 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 July 2000 Issue No. 491 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 July 2000 Issue No. 491
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Plain Talk
By Mursi Saad El-Din
I was happy to learn from H E Ambassador Christer Sylven of Sweden about the Swedish Institute, due to be inaugurated at Alexandria in October this year.
For some years now Sweden has shown great interest in cultural exchanges and has opened up its universities, especially in Upsala, to African and other overseas students. Besides, Stockholm has been the venue of many international conferences and seminars such as the UNESCO Conference on the Creative Diversity which I had the pleasure of attending.
The new institute aims to further contacts between Europe and the Middle East, and to increase mutual understanding in the fields of culture and religion. It will also address issues of importance to the political, economic and social development in both regions as well as contribute to the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
The Swedish government decided to create the institute in 1998 as a result of an agreement between Sweden and Egypt, signed in September 1999. The institute is housed in a building on the Corniche in the Eastern Port which has since 1925 served as the Swedish Consulate. To accommodate the institute, the building has undergone comprehensive renovation.
According to the information supplied by the embassy, the institute is an autonomous part of Sweden's Foreign Service, with a board and an advisory committee appointed by the Swedish government. Funding is provided from Sweden's allocation to international development cooperation.
To pursue these tasks the institute will promote dialogue on various themes through a combination of workshops, conferences, studies and state-of-the art reviews. It will also serve as a venue for meetings arranged by other institutions, contain a reference library, arrange lectures and exhibitions and office space for guest researchers.
The institute is the fruit of long cooperation between Egypt and Sweden. Sweden's interest in the Middle East dates back to the 18th century when the well-known botanist Von Leniet undertook exploratory travels in the area to study its flora. He was followed by the famous botanist Vivi Tikholm who lived in Egypt for many years and died in 1978. Tikholm's Egyptian students recently held a memorial in her honour. She was decorated by both her native country and Egypt.
In the 19th century religious groups in Sweden conducted extensive research in the region. In this vein, the famous writer Selma Lagerhof, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1909, published her book on Jerusalem. Egypt was also the inspiration of a number of Swedish writers and artists
The end of the Second World War witnessed a new stage in Sweden's relationship with the Middle East. Thousands of young Swedes joined the peace-keeping forces in the region, which gave them first-hand experience of the region's state of affairs. Sweden's interest in the area increased since her membership of the European Union; while more Swedes had the opportunity to visit the area, quite a number of Middle Eastern refugees also found a haven in Sweden. These emigrants constitute an important element in creating awareness of the area and can be regarded as mediators between their new country and the countries of the region.
The establishment of the Swedish Institute comes at a time when the revival of the Library of Alexandria is almost complete. It is interesting that another Scandinavian country, Norway, was one of the first contributors to the library. Besides, Alexandria is also the seat of the Francophone university named after Senghor. It seems that with these new activities Alexandria is again becoming the lighthouse of learning it once was.
