The Alexandria Library recently hosted a symposium titled "Contemporary Egypt's Memory," where a cooperation agreement was signed between the library and Egyptian TV. The agreement aims to launch a TV program documenting Egypt's modern and contemporary history, which will be aired on Egyptian TV and its digital platforms. The symposium was attended by Dr. Ahmed Abdullah Zayed, Director of the Alexandria Library, and other notable figures.
The symposium began with a presentation by Dr. Samah Fouzi, a senior researcher at the library and supervisor of the "Contemporary Egypt's Memory" project. A film produced by the library's studio was screened, highlighting the project's efforts to document Egypt's modern and contemporary history. Dr. Fouzi stated that the library is launching a new initiative in collaboration with the National Media Authority to produce a TV program that will be aired on Egyptian TV and its digital platforms.
Dr. Ahmed Zayed emphasized the importance of the "Contemporary Egypt's Memory" website as a dynamic digital platform that is regularly updated by a team of specialized researchers. The website documents pivotal events in Egypt's modern and contemporary history, including the French campaign, the Urabi Revolution, and the October 1973 war. The website also includes an archive of the biographies of Egypt's rulers and presidents.
Ahmed Al-Moslamani, head of the National Media Authority, stated that Egyptian cultural and media institutions are working towards achieving unprecedented integration to build a "national knowledge narrative." This narrative aims to collect various parts of Egypt's national archive, in line with presidential directives to unify efforts between the National Media Authority and other institutions that possess parts of Egypt's historical memory.
Al-Moslamani added that a large project has been launched to digitize approximately one million radio and TV tapes. The project's timeline aims to complete the digitization of 400,000 radio tapes and the main TV sector by next July. This will ensure the protection of Egypt's radio and TV heritage and facilitate access to it for researchers.
The cooperation between the Alexandria Library and Egyptian TV aims to counter "narrative wars" and attempts to reinterpret Egyptian history in a selective or distorted manner. The two parties have started activating joint protocols with the General Authority for Information, in addition to preparing to air major documentary programs on the Channel One screen.
In a later session titled "An Insight into the Contemporary Egypt's Memory Project," researchers from the library presented the project's stages. The session was moderated by Dr. Ahmed Samir, head of the library's Information Technology and Communications Sector. The project aims to document Egypt's modern and contemporary history through a TV program and digital platforms.
Key points
- The Alexandria Library and Egyptian TV have signed a cooperation agreement to launch a media project documenting modern and contemporary Egyptian history.
- The project aims to produce a TV program that will be aired on Egyptian TV and its digital platforms, in addition to social media platforms.
- The "Contemporary Egypt's Memory" website is a dynamic digital platform that documents pivotal events in Egypt's modern and contemporary history.
