC; ) is a private research university in New Cairo, Egypt. The university offers American-style learning programs at undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels, along with a continuing education program. ...

* 2002: Doctor of Science,

Southern New Hampshire University Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private university between Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire, United States. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, along with ...

Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is the List of municipalities in New Hampshire, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Located on the banks of the Merrimack River, it had a population of 115,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Manches ...

, United States * 2003: Doctor of Science,

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, Canada * 2004: Doctor of Letters,

University of Technology An institute of technology (also referred to as technological university, technical university, university of technology, polytechnic university) is an institution of tertiary education that specializes in engineering, technology, applied science ...

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, Australia * 2004: Doctor of Letters,

Paul Sabatier University Paul Sabatier University (''Université Paul Sabatier'' , UPS, also known as Toulouse III) was a French university, in the Academy of Toulouse. It was one of the several successor universities of the University of Toulouse, established in 1229, m ...

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

, France * 2005:

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, United States * 2006: Doctor of Letters, Université de Nantes,

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

, France * 2007: Doctor of Science, Azerbaijan State Economic University,

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

* 2007: Doctor of Society Development, Khazar University, Baku, Azerbaijan * 2008: Doctor of Letters,

Laval University Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Luxe ...

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

, Canada * 2009: Doctor of Arts, Beirut Arab University,

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

* 2009: Doctor Diploma, Azerbaijan Cooperation University, Baku, Azerbaijan * 2009: Doctor Diploma, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of History, Baku Azerbaijan * 2009: Doctor of Letters,

University of Dublin The University of Dublin (), corporately named as The Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin, is a research university located in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the degree-awarding body for Trinity College Dublin, whi ...

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

* 2010: Doctor Degree, ANAS Institute of Oriental Studies, Baku, Azerbaijan * 2010: Doctor Degree, Georgian American University,

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

* 2010: Doctor Degree, Free University of Tbilisi, Georgia * 2012: Doctor Degree, University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia * 2012: Doctor Degree, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia * 2012: Doctor Degree, State Agricultural University, Ganja, Azerbaijan * 2012: Doctor Degree, Odlar Yurdu State University, Baku, Azerbaijan * 2015: Doctor of Humane Letters,

American University of Beirut The American University of Beirut (AUB; ) is a private, non-sectarian, and independent university chartered in New York with its main campus in Beirut, Lebanon. AUB is governed by a private, autonomous board of trustees and offers programs le ...

* 2016: Doctor Honoris Causa of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Bulgaria. * 2016: Doctor degree of Ganja State University, Azerbaijan. * 2017: Doctor degree, Marin Barleti University, Tirana, Albania * 2017: Doctor Degree, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia

Previous appointments

* Founding Director of the new Library of Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina) - (2002-2017) * Professor of the International Chair “Savoirs contre Pauvreté” (Knowledge Against Poverty), Collège de France, (2010-2011). * Distinguished University Professor at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. * Co-chair of the African Biotechnology Panel (with Calestous Juma). * Member of the High Level Group (HLG) of the Secretary-General's UN initiative for the Alliance of Civilizations, (2005-2006). * Chairman of the Youth Employment Summit (YES) Campaign, (1998-2002). * Ambassador of the Alliance of Civilizations. * Special Advisor to the World Bank. * Co-chair (with Jacob Palis) of the Inter-Academy Council Panel on Capacity Building in Science and Technology, (2002-2004). * Distinguished Visiting Professor at the American University in Cairo (AUC), (2000/2001). * Advisor to the Egyptian Government on the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. * Vice President of the World Bank till July 2000, (for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development, from October 1992 to March 1998, and for Special Programs from March 1998 to July 2000) * Chairman of Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR, 1994–2000). * Chairman of Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP), a microfinance program, (1995-2000). * Chairman of the Global Water Partnership, (GWP, 1996–2000). * Chairman, World Commission for Water in the 21st Century, (August 1998-March 2000). * Vice President of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS). He also worked in a number of capacities at: * The World Bank since joining in 1972. * Economist in Education and Human Resources (1972-1976) * Division Chief for Technical Assistance and Special Studies (1977-1980) * Urban Projects in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (1980-1983) * Director of Programs in West Africa (1984-1987) * Country Director of Central and Occidental Africa (1987-1989) * Technical Director of all Sub-Saharan Africa (1990-1992) * Vice-president of Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development (1993-1998).

Professional memberships

* Vice President and member of Institut d'Egypte (Egyptian Academy of Science). * Member of US National Academy of Sciences (Public Welfare Medalist). * Member of the American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia. * Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. * Member of Academy of Sciences of the Developing World (TWAS) Trieste, Italy. * African Academy of Sciences. * Bangladesh Academy of Science, Dhaka. * National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India. * European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Austria. * American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). * World Academy of Arts and Sciences, USA. * Academia Bibliotheca Alexandrina (ABA). * Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum. * The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg. * Supreme Council for Culture, Egypt. * The International Academy of Food Science & Technology, Canada. * Scientific Advisory Committee of the World Social Science Report 2013, UNESCO. * Co-chair of the BoT of Nizami Ganjavi International Center. * Honorary Academician of the Royal European Academy of Doctors, Barcelona, Spain.

Awards

* 1999: ''First recipient of Grameen Foundation (USA) Award'', for a lifetime commitment to combating poverty. * 2003: ''Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters'', awarded by the Government of France. * 2004: ''Pablo Neruda Medal of Honor'', awarded by the Government of Chile. * 2006: ''The Jamnalal Bajaj Award'', for promoting Gandhian values outside India. * 2008: ''Order of the Rising Sun – Gold and Silver Star'', awarded by the Emperor of Japan. * 2008: ''Champion of Youth Award'', by the World Youth Congress in Quebec. * 2008: ''Knight of the French Legion of Honor'', awarded by the President of France. * 2010: ''The Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Award for Environmental Protection'', (Chennai, India). * 2010: ''Millennium Excellence Award for Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize'', awarded by the Excellence Awards Foundation, Ghana. * 2011: ''The Public Welfare Medal'', by the National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC. * 2011: ''Commander of the Order of Arts & Letters'', awarded by the Government of France. * 2013: ''Calouste Gulbenkian Prize'', awarded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Portugal. * 2015: Nizami Ganjavi Gold Medal of the Republic of Azerbaijan awarded by Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences * 2015: The “Dostlug” Order (Order of Friendship) of Azerbaijan awarded by President of Azerbaijan * 2016: Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation Award 2016 * 2016: Honorary Sign of the President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences * 2017: The Order of George Kastrioti Skanderbeg issued by the President of the Republic of Albania.

Publications and speeches

Over 100 books and monographs (edited or authored), in addition to 500 articles, book chapters, and technical papers on various topics, some of which are: * ''Water Supply, Sanitation, and Environmental Sustainability: The Financing Challenge'', 1994. * ''Nurturing Development'', 1995. * ''Sustainability and the Wealth of Nations'', 1996. * ''Milestones of Renewal: A Journey of Hope and Accomplishment'', 1996. * ''Architecture of Empowerment'', 1997. * ''Rural Well-Being: From Vision to Action'', 1997, (with David Steeds). * ''The Modernity of Shakespeare'', 1998. * ''Themes for the Third Millennium, the Challenge for Rural Sociology in an Urbanizing World'', 1999. * ''Biotechnology and Biosafety'', 1999, (with Wanda Collins). * ''Very Special Places'', 1999. * ''Promethean Science'', 2000, (with G. Persley). * ''Biotechnology and Sustainable Development: Voices of the South and North'', 2003, (with G. Persley). * ''Discovery to Delivery'', 2005, (with G. Persley). * ''Changing Lives'', 2006, (with E. Masood). * ''Born Digital'', 2006. * ''Reflections on Our Digital Future'', 2006. * ''Inventing Our Future: Essays on Freedom; Democracy and Reform in the Arab World'', 2007. (2nd edition) * ''Science: The Culture of Living Change'', 2007. (2nd edition) * ''Freedom of Expression'', 2007. * ''Islam and Democracy'', 2008. * ''The Shape of Tomorrow'', 2010. * ''The Arab Cultural Project'', 2010. * ''Mobiliser le savoir pour éradiquer la faim'', (the college de France/Fayard, Paris 2011). * ''The Making of Social Justice'', (the 2011 Mandela Lecture'', Johannesburg'', South Africa). * ''The Culture Of The Book: The Book Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow'', 2012. DVD * ''Reflections on Education: On Education and the Future of the Arab World: Tomorrow's Universities and the Seven Pillars of Knowledge Revolution'', 2013. * ''The Poetry of the Magnificent Sage'', 2013. * ''Shakespeare and the Burden of Leadership'', 2013. DVD * ''The Poetry of the Magnificent Sage'', 2013. DVD * ''Shakespeare's Henry V: Modern Reflections on a Medieval Hero'', 2013. DVD * ''Shakespeare's Richard II: Reflections of the Undoing of a King'', 2013. DVD * ''Public Health and Private Medicine: Looking Back and Looking Forward'', 2013. DVD * ''La Renaissance de la Bibliotheca Alexandrina'', 2014. DVD * ''Jurji Zaidan: The Man and his Legacy'', 2014. DVD * ''Hassan Fathy: Egypt's Visionary Architect'', 2015. DVD * ''Experiencing Alexandria: The City as Text and Context'', 2015. DVD * ''Global Ethics: Wise Words from the Sage of Ganja'', 2015. DVD * ''The Challenge: A Cultural Program to Reject Extremism and Violence'', 2015.

Television programs prepared, produced and presented by Serageldin

* ''Cairo Salon'': A weekly program on Egypt's Channel One - 128 episodes. * ''Muslim Scientists'': A daily five-minute series aired throughout the month of Ramadan on Egypt's Channel One. * ''Horizons'': 15 science programs of 30 minutes each, presented in two versions in English and Arabic. * ''Dialogues on Science'': 6 episodes of 45 minutes each, in Arabic.

References

External links

Dr. Serageldin's Official page

Bibliotheca Alexandrina Official page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serageldin, Ismail 1944 births Living people People from Giza Academic staff of Cairo University Members of the Shura Council Cairo University alumni Harvard University alumni Academic staff of Wageningen University and Research Fellows of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts Fellows of the African Academy of Sciences