The Institut de recherche pour le développement makes a donation to BA
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Alexandria, 14 February 2005—A delegation from the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) is visiting the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), on 14 February 2005, where Dr. Jean-François Girard, Director of the Institute and Dr. Daniel Lefort, Director of International Relations will be donating more than 400 books, journals and periodicals in the fields of social development and human sciences. Consul Louis Blin, French General Consul to Alexandria, and Hany Helal, on behalf of Dr. Amr Salama, the Egyptian Minister of High Education and Scientific Research, will be accompanying the delegation. The delegation will be received by Ambassador Taher Khalifa, Head of the External Relations Sector at BA, where he will give a speech on behalf of Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
The IRD is a French public science and technology research institute with three main missions: research, consultancy and training. It conducts scientific programs contributing to the sustainable development of the countries of the South, with an emphasis on the relationship between man and the environment. Its scientific activities are organized through five departments: Land and Environment, Living Resources, Societies and Health, Consulting and Industrial Relations, and Support and Training.
It is worth noting that France is among the main donors to the BA; it has donated publications, organized exhibitions, as well as signed an agreement of collaboration between the National Library of France (Bibliothèque nationale de France, BNF) and BA for training BA staff on the latest technology in library systems.