VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #0084/01 0180532
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180532Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4737
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS CAIRO 000084 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/ELA, OES/STC (WILLIAM LAWRENCE) 
WHITE HOUSE FOR OSTP (JASON RAO) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO OVIP TSPL EG
SUBJECT: SCIENCE ENVOY ZEWAIL CONCLUDES SUCCESSFUL FIRST VISIT TO 
CAIRO 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please handle accordingly. 
 
1.(SBU) Key Points: 
 
--In his inaugural trip to Egypt as U.S. Science Envoy, Dr. Ahmed 
Zewail met with senior government officials, business leaders, and 
the academic community to discuss ways in which the U.S. can 
collaborate with Egypt to bolster science and technology 
cooperation. 
 
-- At a January 10 meeting of the Supreme Council for Science and 
Technology (SCST), Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif pledged to 
create a task force to identify key national science and technology 
challenges and determine how Egypt can contribute to future 
partnerships. 
 
--Public diplomacy events with the American Chamber of Commerce in 
Egypt (AMCHAM) and a 10 year old child prodigy dubbed "the next 
Zewail" focused on the need to improve the education system to 
strengthen Egypt's position in the global scientific community. 
 
-- Zewail will return to Egypt on January 24 to reassume his envoy 
role in a follow-up meeting with PM Nazif about the future direction 
of the task force and a speech to a student audience at the Cairo 
Opera House. 
 
¶2. (U) Dr. Ahmed Zewail, one of three U.S. Science Envoys announced 
by Secretary Clinton in November 2009 visited Cairo from January 
10-12 and met with Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, the Supreme 
Council for Science and Technology (SCST), and Minister of Defense 
Mohamed Tantawi to determine how the U.S. can support Egypt in 
implementing science and technology initiatives. 
 
----------------------------------- 
EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT PLEDGES SUPPORT 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) In a January 10 meeting, Zewail briefed PM Nazif about the 
purpose of President Obama's envoy program, highlighting the desire 
to identify opportunities for new partnerships in science and 
technology - including math, engineering, health, energy, climate 
change research, and green technologies. Nazif welcomed Zewail's 
appointment and noted that science and technology programs can serve 
as important diplomacy and development tools to engage 
Muslim-majority countries, such as Egypt and across the Middle East 
region. Nazif also urged Zewail to act quickly in determining the 
best methods to "move ahead" and expressed a desire to have 
demonstrable results as soon as possible. "We don't want to wait for 
another June," Nazif explained, referencing President Obama's Cairo 
University speech in June 2009. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Zewail also met with members of the SCST to listen to their 
concerns about challenges facing the country's education, science, 
and technology infrastructure.  The council, a PM-chaired advisory 
body that meets quarterly to establish national science and 
technology priorities, was specially convened for Zewail's visit and 
hosted eight ministers (Higher Education and Scientific Research; 
Telecommunication; Electricity; International Cooperation; Economic 
Development; Agriculture; Irrigation; and Military Production) as 
well as prominent individuals from the academic and business 
communities. 
Different ministers noted the many problems facing Egypt: an 
increasing population, a struggling education system, and the lack 
of a skilled workforce.  The council warmly received Zewail's 
proposal to work together on new initiatives focusing on education, 
science, and technology. He also discussed the concept of centers of 
excellence and encouraged the council to pursue this idea. 
Concluding the meeting, Nazif promised to form an inter-ministerial 
task force to investigate key science and technology priorities as 
well as study how Egypt can contribute to joint projects. He also 
invited Zewail to return to provide support to the task force. 
 
¶5. (SBU) During a January 11 meeting with Minister of Defense 
Mohamed Tantawi, Zewail noted the important role U.S. military 
research plays in providing technology and knowledge for civilian 
use.  Zewail thanked Tantawi for his leadership and asked him to 
participate in the SCST's task force to identify areas for potential 
cooperation.  Tantawi, a member of the council, agreed and stated 
that he would do so to the long-existing and successful relationship 
between the American and Egyptian militaries. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Reaching out to the Business Community and Beyond 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶6. (U) At a January 12 breakfast hosted by the American Chamber of 
Commerce in Egypt (AMCHAM) and attended by more than 550 people, 
 
Zewail spoke about the role the private sector can play in both 
leading and supporting science and technology partnerships between 
Egypt and the U.S.  He explained that the core issue facing Egypt is 
the improvement of the country's public education system - 
especially at the primary and secondary level.  Zewail emphasized 
the importance of creating an environment that rewards risk taking 
and academic innovation; he noted that his home university, the 
California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech), had provided him with 
exactly these conditions and credited Cal Tech as a "major reason" 
for his accomplishments.  Egypt did not necessarily need new 
buildings and organizations to achieve scientific and intellectual 
success, Zewail stated.  More important was creating the right 
intellectual atmosphere, coupled with a significant increase in the 
country's pool of scientists and engineers, to improve the overall 
science and technology capacity.  This would also lead to the 
development of greater innovation and entrepreneurial skills among 
university graduates. 
 
¶7. (U) Zewail also met with a 10 year old American University of 
Cairo student, featured in a local publication the week before the 
visit and dubbed "the next Zewail." Zewail paid tribute to the boy's 
industriousness and determination to become a Nobel Prize winner and 
credited his parents in keeping him focused on academic pursuits. 
He explained that while Egypt welcomes foreign support, it is 
critical that Egyptians themselves determine how to solve the 
country's problems, chief among them the education system. 
 
------------------------ 
Zewail's Return to Egypt 
------------------------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) Following visits to Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, Zewail 
will return to Egypt on January 24 for a series of events to build 
upon his inaugural envoy trip to Egypt.  He will again meet with PM 
Nazif to learn what steps the task force has taken in determining 
science and technology alliances with the U.S.  Zewail is also 
scheduled to address a student audience in a February 14th speech at 
the Cairo Opera House. During his first envoy trip, Zewail's 
personal popularity was evident in the extensive press coverage and 
high-level attendance at all of his events. Post looks forward to 
welcoming him back to Cairo and further engaging Egyptian 
counterparts in conversations about future collaborative projects. 
 
Scobey