| 1 | Name: | Dr. Ismail Serageldin | |
| Institution: | The Library of Alexandria | ||
| Year Elected: | 2011 | ||
| Class: | 5. The Arts, Professions, and Leaders in Public & Private Affairs | ||
| Subdivision: | 503. Administrators, Bankers and Opinion Leaders from the Public or Private Sectors | ||
| Residency: | International | ||
| Living? : | Living | ||
| Birth Date: | 1944 | ||
Ismail Serageldin’s list of chairmanships, professional associations, publications, and honors is as impressive as it is long, and it is not without reason that he was selected to head the modern incarnation of the ancient Library of Alexandria. His push for an Arab liberalism and a new focus on knowledge, education, and a cultural shift away from the condemnations of modernity he feels holds back both the Arab and Islamic worlds is certainly work to be commended. Outside of his powerful ideas, however, Serageldin’s prominent leadership abilities stand out. His work at the World Bank and at the Library of Alexandria is that of a person of passion and compassion and a builder of much needed bridges, both interculturally and interpersonally. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1972 and has gone on to author numerous books, including: Nurturing Development, 1995; Architecture of Empowerment 1997; (with W. Collins) Biotechnology and Biosafety, 1999; (with G. Persley) Promethean Science, 2000; (with G. Persley) Biotechnology and Sustainable Development: Voices of the South and North, 2003; (with E. Masood) Changing Lives, 2006; Reflections on our Digital Future, 2006; Inventing our Future: Essays on Freedom, Democracy and Reform in the Arab World, second edition 2007; Freedom of Expression, 2007; Islam and Democracy, 2008. Among his honors are being named Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (2003) and Knight of the French Legion of Honor (2008); The Jamnalal Bajaj Award for promoting Ghandian values outside India (2006); named to the Order of the Rising Sun - Gold and Silver Star by the Emperor of Japan (2008); the National Academy of Sciences' Public Welfare Medal (2011); and election to both the Academy of Sciences of the Developing World and the Egyptian Academy of Science. He recently followed in Napoleon Bonaparte's footsteps by becoming Vice President of the Institut d'Egypte, the second oldest scientific institute outside of Europe. | |||