WATANI International
26 December 2010
From 9am to 10pm
Wednesday 15 December saw the opening of the new guest centre at the Egyptian museum in Tahrir Square, Cairo. Built on the western courtyard in the museum grounds, the new centre includes a bookshop/gift shop, a coffee shop and a restaurant, as well as a museum for children. The eastern courtyard has been turned into an open-air museum where a number of sarcophagi and architectural elements from ancient temples and tombs are on exhibit and are lit in the evening. The museum basement now houses a scientific research centre where antiquities are examined and indexed, and mummies undergo DNA testing. Secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass said that, as of the opening date, visiting hours to the museum have been extended to last from 9am to 10pm.
Francophone librarians
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) Francophone Library, in cooperation with the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, has launched a training programme for the BA francophone librarians in a ceremony attended by a number of French speakers, both Egyptians and foreigners. This initiative comes after the 500,000-book donation from the French National Library (BnF) to the BA, making the BA the fourth largest francophone library in the world with the biggest collection of French books outside France. This collection includes titles which tackle a wide variety of topics that were published between 1996 and 2006. BA director Ismail Serageldin said that the donation, which was the biggest ever the BA had received, warranted the training of francophone librarians. The indexing and cataloguing of the full collection was expected to take some three years; with around 168,000 titles being made annually available to the public in the process.
Egyptian Olympic Committee turns 100
Under the auspices of Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, a celebration was held earlier this month at the foot of the Giza Pyramid to mark the 100th anniversary of the Egyptian Olympic Committee. The celebration included ballet and musical shows, and a number of sports figures who served the Egyptian Olympic movement were honoured.
Innovation launched
The Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) was launched earlier this month by the US Civilian Research Development Foundation (CRDF) Global, at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA). On hand at the launching ceremony were Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Hany Hilal, Farouk al-Baz, member of CRDF Global board of directors, BA director Ismail Serageldin, Assistant Secretary of Scientific Affairs Kerri-Ann Jones, CRDF Global president Cathleen Campbell, as well as US ambassador to Cairo Margaret Scobey and Alexandria governor Adel Labib. More than 100 participants from 32 countries attended the launching. The GIST will target four sectors for joint research: information and communication technology, health, energy, and agriculture.
Youth and violence
Earlier this month saw the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) collaborate with the Arab Thought Forum to organise the 4th Youth Conference on “Youth and Violence”. The Conference was held under the auspices of Prince al-Hassan bin Talal, with representatives from 10 Arab countries participating.
The conference discussed violence as a threat to development, a hindrance to the contribution of youth to the welfare of their communities, and a force which undermines codes of values and ethics. The phenomenon was explored along several lines: domestic and communal violence especially as related to poverty, unemployment, and marginalisation; violence as related to the use drugs, alcohol, and sex; psychological health and the culture of fear; empowerment, awareness, and networking as potent tools to combat violence; and citizenship, identity, and culture.