Economics
Dr. Heba Handoussa
Dr. Handoussa is Managing Director of the Economic Research Forum for Arab countries, Iran and Turkey, and is also a member of the Shura Council, Egypt's Upper House of Parliament.
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/members/handoussa.htm
Topics: Economics; globalization critic (advocates that Middle Eastern countries proceed slowly into the cycle of globalization).
Education
Ismail Serageldin
Mr. Serageldin is the director of the Library of Alexandria and chairs the Boards of Directors for each of the BA's affiliated research institutes. He is a member of the Senate in Egypt (El Shoura Council).
Topics: Advocate for the underprivileged (associates himself with organizations that continuously help those in need); Alexandria Library; promotes sustainable agricultural in developing countries; health in developing nations.
Foreign Relations/Middle East Peace
Dr. Abdel Monem Said Aly
Dr. Said Aly was recently appointed Chairman of the Board of al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. He is the founder of the International Alliance for Arab-Israeli Peace and the Egyptian Peace Movement.
http://acpss.ahram.org.eg/eng/ahram/2004/7/5/ABOT6.HTM
Topics: Egyptian-Western relations; regional issues such as the Middle East Peace Process, Gaza and the Palestinian issues, and the Iran question.
Abdel Raouf El Reedy
Ambassador El Reedy is currently the chairman of the board of the Mubarak Public Library in Cairo and co-founder and member of the board of the Egyptian Council on Foreign Affairs.
Topics: Middle East peace conflict, expert source for any questions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Egypt-Iran conflict.
Ambassador Nabil Fahmy
Ambassador Nabil Fahmy, former Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the United States from 1999-2008, has played an active role in the numerous efforts to bring peace to the Middle East. He is also internationally recognized for his expertise in the field of Disarmament and International Security.
Topics: Middle East conflict; disarmament and International Security; global economics.
Human Rights
Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali
Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali served as the sixth UN Secretary-General from 1992-1997. He now serves as the speaker of the Egyptian National Council on Human Rights.
http://www.nchr.org.eg/en/members.html
http://www.un.org/Overview/SG/sg6bio.html
Topics: human rights; democratization of developing countries; government transitions.
Dr. Mona Zulfikar
Dr. Mona Zulfikar is an attorney at the Shalakany law firm in Egypt where she oversees the operations of the firm’s Banking and Capital Markets Group. Ms. Zulficar is a self-proclaimed women’s rights and civil society activist.
Topics: women’s right; human rights.
Religion
Sheik Al Azhar Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy
Sheik Sayyid Tantawy is the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque and Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar University, and is considered one of the foremost Sunni Arab authorities in the world.
Topics: The Sunni Religion; its role in Egypt; fatwas; religion’s place in both national affairs and international issues.
Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt
Sheikh Ali was appointed Grand Mufti of Egypt in 2003. Since accepting the position he has revolutionized the process of issuing fatwas in Egypt, transforming Dar al-Ifta to a modern institution with a fatwa council and a system of checks and balances.
http://www.aligomaa.net/bio.html
Topics: Religion; internal affairs, mediation; human rights issues such as FGM.
Moez Masoud
Mr. Masoud, a young Egyptian religious leader involved with a variety of TV and radio shows, has tackled controversial issues like homosexuality and the roots of terrorism and has been an instant success.
Topics: controversial social issues, such as homosexuality and terrorism; strong connection to the youth in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries.
Women’s Rights
Dr. Hoda Rashad
Dr. Rashad is Director and Research Professor of the Social Research Center of the American University in Cairo. She is member of the Senate (El Shoura Council), one of the two parliamentary bodies in Egypt. She serves on the National Council for Women, which reports to the President of Egypt and is chaired by the First Lady.
http://www.who.int/social_determinants/thecommission/rashad/en/index.html
Topics: Proponent of social research in Egypt; advocate for educational programs that provide insight into health, illiteracy and women’s issues.