Ismail Serageldin (; born 1944 in Giza, Egypt), Founding Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), the new Library of Alexandria, inaugurated in 2002, is currently, Emeritus Librarian, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Library of Alexandria. He serves as Chair or Member of a number of advisory committees for academic, research, scientific and international institutions and civil society efforts, and serves on the Advisory Committee of the World Social Science Report for 2013 and 2016, as well as the UNESCO-supported World Water Scenarios (2013) and the executive council of the Encyclopedia of Life (2010) and Chairs the Executive Council of the World Digital Library (2010). He also co-chaired the African Union's high level panel for Biotechnology (2006) and again for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in 2012–2013, and was a member of the ICANN Panel for the review of the internet future (2013).
Before that he notably co-chaired the Inter-Academy Panel on Capacity Building for Science in (2003-2004) and was a member of the High Level group for the Alliance of Civilizations convened by the Secretary General of the United Nations (2006-2007). He has held many important international positions, including Vice President of the World Bank (1992-2000), and Chairman Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR, 1994–2000), founder and former chairman of the Global Water Partnership (GWP, 1996–2000) and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP), a micro finance program (1995-2000) and was professor of the International Savoirs Contre Pauvreté (Knowledge Against Poverty), at Collège de France, Paris, and distinguished professor at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Serageldin is sometimes referred to as the "most intelligent man in Egypt".
Serageldin has published over 100 books and monographs and over 500 papers on a variety of topics, including biotechnology, rural development, sustainability, and the value of science to society. He has hosted a cultural program on television in Egypt (over 130 episodes) and developed a TV Science Series in Arabic and English. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from Cairo University and a master's degree and a Ph.D. from Harvard University and has received 38 honorary doctorates.
In August 2017, an Egyptian judge sentenced Serageldin to three and a half years in prison, for alleged management decisions he made prior to 2011. Over 300 eminent persons, including 90 Nobel Prize winners and 20 current and former heads of state, signed a letter supporting Serageldin and objecting to the verdict, and the case was appealed.
On 26 December 2017, the Appeals Court delivered its verdict and dismissed all the charges against Ismail Serageldin. The Court found that all the accusations were baseless. Ismail Serageldin is now declared innocent of all the allegations made against him during the previous seven years.
Biography
Ismail Serageldin, Founding Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), the new Library of Alexandria, inaugurated in 2002, is currently, Emeritus Librarian, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Library of Alexandria. He is advisor to the Egyptian prime minister in matters concerning culture, science and museums. He serves as Chair or Member of a number of advisory committees for academic, research, scientific and international institutions and civil society efforts, including as co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), and serves on the Advisory Committee of the World Social Science Report for 2013 and 2016, as well as the UNESCO-supported World Water Scenarios (2013) and the executive council of the Encyclopedia of Life (2010) and Chairs the Executive Council of the World Digital Library (2010). He also co-chaired the African Union's high level panel for Biotechnology (2006) and again for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in 2012–2013, and was a member of the ICANN Panel for the review of the internet future (2013).
Before that he notably co-chaired the Inter-Academy Panel on Capacity Building for Science in (2003-2004) and was a member of the High Level group for the Alliance of Civilizations convened by the Secretary General of the United Nations (2006-2007). He is a member of many academies, including the US National Academy of Sciences (Public Welfare Medalist), the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the World Academy of Arts and Sciences (WAAS), the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the African Academy of Sciences, Institut d'Egypte (Egyptian Academy of Science), the Royal Belgian Academy, the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He lectures widely, and has delivered the Mandela Lecture in Johannesburg (2011) and the Nexus Lecture in Tilburg, the Netherlands (2011) as well as the opening keynote address to the first International Summit of the Book at the Library of Congress in Washington DC (2012). He has received the Order of the Rising Sun from Japan and the Légion d'honneur from France and is a Commandeur of Arts and Letters of the French Republic. In 2013, Serageldin and the BA received the Calouste Gulbenkian International Prize for thoughts and actions that make a decisive contribution to, and have significant impact on understanding, defending and fostering the universal values of respect for diversity and difference, a culture of tolerance and the conservation of the environment. He has also received the Pablo Neruda Medal from Chile, India's Bajaj Prize for upholding Gandhian values outside India, and was the first recipient of the Grameen Prize for lifelong efforts to fight poverty, and received the Champion of Youth Award by the World Youth Congress in Canada.
Early years Serageldin was graduated with First class honors in 1964 from Cairo University from which he holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering. In 1968, he earned his master's degree with distinction from Harvard University followed by a PhD from the same university four years later. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked as a consultant in city and regional planning, and taught at Cairo University and Harvard University.
Career Serageldin joined the World Bank through the Young Professionals Program after completing his Ph.D. at Harvard University.
Serageldin worked in a number of capacities in the World bank since joining in 1972 and became vice president for Environmentally Sustainable Development in October 1992 (effective January 1, 1993). Economist in education and human resources (1972–76); Division Chief for Technical Assistance and Special Studies (1977–80), and for Urban Projects in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (1980–83); Director for Programs in West Africa (1984–87), Country Director for Central and Occidental Africa (1987–89), Technical Director for all Sub-Saharan Africa (1990–92), and vice-president for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development (1993–98). In addition, he was active in promoting NGO-Bank relations, and served as co-chairman of the NGO-Bank Committee (1997–99).
He has held many important international positions, including Vice President of the World Bank (1992-2000), and the 7th Chairman Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR, 1994–2000), founder and former chairman of the Global Water Partnership (GWP, 1996–2000) and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP), a microfinance program (1995-2000) and was professor of the International Savoirs Contre Pauvreté (Knowledge Against Poverty), at Collège de France, Paris, and distinguished professor at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
After a career of 28 years at the World Bank, Ismail Serageldin resigned on 10 July 2000 to return to his home country, Egypt. In a 2021 podcast interview, Serageldin reflected on his extensive career, including his roles at the World Bank and as Founding Director of the Library of Alexandria.
Currently, Serageldin is Emeritus Librarian, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Library of Alexandria. Throughout his career, Serageldin has been noted for introducing broader development considerations, including social issues, gender, environment, culture, and governance into development discourse. An advocate for the poor and marginalised, he worked to strengthen links between civil society and the Bank. A summary of Serageldin's career at the Bank is provided in the statement released by World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn on the occasion of Serageldin's retirement .
Currently Emeritus Librarian, Library of Alexandria Member of Board of Trustees of the Library of Alexandria Member of Board of Trustees of Beirut Arab University (BAU), Beirut Advisor to the Egyptian Prime Minister in matters concerning culture, science and museums Ambassador of the Alliance of Civilizations Chairman of the Executive Council of the World Digital Library (WDL). Chair and member of a number of Boards of Directors and advisory committees for academic, research, scientific and international institutions and civil society effort. Co-chair of the UNESCO supported World Water Scenarios (2013) and the executive council of the Encyclopedia of Life (2010).
Personal life Ismail Serageldin was married to the late Mrs. Nevine Madkour with one son. He is tri-lingual: Arabic, French and English.
Honorary degrees
1996: Doctor of Sociology, University of Bucharest, Romania 1996: Doctor of Agricultural Science, University of Melbourne, Australia 1997: Doctor of Science, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, India 1998: Doctor of International Affairs, American University, Washington, D.C., United States 1998: Doctor of Science, Punjab Agricultural University, India 1998: Doctor of Science, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India 1998: Doctor of Natural resource management, Ohio State University, United States 1999: Doctor of Science, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India 1999: Doctor of Science, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad, India 1999: Doctor of Economics and Management, CNAM, Paris, France 1999: Doctor of Science, Egerton University, Kenya 1999: Doctor of Agricultural Science, University of Tuscia, Italy 2000: Doctor of Humane Letters, American University in Cairo, Egypt 2002: Doctor of Science, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire, United States 2003: Doctor of Science, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 2004: Doctor of Letters, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia 2004: Doctor of Letters, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France 2005: Doctor of Laws, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States 2006: Doctor of Letters, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France 2007: Doctor of Science, Azerbaijan State Economic University, Baku, Azerbaijan 2007: Doctor of Society Development, Khazar University, Baku, Azerbaijan 2008: Doctor of Letters, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada 2009: Doctor of Arts, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon 2009: Doctor Diploma, Azerbaijan Cooperation University, Baku, Azerbaijan 2009: Doctor Diploma, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of History, Baku Azerbaijan 2009: Doctor of Letters, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland 2010: Doctor Degree, ANAS Institute of Oriental Studies, Baku, Azerbaijan 2010: Doctor Degree, Georgian American University, Tbilisi, Georgia 2010: Doctor Degree, Free University of Tbilisi, Georgia 2012: Doctor Degree, University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia 2012: Doctor Degree, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia 2012: Doctor Degree, State Agricultural University, Ganja, Azerbaijan 2012: Doctor Degree, Odlar Yurdu State University, Baku, Azerbaijan 2015: Doctor of Humane Letters, American University of Beirut, Lebanon