25 June - 1 July 1998
Issue No.383
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 25 June - 1 July 1998 Issue No.383 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Stopping the drain
Six or seven years ago, I predicted here that eminent Egyptian scientist Ahmed Zuweil would receive the Nobel Prize for physics. I said at the time that such an achievement could mark our entrance into the twenty-first century, a century in which human life will be even more dependent on science and its applications than it is today.
That an Egyptian should be recognised and honoured in this way fills me with hope and bodes well for the future. I look forward to a time in which we will be contributors to the world of science and technology, not only receivers of knowledge from elsewhere. Would Ahmed Zuweil have achieved so much if he had remained in Egypt? His achievement is certainly the outcome of his genius, but is also due, at least in part, to the support he received from the university that sponsored his research, and the team of around 150 assistants who helped him bring his work to fruition. Most importantly, Zuweil had the means of devoting himself fully to his work. There are other scientists who, because they must make ends meet, cannot give the necessary time and effort to their research. We should redouble our scientific efforts in the near future to attain the level of efficiency required to support the endeavours of our scientists, to give them a genuine chance to break new scientific ground here. Science is perhaps the wisest investment of all.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy. |