In a significant development towards enhancing academic and cultural collaborations, Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, convened a comprehensive meeting with key representatives from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The delegation was led by Her Highness Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the Global Studies University (GSU) and Extraordinary Ambassador for Arab Culture for 2025-2026 at ALECSO, alongside Professor Salah Mohamed Hassan, GSU’s Director. The primary goal of the meeting was to explore avenues for strengthening partnerships between the two institutions in terms of academic, research, and cultural initiatives.
Exploring Shared Vision and Initiatives
The meeting featured an introductory presentation on the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, outlining its pivotal role in the cultural, scientific, and research landscape, along with a showcase of its various sectors, centres, and programmes. In turn, the GSU delegation presented its academic and research vision, detailing programmes in the humanities and social sciences, including master’s degrees in global African studies and a doctorate in global studies, alongside specialized tracks, fellowship opportunities, and language programmes.
Collaborative Academic and Research Opportunities
Discussions also encompassed potential collaborative efforts in developing joint academic and research initiatives, promoting scholarly exchanges, and utilising the extensive research resources of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina to bolster postgraduate studies and research activities. One key proposal discussed was the establishment of a “Bibliotheca Alexandrina Embassy” or a dedicated educational institution bearing its name. The conversation included exploring possibilities for expanding areas of higher education and scientific research, as well as developing joint academic programmes, including shared degree and diploma courses.
Joint Publishing and Practical Training Programs
The dialogue further ventured into scientific publishing collaboration, considering opportunities for joint publishing and expanding the dissemination of intellectual and research outputs from both institutions, while also providing access to books and digital knowledge resources. Additionally, the meeting highlighted the importance of developing practical training programmes that would allow students from both institutions to leverage the research and cultural resources available at each entity, promoting collaborative cultural and academic initiatives to enhance interactions and exchanges between students, researchers, and academics.
Further Collaborative Ventures
Furthermore, both parties explored avenues for organising joint conferences, seminars, and workshops, aimed at fostering collaborative research and knowledge projects, enhancing communication between researchers and academics, including participation in a series of academic seminars for GSU’s faculty members. Their discussions also covered collaborative efforts in the documentation and preservation of cultural heritage, alongside developing scientific and cultural activities that contribute to enriching dialogue and knowledge exchange.
A Promising Future of Cooperation
The areas of proposed collaboration go beyond the mentioned initiatives to include various additional fields that both institutions can identify and develop according to their mutual expertise, capabilities, and interests. This reflects a commitment from both sides to establish a productive and lasting partnership that fosters knowledge production and dissemination, promotes academic and cultural exchange, and serves the shared goals of the organisations.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties expressed their eagerness to continue coordinating and building on areas of mutual interest in preparation for drafting a joint cooperation protocol. This protocol is expected to outline specific areas of collaboration, mechanisms, and implementation strategies, ultimately serving the public interest and enhancing the academic and cultural partnership between the two institutions while reinforcing ties between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.