Biography:

Prof. Dr. Adel El-Beltagy is the Chairman of the International Drylands Development Commission (IDDC), Chairman of the Governing Board of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), Chair of the Food & Ag Research Council, Egyptian Academy of Science, Chairman of the Agricultural Research & Development Council (ARDC), Egypt (2007-2011), Vice Chair/Member of the Global Diversity Trust Fund (2007-2011). Chair of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) (2006-2010), Board member of the Council of the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). Member of the FAO High-Level Committee, addressing the implementation of MDGs, Member of the European Action on Global Life Sciences (EAGLES), Board Member of the Alexandrina Bibliotheca (2006-present), Member of the Supreme Council of Science & Technology chaired by the Prime Minister of Egypt and a Professor of Agriculture, Arid Lands Research Institute, Ain Shams University, Egypt. Prof. El-Beltagy has also served as the Director General of the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA)(1995-2006).Director/Board Chairman of Agricultural Research Center of Egypt (1991-1995), Chair of the Global Consortium to Re-build Agriculture in Afghanistan. Chairman for the Scientific Technical Council of the International Sahara and Sahel Observatory (SSO) (1993-2002), First Under-Secretary of the State for Land Reclamation of Egypt (1986-1991), Fellow of the University of Wales (1993), Chairman of Executive Board, Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) (1989-1994), Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences of Moscow, Academician (Foreign Member) of the Tajik Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chairman of the Center Directors Committee (CDC) for the International agricultural research centers of the CGIAR (2002-2003), Chairman of the CDC Integrated Natural Resource Management Committee (INRM) (2003-2005), Member of the CDC ICWG - Climate Change, (2004-2006); Member of the CGIAR Genetic Resources Policy Committee, 1994-1999; Board Member of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Board, 2004/2005; Chair, CDC Task-Force for Central Asia and the Caucasus of Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) 1999-2006; A native of Egypt, has been awarded the Al-Istiklal Medal by His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Hussein of Jordan as well as the Golden Medal Award for his achievements in agriculture from the Republic of Armenia; He has been awarded "the Sultan Qaboos 'First Class' Order for Culture, Sciences and Arts for his contribution to the Development of Agriculture in the Dry Areas. Honorable Academician of Kyrgyz Agrarian Academy, He holds an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Khartoum, Sudan; Honorable Professor of the Scientific Council of Azerbaijan Agricultural Academy, Academic Status of Award for the contribution to the development of international cooperation in Agriculture from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 2006.He has also been awarded "2008 State Recognition Prize in Sciences", Egypt. In 2006, Elected member of L'INSTITUT D'EGYPTE (founded in 1798), and a Founding member of the British Plant Growth Regulator Group, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), International Plant Growth Substances Association, Federation of European Societies of Plant Physiology, International Society of Horticultural Science, American Society for Horticultural Science, Society for Experimental Biology, U.K; Egyptian Society for Horticultural Science, World Water Council (WWC), Arab Water Council (AWC), International Water Resources Association (IWRA); He has authored/co-authored more than 140 scientific publications..

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