A Forum on the Evolving Relationship between
Egypt and the United Kingdom
Tuesday 31st October
1830 Reception for forum participants and invited guests at the Sculpture Gallery, the British Museum,
Hosted by Mr. Neil Macgregor, Director, the British Museum and the Rt. Hon. Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, Chairman, the British Egyptian Society
Principal Guest speaker: Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Wednesday 1st November
0900 Registration at the School of Oriental and African Studies, Russell Square, London
0930 Welcome from:-
Professor Paul Webley, Director and Principal of the School of Oriental and African Studies
H.E. Mr. Gehad Madi, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Honorary President of the British Egyptian Society
09.45 Opening Session - The Keynote Addresses
Moderator: Dr. Ahmed El Mokadem
Vice Chairman, British Egyptian Society
Speakers:
Dr. Usama el Baz
Special Advisor to the President of Egypt.
Professor Roger Owen
Professor of History, Harvard University
1100 Coffee
1130 Session 2: Egypt and Britain; Bilateral and International Issues
The Political Relationship Part 1: Addressing International Issues
EGYPT AND BRITAIN: ADDRESSING INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
Egypt and Britain have since prior to Suez confronted regional and global issues of mutual concern. The speakers will examine how the two countries now work together to deal with issues within the context of their individual foreign policy objectives and concerns.
Moderator: Sir Derek Plumbly
Panel Members Dr. Mostafa El Feki
Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee of the Egyptian National Assembly
The Rt. Hon. Baroness Symons
Chairman, British Egyptian Society
Dr. Claire Spencer
Head of Middle East Programme
,Royal Institute of International Affairs
Dr. Mohammed Shaker
Vice Chairman, Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs
1300 Buffet lunch
1400 The Political Relationship Part 2: Addressing Bilateral Issues
EGYPT AND BRITAIN: ADDRESSING BILATERAL ISSUES
The speakers will examine how the bilateral relationship will develop over the next few years and identify the issues that will be of concern to both governments and assess how they will work together to handle them.
Moderator To be advised
Panel Members: Dr. Osama Ghazali Harb,
Editor-in-Chief, “International Politics
Dr Hugh Roberts
International Crisis Group, Cairo
Professor Salwa Shaarawi Goma’a
Professor of Political Science, Cairo University
Dr. Moustafa Kamel Al Sayyid
Professor of Political Science, Cairo University
1530 Session 3: Evolving Economic Relations
EVOLVING ECONOMIC RELATIONS
The pace of Egypt’s economic reform has accelerated over the past two or three years. So too has British investment in Egypt increased as bilateral trade has expanded. The panel will investigate obstacles to further economic reform within Egypt and what impact those obstacles and their potential elimination might have on British investment and trade.
Moderator Dr. Heba Handoussa
former Director, Economic Research Forum
Panel Members: Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin
Minister for Investment, Government of Egypt.
Eng. Naguib Sawiris
CEO, Orascom Telecommunications
Mr. David Lubin
Chief Economist, Middle East, HSBC
Ms. Fiona Moffitt
Economist Intelligence Unit
17.00 Close
Thursday 2nd November
Day 2 Evolving Educational and Cultural Relationships
0930 Session 4: Cultural Heritage and Conservation
CULTURAL HERITAGE AND CONSERVATION
Egypt’s cultural heritage is extraordinary by any standards. Britain has long been involved in the study and preservation of that culture. This panel provides an opportunity for those directly involved in the preservation of Egypt’s cultural heritage, whether Egyptian or British, to describe their accomplishments and the challenges faced ahead and to provide examples, where appropriate, of how that involvement has changed over time.
Moderator Mr. Vivian Davies
Keeper, Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan
The British Museum
Panel Members Dr. Gaballa Ali Gaballa
Former Chairman, Supreme Council of Antiquities and
Professor of Egyptology, ret, Cairo University
Mr. Nicholas Warner
Conservation Architect, Gayer Anderson Museum, Cairo
Mr. Michael Jones
Conservation of Egypt’s Coptic Heritage
Dr. Moustafa El Ghamrawy
Kharga Oasis Project
Professor Fekry Hassan
Professor of Archaeology, University College London
1100 Coffee
1130 Session 5: Cultural Relations
CULTURAL RELATIONS
The modern cultures of Egypt and Britain have been significantly influenced by one another. British authors and producers of other forms of cultural expression have long been infatuated with Egypt, producing a substantial number of novels, short stories, plays, paintings, films, and other expressions of culture either set in Egypt or reflecting experience in that country. For their part Egyptian writers, artists, film makers and other contributors to culture have been influenced directly or indirectly by British culture, whether through residence in the UK, exposure to original or derivative British models, or in other ways. The participants in this panel are either producers of contemporary culture or analysts of it, from either Egyptian or British perspectives. They will reflect on how exposure to the other culture has impacted their work or the work of those they are analysing.
Moderator Dr. Ayman el Desouky
Lecturer in Arabic and Comparative Literature
Department of the Near and Middle East, SOAS
Panel Members Dr. Elizabeth Kendall,
Department of Arabic and Middle East Studies
University of Edinburgh
: Mr. Youssri Nasrallah
Film Director
Ms. Penelope Lively
Author
Professor Farghaly Abdel Hafez
Artist, former Dean of the Faculty of Art Education
1300 Lunch
1400 Session 6: Youth and Education
YOUTH AND EDUCATION
Egyptian and British educational systems have been intertwined for more than a century. One of the amazingly enduring examples of that engagement is the persistence of the thanawiyya, the secondary school certificate examination that originated in the UK and continues to impact the lives of Egyptian students to this day. But it is not just British models that persist in playing a role in Egyptian education. British educational and cultural institutions remain very much involved, whether by working in Egypt or providing educational opportunities for Egyptians in the UK. And just like in the UK, the ability of Egyptian educational institutions adequately to discharge the vitally important task of preparing youths to enter the labour force is a matter of intense public debate. The panellists are specialists in various aspects of education, including the role of British models and institutions in Egyptian education.
Moderator Dr. Mostafa El Feki
President, the British University in Egypt
.
Panel Members: Dr. Ahmed Galal
Director, Egyptian Centre for Economic Studies
Mr. Paul Smith
Director, British Council, Egypt
Professor Hoda Rashad
Member of the National Council for Women, AUC;
Chair of their committee for Education, Training and Scientific Research.
Director of the Social Research Centre, AUC.
Mr. Peter Mackenzie Smith
Deputy Chairman
The British Egyptian Society
One or Two Egyptian Students in the UK
1530 Tea
1600 The Future
Prof. Ali E. Hilal Dessouki,
Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University and former Minister of Youth
1630 Summing up
Chairman Professor Robert Springborg,
Director, London Middle East Institute
Panel Members Moderators of each panel session
Dr. Ahmed El Mokadem
Sir Derek Plumbly
Dr. Heba Handoussa
Mr. Vivian Davies
Dr. Mostafa El Feki
Dr. Ayman el Desouky
1730 Close
Please note that although all the speakers have agreed to take part, details and speakers may change due to prevailing circumstances.