Chairman of the British Council, Sir Vernon Ellis visits Egypt from 4 – 7 February 2012.  The visit is part of his Arab Spring tour to Egypt and Tunisia. During his stay in Egypt, Sir Vernon visited the British Council premises in Agouza on 5 February 2012.

Sir Vernon Ellis reflected on the recent sad incidents taking place in Egypt saying “It is with great sorrow that we mourn the loss of those young people who lost their lives.”  A one-minute silence was observed at the beginning of the event to remember those who were killed. The event highlighted the ‘Grants for Artists” programme and witnessed the unveiling of sculptures by British and Egyptian artists and the announcement of the appointment of a new curator-in-residence. Sir Vernon also met students studying English at the British Council as well as school students taking IGCSE art qualifications from the UK as part of their secondary school programme.

Sir Vernon announced also the appointment of Ms Elham Khattab as new curator-in-residence. Ms Elham, founder of Out of the Circle art organisation, is currently participating in the British Council’s “Cultural Leadership International” programme. During this time she will act as curator-in-residence to ensure that our centres have a vibrant atmosphere and offer visitors a stimulating cultural experience.

26 March - As part of our Science activities, a round table discussion took place about overcoming Gender Stereotypes. Female activists and men debated and elaborated on the following topics:

• Do women scientists bring special talent to the field or bring outlooks that men don’t have?

• What are the obstacles to women in science: double standard, general discrimination, psychological barriers, etc..?

• What is the scientific community response to gender bias?

• What should be done next?

Speakers were Ms. Gill Samuels who is chair of the foundation council of the Global Forum for Health Research and other Egyptian keynote speakers, Ms. Joman Salama, Professor Nadia Farah and Dr. Mervat Nessiem.