The BA Signs MOU to Launch an Arab Encyclopedia of Life
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Alexandria—On the fringe lines of the Pan-Arab Biodiversity Conference, organized by the BA Center for Special Studies and Programs (CSSP) on 14 and 15 December 2009, the BA and the Smithsonian Institution, USA, signed a memorandum of understanding, according to which an Arab Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) will be launched.
The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is a global project to bring together, on infinitely expandable web pages, information about all of the approximately 1.9 million species of plants, animals and microorganisms on Earth. Begun with private funding in the US, the EOL is now spreading to many other parts of the world, where regional EOLs, serving information about the species found in that region, are being developed.
Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria, explained that the Arab EOL will sponsored by the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD). He added that the BA will collaborate with Arab scientists, researchers, and the general public to compile this electronic encyclopedia.
Dr. James Edwards, Executive Director of EOL, praised the idea of developing an Arab EOl. He stated that regional EOLs have already begun in Australia, China and the Netherlands, and are underway in Central America, South Africa, and now, the Arabic region.