Theme: Resurrection

The resurrection of faded dreams, inspired by laughs, hopes and tears, are capable of altering individual lives as well as paths of entire nations. Through experiencing the taste of awakened dreams, TEDxCairo in its coming event, brings you a selection of astonishing talks that will ignite your minds, inspire your souls and provoke your current thoughts. Stop surviving. Start living.

The American University in Cairo
Cairo
Egypt

Bassem Youssef

After 10 years working as a cardiothoracic surgeon, Bassem Youssef has completely upturned his medical career to media career. Despite his passion to surgery, Dr.Youssef has always been interested in surpassing the walls and doors of the operating room and connecting with people. His early interest in dissection sparked his use of parody and satire to dissect the news in Egypt. Being provoked by the absurdities of Egyptian television's coverage of the events during the revolution, Youssef decided to premiere his first humorous episode, after which he didn't expect that his YouTube channel will get nearly four million views and more than 25,000 subscribers. That quickly got the attention of television executives, and Dr. Youssef was flooded with offers. Many equate Youssef to America's Jon Stewart and labeled him as Egypt's Jon Stewart . NPRadio host Brooke Gladstone described Youssef's Show as "it exemplifies everything that is new about media in post-revolutionary Egypt,"and also described his audience as "growing as fast as a snowball rolling down a hill."

Rania Siam

Rania Siam is an associate professor in the Biology Department and the director of the biotechnology graduate program at the School of Science and Engineering, The American University in Cairo. Siam's research interests are in cell cycle regulation and how genomic integrity is maintained during DNA replication. She has addressed these topics by studying replication origins in different model systems, and by examining the interaction of cell cycle regulatory proteins with different elements in the replication origin. She is interested in the model bacterium caulobacter crescentus, as she believes this model bacterium will help her analyze how cell cycle regulation results in the replication competent and non-replication competent progeny. She has also focused on the closely related bacterium Rickettsia prowazekii and proposed a similar model for the regulation of replication at the replication origin. Her research interests have evolved to explore replication origins in proteobacteria habituating harsh environments. In particular she is interested in unidentified bacteria in the Red Sea. Utilizing environmental genomics she is exploring bacterial vertical and horizontal zonation in the Red Sea and addressing how the organization of replication elements in the replication origin regulates the cell cycle under differential environments. She holds an MBBCh from Ain Shams University, Faculty of Medicine. She earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology in 2001 from the faculty of medicine, McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Siam held several post-doctoral positions including McGill Oncology Group and Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She has also held positions at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratories, La Jolla, CA, USA and The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA.

Ali Faramawy

Vice President of Microsoft International. An active member of the International leadership team responsible for the company’s international strategy. Leader in a number of strategic initiatives across many Emerging & Fast growing Markets. Throughout more than twenty years in the IT industry, Faramawy held different Technical, Sales and leadership roles in different parts of the Middle East and Europe with companies like Dun & Bradstreet Software, NCR Corporation, Yokogawa Marex and finally Microsoft Corporation. He serves on a number of high impact NGOs and Advisory boards focused primarily on business excellence, human resource development and advancement in the ICT sector which reflects his passion towards empowering people in emerging and developing markets. He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, majoring in Computer Science & Automatic Control and has an MBA in Strategic Marketing from the University of Hull in the UK.

A new speaker will be announced daily till 20/5/2011

Ahmed AbdAllah

Abdalla worked as a Film Editor since 1999, edited some of the commercial Egyptian Films (2001-2004) and worked on documentary films as well. 'Heliopolis' is his 1st featured film as a director and the winner of the Best 1st screenplay Award of Sawiris foundation in Cairo 2008. Released on the 25th of January 2011, Microphone, his latest written and directed movie gained a lot of popularity among the Egyptian youth and multiple awards some of them are the Golden Tulip, Istanbul International film festival ,2011 and Best Editing ,Dubai international film festival ,2010. Abdalla is currently focusing on a new independent film production company in Egypt with other young filmmakers.

Essam Youssef

The author of the realistic novel "1/4 Gram", a brutally honest insider's account on Egypt's drug world. "1/4 Gram" has been Egypt's bestselling novel for the past two years. Why should you listen to him? Since 2000, Essam Youssef has been the Managing Director of The Egyptian International Company for Environmental Protection (EICEP). In 2007, Youssef started Montana Studios for Film Production. As the CEO of this company, Youssef is working on several projects for adults and children in addition to a film adaptation of his novel. "1/4 Gram" scheduled for release in 2012. Youssef has also been conducting a drugs awareness campaign during which he has visited over 30 schools and universities meeting over 20000 students. Finally, he is also establishing an NGO for rehabilitation based on the 28-day program. Essam Youssef is a graduate of the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, Cairo University.

Fadel Soliman

An international speaker and presenter of Islam who gave his presentations to more than 85,000 non-Muslims in churches, universities and governmental departments in the U.S.A. and other countries all over the world. Why should you listen to him? Fadel Soliman is member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars who received his Master's degree in Islamic Shariyah from the American Open University in Washington D.C. in 2009 and received a diploma in Islamic studies from the Higher Institute of Islamic studies in Cairo in 2006. He is the director of Bridges Foundation; an international organization specialized in presenting Islam and training Muslim speakers and presenters on how to present Islam. Also, he was the Muslim Chaplain of the American university in Washington D.C. and the director of World Assembly of Muslim Youth, in North and Central Americas’ office. Fadel was, also, the Host of a TV show, “The Islamic show”, and a radio show, “Let the Quran speak” in Washington Metropolitan Area in the USA and the author and producer of “The Fog is Lifting”, a series of documentaries on Islam.

Fahd Alibinali

A Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of EveryFit, Inc., which is a start-up exercise fitness and measurement Company. He was previously a Research Scientist at House_n Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Why should you listen to him? His research focuses on building and studying ubiquitous technologies. These are context-aware interactive technologies that help people become healthier. He is particularly interested in measuring physical activity using wearable sensors and designing real-time persuasive health applications for mobile phones. Currently, he is working on building wearable systems that measure physical activity to address high-value societal challenges such as preventive health care and support for aging and disabled populations. Dr. Albinali received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 2008 working on activity recognition in domestic environments, a M.Sc. from the University of Arizona in 2002, and a B.Sc. degree in Computer Science from the American University in Cairo in 1999.

Gehane Zaki

Gihane Zaki is Director General of the International and UNESCO Affairs Department at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the general director of the Salvage of Nubian Monument in Ministry of Culture and Professor of Egyptology at Helwan University, Cairo. Why should you listen to her ? Studied Egyptology in both Egypt and France, receiving her PhD from Lyon in 2000 where she focused on early nomes of Upper Egypt, concentrating her research on the Temple of Philae. She has been teaching since the mid 90’s. Gihane has authored many publications on Egyptology, ranging from strictly academic to multi-lingual booklets explaining the historical context of Egypt’s built heritage for Egyptian schoolchildren. Animating all her work is her passion for preserving Egypt’s heritage and a tireless drive to re-elevate it to its rightful grandeur.

Hesham El Gammal

An Engineer who switched careers 11 years ago to start a Human Development company and to focus his energy on helping people be their best. Why should you listen to him? Hesham is a Human Development Consultant and Executive Coach with over 25 years total experience. He holds a BSc. in Chemical Engineering from Cairo University and an Executive MBA from Rennes school of business in France. Hesham has gained his practical experience in a host of different roles throughout his career varying from Engineering Design, to Sales Management, and finally as a consultant and public speaker. He founded Quest, a Human Development Consulting House in 1999 and during the past eleven years he was heavily involved in developing and implementing performance enhancement projects for a wide range of companies in areas such as Leadership, Strategic Sales Planning, Change Management, and others.

Mina Shenouda

A Co-author of the bestselling Arabic book "Astigmatism in the Brain”, with his friend, Mostafa Elsayyad. The book is a collection of ironic tales about the sectarian disputes in Egypt from the perspective of two friends, a Christian and a Muslim. Why should you listen to him? Mena Shenouda is a dynamic writer and speaker who is passionate about improving human behavior. He is still a student in his senior year at Faculty of Commerce, English Section, Business Administration Department, Cairo University. However, he was the host of an online radio show called "Sheno in the Taxi", which ironically tackles different issues in the Egyptian society, and he also co-wrote one of the bestselling books in Egypt. Journalist and TV presenter, Roula Kharsa, commented on Shenouda's book "Astigmatism in the Brain" saying "Finally someone has got the courage to do it .. the courage to say it.. to speak frankly, honestly and without any sensitivities on Muslim-Christian relationship in Egypt… Finally someone has managed to realistically describe it without any complexities, in a loud, sarcastic and humorous tone.

El Mostafa Higazy

Founder of ACME Corp Global, a Strategic Advisory Firm and SQUARE Institute for Strategic Thinking, an Advocacy Think Tank. Why should you listen to him? Hegazy encompasses 23 years of comprehensive experience in Strategic Advisory, Governance Advocacy, Investment Management, Organizational Psychology, Institutional Sustainable Development, and Strategic Philanthropy; All covered in the Industry of Thinking domain. He established the TCT School of thought and the ACME Approach for sustainable development both catering for a unique methodology of Strategic Emergence, Development & Reform. His professional experience is complimented through an extended academic profile that encompasses the technical aspects of development. In his capacity as President of ACME Corp-Global; he chairs the Corporate Board of Directors and the Executive Boards of the Corporate SBUs namely, ACME Advisors, ACME Investments, Millennium HC&IP and P&S Consultants.

Yasmin Said

A promising biological scientist from Oklahoma Panhandle State University, in USA, who decided to study Medicine in Ain Shams University, in Egypt, to develop her profound interest in Alzheimer's disease. Why should you listen to her? Yasmine is an aspiring med-student with a profound interest in Alzheimer's disease and a deep concern of spreading awareness on neurological disorders. As a hard working student of Biological Sciences in Oklahoma Panhandle State University, in USA, Yasmine worked at the elderly Psychiatric disease unit at Morton County Hospital in Kansas where she experienced a great interest in Alzheimer's disease. Accordingly, she decided to start medicine school in Egypt in 2005. In order to develop her research on Alzheimer, she received training at the Alzheimer's disease Research Center at the University of California in 2009 and at New York University in 2010. She started a Neuroscience Club at the faculty of Medicine at Ain Shams University to promote the important neurological disorders and increase awareness on diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Yasmine is currently finishing her research project on Alzheimer's disease which will be presented at the Congress of Neuroscience in 2011.

Ahmed Ghonim

An Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University. A research fellow at the Economic Research Forum for Arab Countries, Iran and Turkey (ERF) as well as at Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE) in Poland. A consultant to several international and national organizations including the World Bank, UNCTAD, UNDP, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Why should you listen to him? Ghoniem held different policy oriented positions, among which he was an advisor on foreign trade issues to the Minister of Foreign Trade and advisor to the Minister of Industry on foreign trade issues and international agreements. He advised several governments on different trade policy issues, and helped in capacity building programs in a number of countries. His previous research efforts mainly focus on trade, economic development and political studies. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Graduate School for Middle East Studies and an MA in Economics of Development from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague.

Haytham Fadeel

Haytham ElFadeel is a 23-year-old Commerce graduate, with a deep interest in Computer Sciences. He conducted a lot of research in Computer Sciences, in the field of Artificial Intelligence, and he achieved a breakthrough in it to the extent that he is invited to talk about it at three of the top six Computer Sciences schools in the world. Why should you listen to him? Haytham is the founder and CEO of Kngine, which is a Web 3.0 search engine designed to provide customized meaningful search results. Kngine aims at providing Semantic information, answering users' questions, discovering the relation between keywords/concepts and linking them to relevant information.

Marwa Sharafeldin

Marwa Sharafeldin is a women's rights activist in Egypt. She is a Ph.D. student in the Law Faculty of Oxford University. Why should you listen to her? Marwa is active in the field of civil society in Egypt and worldwide on the issue of women's rights. She is a board member in Musawah, the international movement for Muslim family law reform, and the co-founder of the Network of Women's Rights Organizations in Egypt. She is the co-founder of the Young Arab Feminist Network as well as NGOs like Fat’het Kheir and Nahdet el Mahrousa. She is a Legal Advocacy consultant for several national and international organizations. Marwa believes in removing the boundaries between the political, the social, the artistic and the radical. She is a story collector, a writer and performer in the Ana Masry Band which sings for national unity and equality for all Egyptians.

Mohamed Abd Al Mottaleb

An Assistant Professor of Nano Materials and founder and Director of the Nano Materials Masters Program at Nile University (the first such program in the Middle East). Why should you listen to him? Dr. Abdel-Mottaleb's research has been at the forefront of nanotechnology developments in the Middle East. He has 24 peer-reviewed publications (including papers in Accounts of Chemical Research and Nano Letters), has co-authored a chapter for NATO on the commercial applications of nanotechnology, and has served on the Ethics Committee on Nanoscience for the European Union. Further, he has organized and chaired the first nanotech conference in the Middle East (NanoTech Insight, in 2005, 2007), and is currently organizing a host of other industry-specific nanotech events and workshops in the region. Abdel-Mottaleb has an excellent background in nano materials, as well as alternative energy and sensor technologies. Prior to joining Nile University, he was the Chairman and Founder of SabryCorp Ltd. (Cairo, Egypt), the first company in the Middle East and Africa to specialize in nanotechnology. He also worked in research labs both Belgium (K. U. Leuven) and in Germany (U. Ulm, TU Chemnitz) where he specialized in a number of interesting arenas such as the Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Atomic Force Microscopy applications in surface modifications

Shereef Abd Al Azeem

The founder and chairman of Resala NGO. An Associate Professor of Electronics Engineering at the American University in Cairo. Why should you listen to him? Dr. Abdelazeem is the founder and chairman of Resala NGO, the leading volunteer-based organization in Egypt with more than 100,000 registered volunteers and 50 branches across Egypt serving millions of Egyptians. There tasks revolve around caring for the orphans, providing for the needy, helping the blind, deaf, and people with special needs, eradicating illiteracy, teaching computer literacy courses, free tutoring for needy students. Dr. Abdelazeem received his Ph.D. from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 1995.