Dr. Ismail Serageldin is the Director of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, which is acclaimed as the world’s first library and research center and a crossroads of dialogue throughout history. In addition, he is a distinguished university professor at Wageningen University, in the Netherlands, and serves as chair and member of a number of advisory committees for academic, research, scientific and international institutions, as well as civil society projects.
Dr. Serageldin’s previous appointments include the chairmanship of the Youth Employment Summit (YES) Campaign, Special Advisor to the World Bank, and distinguished visiting professor at the American University in Cairo, as well as various leadership positions in the field of development. As a prominent scholar, Mr. Serageldin has been awarded countless honorary degrees from prominent universities and is a member in numerous professional organizations. He is an accomplished writer of over fifty books and monographs on subjects as varied as economic development, literature, and biotechnology.