May 3, 2001

Speech of Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak at
Bibliotheca Alexandrina

    I hope that our work will be a revival of the heritage of the old Bibliotheca Alexandrina that the whole world is still speaking about its contributions to all fields of knowledge. I have always believed in this project which I gave my ultimate interest from its first day and intensified my efforts to push ahead.

    The Egyptian experts and international professionals have joined efforts for creating the visions and designs, initiating the building and construction and realizing the dream in such a great building that attracts visitors and audience, even before its completion. This building has, no doubt, increased the number of its admirers and those longing for inaugurating it for the noble message that we are bound to realize through the activities and services these premises would offer.

    Today, I am proud that we are approaching the realization of this great vision and the unique cultural role the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is going to play. This role focuses on the following four dimensions:

    First: Bibliotheca Alexandrina will be world’s window on Egypt

    Bibliotheca Alexandrina will be the world’s window on the Egyptian civilization all along its different ages, diversity and depth. This is a tough challenge for the Bibliotheca as regards collecting and categorizing all that related to that civilization of cultural and scientific materials, not to mention making these materials available in a fashionable easy way.

    Second: Bibliotheca Alexandrina will be Egypt’s window on the world

    The Bibliotheca should be the destination for knowledge seekers from all over Egypt to get acquainted with foreign cultures, civilizations and sciences, especially the civilizations and cultures of the Mediterranean Basin countries.

    Accordingly, the Trustees Council of the Bibliotheca will be mainly concerned with drawing the policy of book acquisition, determining priorities and striking a favorable balance between what the Bibliotheca offers for its visitors regarding Homers, Shakespeare, Tagour, Buddha, Al-Farabi, Al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd and Ibn Sina as well as Arab and European countries and The United States, Brazil, China, Africa and Others.

    Third: Bibliotheca Alexandrina will be the library of the digital age

    Today’s Internet pages amount to one billion and expected to reach eight billion by the year 2005. How can one select among this massive amount of information? What is our role in preserving our identity in light of these weeping trends of globalization transmitted via the Internet?

    We all hope that Bibliotheca Alexandrina will be the pioneering institution in dealing with this great information revolution. And to be able to link all major efforts exerted by leading international educational establishments such as the Congress Library with a view to facilitating direct, efficient and effective access to most electronic sources of information spread worldwide.

    In addition, the Bibliotheca should contribute to these developments so that knowledge-seekers get to the outcome of the Egyptian minds and the way of offering it within the electronic sphere. The new electronic revolution and the information and communication technology will create countless opportunities for countries like Egypt to modernize the method of human resources investment and open new vistas for university students to cope up with the age and its developments.

    Here comes the role of Bibliotheca Alexandrina to cooperate with an integrated mechanism comprising the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Egypt and the whole region. Also, I think the Bibliotheca will be a tool for improving means of cooperation and understanding between concerned international agencies and other countries through establishing new projects that will be of benefit for all parties in education and research domains.

    Fourth: Bibliotheca Alexandrina should be a center for education and dialogue

    Last but not least, the Bibliotheca should be a beacon for thought and a podium for discussion and dialogue for all that related to thought, science, art and culture and a meeting place between the North and South and the East and the West. For that, the role of the Bibliotheca is encouraging the dialogue between civilizations not the clash between cultures.

    These are not mere words. I expect this dimension to crystallize in the form of many lectures and publications about the following issues:

    - Science: especially scientific research and new scientific applications.
- Humanities: particularly heritage issues. I hope that one of the first publications of the Bibliotheca will be an international reference on the old Bibliotheca Alexandrina and its great civilizational role.
- Arts and culture: by means of organizing exhibits in addition to research and criticism.
- Development: since the issues of development are the concern of the whole era. Ladies and Gentlemen

    Today, the project has been realized, and the task turned from building, construction, and furnishing into laying the institutional foundations and suitable systems for enabling the Bibliotheca to achieve its message.
Ladies and gentlemen

    This stage has started with lengthy discussions within the People’s Assembly and the Shura Council and resulted in issuing Law No. 1 for 2001 that stipulated the aims and components of Bibliotheca Alexandrina and made it directly affiliated to the President of the Republic. Relevant Presidential Decrees completed the legislation by determining the way of its supervision and financial and administrative management. And now, these administrative bodies are as follows:

    First: Patron Council, which replaced the international consultant committee that issues Aswan Declaration in 1990. Contacts are still going on regarding the formation of this Council which is expected to include among its members, H.E. President of the Republic of France and H.M. Queen of Spain. I hope the formation of the Council will be soon complete.

    Second: Trustee Council, which consists of a number of public Egyptian and non-Egyptian figures with scientific stature and international expertise. This Council will be responsible for drawing the general policy of the Bibliotheca, its management, activity planning and financial and administrative regulation approval.

    I am pleased to continue my role in sponsoring this cultural project and following up its progress and works, under the leadership of the Patron and Trustee Councils.

    It is a pride for me that we succeeded in attracting a group of key international personalities in all domains of thought, culture, science, and management and art to be members of the Patron Council. The resumes of the members of this Council show how unique this Council is in terms of cultural and geographical diversity, intellectual leadership, comprehensive experience and distinguished expertise.

    Among the members of the Council are Ahmed Kamal Abu Al-Magd, Ahmed Zewail, Hanan Ashrawi, Taher Ibn Glon, Abdullatif Al-Hamad, Farouk Al-Baz and Layla Takla.

    The Council also comprises the Ministers of Higher Education, Foreign Affairs, Culture, Alexandria Governor and the President of Alexandria University in their formal capacities.

    The first meeting of the Trustee Council is scheduled to be held in May 28, 2001.

    It pleases me also that we have succeeded in choosing an Egyptian celebrity who combines between wide-scope international expertise and high prestige, namely, Dr. Ismail Serag El-Deen, who is well known for all of you.

    Besides being well reputed and trusty at world and international levels, Dr. Serag El-Deen enjoys high rank Egyptian officials as well as my personal trust to shoulder this significant role.

    In cooperation with Dr.Serag El-Deen, I am preparing the agenda of the meeting of the Trustee Council to be held next May 28. Among other issues, we shall discuss starting operation, proposed cultural activity and the international celebration on the occasion of inaugurating the Bibliotheca to be organized next April 23, the International Book Day.

    It will be convenient to celebrate Bibliotheca Alexandrina in such a grate day to be concomitant with similar celebrations worldwide, some of which will be electronically linked to that of the Bibliotheca.

    Bibliotheca Alexandrina will be opened for visitors next fall. Scientific conferences and cultural forums will be held here starting from next October. The world Conference on Biotechnology and Development is scheduled to be held here from 15 to 17 October, to be followed by other events.

    We want the whole world to participate in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina celebration at many levels. We have received many related proposals and suggestions from Egypt and the whole world. We decided to include all these bodies in the celebration, accepting dedications as a means of contributing to enriching the cultural life in Alexandria starting from the Bibliotheca and its premises in different periods along a full year.

    This will start with the Scientific Conference on Biotechnology and Development next October and finally the Conference on Development and Youth Employment in September 2002, with the main celebration in between, in April 23, 2002, the World Book Day.

    There is no doubt that al these activities are going to boost the role of the Bibliotheca as a recipient of thought, science, art and culture pioneers from all over the world, with all expected benefits for our sons. However, I think that it is of great importance that Bibliotheca Alexandrina should establish its roots in Egypt and its civilization and that men of thought and opinion should take part in drawing the features of its march.

    So, I was really happy that the civil society has established the Egyptian Association for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Friends whose members participate with the Anglican Coptic Authority for Social Services in organizing a forum on the Role of Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Promoting Dialogue and Tolerance. I wish I could participate in the events of this forum. However, I shall follow its results with interest. Moreover, I am confident that this forum will represent a starting point for many domestic and international meetings that we want the Bibliotheca to host.

    With these decisions, we are getting ready to take the necessary measures to advance from building phase to activities and actions and move in all science, knowledge, culture and art domains. This aims at making today’s Bibliotheca Alexandrina, as was yesterday’s one, a lightening house for thought, a meeting place for dialogue between nations and civilizations, a center for research and documentation and a pride for Egypt and the whole world.

May God bless you all.