“A journey into the future” was the catchy title of a recent seminar organised by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in honour of the prominent scientist Professor Ahmed Zuweil, winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The seminar was attended among an audience of thousands by Dr Hani Helal, minister of higher education and scientific research; Fayza Aboul Naga, minister of international cooperation; General Adel Labib, Governor of Alexandria; and Dr Hassan Nadeer, principal of Alexandria University.
Hope is the answer
The seminar, as Dr Zuweil himself pointed out in his address, coincided with the 40th anniversary of his departure from Alexandria for the United Sates. Dr Zuweil warned of the pessimism which currently binds many Egyptians; without hope, he said, the nation would neither develop nor strike out. He referred to the downfall of Egypt during the 300 years of the Ottoman occupation of Egypt until the time of Mohamed Ali who, with the help of intellectuals and clerics, moved the nation into an era of renaissance.
Dr Zuweil said he had very high hopes for the future of Egypt since funding and resources came and went but Egypt’s human resources, rich with exceptional calibre inside and outside its borders, were the main assets on which his hope relied. He pointed out that Egypt should once again strive to return to a position as leader of Eastern nations through emphasising its scientific and technological abilities.
On education
On the topic of education, Dr Zuweil stressed that school education must accommodate students’ capabilities, and should also address their mental ability, suit the times and avoid rote learning. He added that the main concern of educators should be to root out and nurture talented students. “The answer to the education problem will not be reached through founding private schools and universities, but through a global vision that will aim at ameliorating schools and determining the outstanding examples,” he commented.
Dr Zuweil mentioned that he was himself educated in government schools and universities where he received the best education, “Academically, the science department at Alexandria University was like a happy marriage to me,” he said. He also broached the subject of his experience in the US and on the obstacles set by Egyptian bureaucracy that he had to face before he was able to go there and when he arrived, through the language barrier as well as the cultural and scientific barriers. He pointed out that the road to success was not always paved with roses, but that one should strive to overcome such difficulties.
Dr Zuweil also spoke of the importance of the family in the education process, in addition to its duty in providing an appropriate climate for intellectual innovation to thrive.
Deadlock
On the topic of science and faith, Dr Zuweil could not see any conflict between the two. He said that by following current events in Egypt he had realised that we in this country were at a standstill, living in a state of deadlock and blurred vision. “Instead of creating and innovating to head with Egypt towards a better future where scientific and technological evolution was achieved, Egyptians were spending valuable time fighting over ideologies.
Dr Ismail Serageldin, the director of the Bibliotheca, said the classical Library of Alexandria was a refuge for scientists and intellectuals the world over, and that it was now striving to regain its leading position. He pointed out that Dr Zuweil was a member in the Bibliotheca’s first Council of Trustees, and had contributed to the approval ofits regulatory codes and plans.