photos: Ghada Abd El-Kader To mark the World Day for Cultural Diversityfor Dialogue and Development, a UNESCO initiative, the Egyptian Association for Educational Resources and iEARN Egypt held an exhibition, "Egyptian Hymns", at the Gallery of Al-Ahram. Inaugurated by Al-Ahram Chairman of the Board Salah El-Ghamri and iEARN Egypt Country Coordinator Dalia Khalil, it features 150 large-scale paintings by school children who participated in a nation-wide competition. Among the attendees were the General-Manager of Al-Ahram Printing Department Mohamed Taymour Abdel-Hassib and the director of Al-Ahram Centre for Translation and Publishing Abul-Saud Ibrahim. For a year now students from the business and information departments of the French University in Egypt have helped entrepreneurs conduct feasibility studies and plans for projects. Working with the Egyptian Youth Association, it put students in touch with businessmen in a mutually beneficial arrangement. The panel overlooking the project -- to which the Franco-Egyptian Business Club (CAFE), the French Councilors for International Trade and HSBC are contributing grants -- featured President of Alcatel Egypt Vincenzo Nesci, Managing Director of NSGB Guy Poupet and Managing Director of Bel Egypt Michel Rocher. To celebrate the 2006 Egyptian overseas students Academic Mission to the UK, as my colleague Ghada Abd El-Kader reports, first-hand, the British Council threw a party at the British Embassy this week. The event started with a talk by former Chevening Scholars, Rasha Khalil and Bassam Azab, who told students of their experiences living and studying in the UK, while Nevine Sharaf of the council's office of scholarships and alumni provided pre-departure tips and Abdallah Molokhia, chairman of the European-Egyptian Pharmaceutical Company, explained the value of research to industry in Egypt. The party featured many a distinguished guest -- Higher Education Minister Hani Helal, British Ambassador Sir Derek Plumbly and Deputy Director of the British Council Sally Goggin -- who wished the new students all the best. According to the ministry's Undersecretary for Foreign Cultural Relations Ahmed Bahaaeddin Kheiri, "the British Council and the ministry have signed a protocol to facilitate the movement of Egyptian PhD candidates to the UK -- a move that paves the road before the students, providing them with application advice, cultural orientation and English self-study facilities. The personnel of both parties worked closely together to devise a system for handling the huge quantity of administrative work the scheme generates. Over 130 students are now handing in applications." Scholars like Abdel-Hamid Mohamed, Mohamed Samir and Ola Adel -- assistant professor at Helwan, Minya and Al-Azhar universities, respectively -- agreed that the opportunity to complete their education in England has been facilitated by the programme, offering them all a wonderful academic prospect. Al-Karma Edutainment, for 20 years a fully integrated media service provider offering everything from conceptual design to marketing, held a press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel to announce its first ever TV drama production -- to be aired next Ramadan. A comedy series called Ahmed Etgawez Mona (Ahmed married Mona), the show is set in Cairo, featuring actors Ahmed Falawkas and Injy El-Mokaddem, and focuses on issues pertaining to newly married couples. The show will have a website to which viewers can contribute comments, as Al-Karma Edutainment Chairman Amr Qoura announced: "drama is among the most powerful forms of communication, and it is high time Egyptian comedy acquired a new approach. When done properly, this is more than just entertainment; it helps create a platform for dialogue and exchange." For her part Dina Amin, deputy content director, announced that the show will be safe for family viewing, and that enough research has gone into it to make it refined and intelligent. Maulana Azad Centre (MACIC) Director Bashir Ahmed opened the 2005 Suzanne Mubarak Children's Literature Award winner Iman Osama 's exhibition, "Red Lillies", at the centre headquarters last week, presenting Osama with a medal in appreciation of her work in academia and art. Depicting a variety of emotions using exquisite shades of colour, the exhibition will be on till 20 July. Egyptian actor Hani Salama 's birthday was celebrated in grand style with Salama's fiancée Merihan, actress Sumaya El-Khashab and such famous co-workers as filmmakers Khaled Youssef and Omar Abdel-Aziz. Held on the fringes of the G8 Summit for the first time this year, the Junior 8 programme, comprising 64 children from the countries in question -- as well as, by video conference, representatives of Egypt, Thailand, South Africa and Mexico -- took place alongside the main event in St Petersburg. The children debated issues world leaders should focus on, coming up with a list of recommendations in the form of a communiqué. On 16 July, an official delegation of eight children met G8 leaders to present it. Some 12 Egyptian children selected by UNICEF and its local partners participated in a video conference on 14 July, dealing with the issue of education, which they had spent a day discussing among themselves beforehand. Other issues include HIV-AIDS, tolerance and energy resources. The move comes in the light of the impact of G8 decisions on children's lives across the world. Children also have a unique perspective that will prove vital to decision-making -- indeed the leaders have promised to take their views into account.
