A city devoted to science, spearheading Egypt's economic renaissance: that's Ahmed Zuwail's plan, reports Ahmed Morsy In a speech broadcast by state-owned television on Saturday Nobel laureate Ahmed Zuwail outlined proposals for the building of the Zuwail City of Science and Technology (ZC). Though the idea was first floated 12 years ago, legislation facilitating its construction was approved by the cabinet only last week. The government's role in the project will be limited to providing 1,200 square metres of land adjacent to 6 October City. Zuwail's speech -- delivered under the slogan 'Egypt can' -- outlined the important role the project will play in promoting not only development but an Egyptian renaissance, making copious references to the past, from ancient times to Egypt's modern history, to support his argument. Without the facilities necessary to undertake scientific research, Zuwail said, Egypt is destined to remain a poor country, on the margins of a world that is ever more dependent on technological progress. ZC, as envisaged by its eponymous promoter, will comprise not only a university but an entire urban community devoted to research. While the university will accept students and provide a first class education in the latest technologies, research will be supplemented by a number institutes of excellence that will examine applications and provide incubator facilities as ideas move into production. "ZC is most commonly described as if it were a university. It is, however, an integrated organisation in which there will be a university. Students specialised in the latest modern sciences will graduate. The skills they have learned will then be used by other institutes, and directed towards manufacture." "The university will initially accept a maximum of 5,000 carefully selected students. There will be between six and 12 institutes that will be dedicated to different branches of science, including medicine, nanosciences and informatics, imaging and visualisation, economics and global affairs, virtual education, energy, environment and space. Each institute will itself comprise a number of centres. The medical institute, for example, will have centres devoted to drug research, virology, genomics and biotechnology." "ZC will be a non-profit organisation, governed by an independent board of trustees. Transparency will be guaranteed via audited reports. It will be a merit- based institution that operates away from nepotism and bribery." The trustees include Abdel-Latif El-Hamad, chairman of the Arab Fund for Economics and Social Development, Chunli Bai, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nicolas Berggruen, chairman of Berggruen Holdings, Gunter Blobel, 1999 Nobel laureate in Physiology, Jean-Lou Chameau, president of the California Institute of Technology, Magdi Yacoub, professor at Imperial College London, Amr Younis, CEO of International Mineral Resources, Farouk El-Baz, director of Boston University's Centre for Remote Sensing and Mohamed Fathi Saoud, president of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. The board has met twice so far and will convene for its third meeting in December. ZC, says Zuwail, will be funded by a $1 billion endowment, supplemented by an equal amount in initial funding in addition to donations, government grants and tuition fees. "The largest donation we have received till now is from Egyptian businessman Hassan Abbas Helmi, the founder of Pharco Corporation, who has donated LE250 million. I have also signed a contract with the National Bank of Egypt -- a donation and partnership agreement that is estimated to be worth LE250 million." After revealing major huge donations, Zuwail went on to express his gratitude to the 10-year-old girl who donated LE10 from her pocket money. "If every Egyptian does the same we won't need outside help," he said. He revealed that donations from the public had reached LE20 million. Contributions can be made via 39 banks in Egypt. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012. By the end of the same year it is hoped that the first intake of undergraduates will begin their courses. Zuwail concluded his speech by asserting that, "knowledge is the only way to keep us secure, prosperous and culturally enlightened." The speech was followed by an open debate to which Magdi Yacoub, Egypt's Mufti Ali Gomaa, vice president of the Supreme Constitutional Court Tahani El-Gebali, professor of psychiatry Ahmed Okasha and Al-Adl Party representative and activist Mustafa El-Naggar contributed alongside Zuwail. Zuwail described the 25 January Revolution as a civilised uprising "that inspired the whole world and which also used modern technology". "Muslims and Copts, young and old, participated and it is this that made it unique," he said. He urged all Egyptians to participate in the coming parliamentary elections and help transform the country into a real democracy. Okasha argued that the future of every nation depends not only on economic and military power, but on the attitude of its citizens. "We have to improve our ethics to achieve prosperity. We have to enhance our credibility, sense of responsibility, and mastery of work." He also stressed that acceptance of others is the key to democracy. Yacoub argued that while there was no shortage of potential within Egyptian society, what was lacking were channels for its realisation. He also expressed concern that the optimism that characterised the early days of the revolution had been cloaked in anxiety about the future.
