The Center for the Study of Developing Countries

The Center for the Study

Developing Countries

Cairo University

The Center for the study of Developing countries, founded on 16 March 1995, as an autonomous research unit at Cairo University, is Egypt’s first academic institution committed to multidisciplinary research on the question of development.

Our latest publication: Corruption and Development

Objectives of the CSDC:

The CSDC carries out research on the various economic, political, social and cultural dimensions of development. It disseminates the findings of its research activities through public lectures and series of publications. It stimulates debates, about problems and strategies of development by brining together academics, government officials, businessmen and trade unionists. It strives also to promote exchanges of views and experiences with research centers interested in the same issues in other countries, in the South as well as in the North. The center draws upon a wealth of human talent and expertise in areas of economics, political science, sociology and science among professors of Cairo University, Egypt’s oldest, largest and most prestigious modern university.

Activities of CSDC:

To accomplish its objectives of stimulating new thinking on issues of development, the Center carries out the following activities:

1.Commissioning basic research on development. Its first program of research covering a period of two years 1995-1997 focused on agents of development, while the second program starting in 1998 would examine concepts of development, held by political and social collective actors in Egypt and by international organizations in a critical manner, with a view of formulating an Egyptian concept of development.

2.Public lectures. Competent experts, policy makers, businessmen and trade unionists, Egyptians and foreigners are invited to address the public once every fortnight on questions of development within the framework of "Development Debates".

3.Establishing new practices in the policy-dialogue on development by organizing workshops on policy-related issues bringing together development partners, including government officials, academics, trade unionists and businessman.

4.Evaluating development efforts in Egypt through its "Report on Development in Egypt" presented in a conference attended by representatives of development partners.

5. Finally, the center informs the general and specialized public of its activities through five series of publications:

Development Forum, which comes out in Arabic and English, presenting texts delivered in public lectures.
Development Issues, which are presented through books dealing with policy-related issues examined in workshops organized by the CDSC.
Development Library, which offers in a book form the findings of basic research carried out at the Center.
New Perspectives, a quarterly bulletin which provides the reader with new ideas and practices on development as well as news of the Center’s activities.
Development Notes, a publication, presenting ongoing research in development, broadly defined to encompass multiple dimensions, and is open to contributions from development experts and practitioners not necessarily working with or affiliated to the Center.

Organizational structure:

The CSDC operates through its permanent secretariat, consultative groups, research teams and a board of trustees including some of the best known experts on the question of development in its various aspects in Egypt.

The Center is led by Professor Ali Hilal Dessouki, President of its Board of Trustees and Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Political Science and its director is Professor Mustapha Kamel Al-Sayyid.

Members of the Board of Trustees:

*** Professors of the Faculty of Economic & Political Science:

*Professor Ali H. Dessouki, Dean, Faculty of Economic & Political Science, President.

*Professor Wadouda Badran, Vice Dean for Environmental and Community Affairs, Vice President, and professor of Political Science.

*Professor Kamal El-Menoufi, Vice Dean for Student Affairs, and Professor of political science.

*Professor Mona El-Barad’ei, Vice-Dean for Graduate Studies and Research , and Professor of Economics,

*Professor Mustapha K. Al-Sayyid Professor of Political Science, Director of the Center.

*Professor Alia El-Mahdi Professor of Economics, Deputy Director.

*Professor Mahmoud Abdel Fadil, Chairman, Department of Economics.

*Professor Baher Atlem, Professor of Economics, Faculty of Economic & Political Science.

*Professor Heba El-Laithy, Professor of statistics, Faculty of Economic & Political Science.

** Other Members among Cairo University Professors:

*Professor Ahmed Mustaguir, former dean, Faculty of Agriculture.

** Members from the government and civil society:

*Mr.Mounir Fakhri Abdel Nour, President of the board, Vitrac Company.

*Mr.Ahmed Ezz, Vice President, of the Federation of Egyptian Industries.

*Ambassador Dawlat Hassan, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

*Mrs.Mervat Tellawy Minister of Social Affairs.

*Mr.Kamel Zoheri, Former President of the Journalists’ Syndicate of Egypt, of the Union of Arab Journalists and President of the Board of Cairo Public Library.

Current Projects:

1- 2nd research program on concepts of Development.
2- Unemployment in Arab countries.
3- Arab – African relations.
4- Education and Development, Political Aspects.
5- Measurement of Political Freedom in Egypt.
6- Political Pacts and the transition to Democracy in Mediterranean Countries.

Activities of the CSDC in 1999:

A. Conferences:

1- Material Flows Accounting and its relevance to Egypt, February 23, 1999.

2- Scientific Research and Development, May 2-3.

3- Political Conditions for Development: Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance, May 18-19.

B. Workshops:

1- Methodology workshop, for Ph.D. candidates, organized jointly with the Social Science Research Council of the U.S.A. February 28-March 3.

2- Training of Trainers Concerned with Gender Issues, organized jointly with the University of Manchester, March 23-25.

3- Unemployment in the Arab World: Economic, Social, Political and Strategic Dimensions, May 11-12.

4- During last week, the center for the study of developing countries organized the Scientific Research and Development conference on the 2sd and 3rd of May. The Center also invited on Tuesday the 4th of May Professor Basma Darwish to give a lecture on Arab regimes and the Islamic movement.

5- This week, the CSDC, organizes a conference on political conditions for Development: Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance. It takes place on May 18-19 at the faculty of Economics and Political Science according to the attached program. On May 25, 1999, Dr. Richard Brown, Director of USAID in Egypt will give a talk on “New Trends in U.S aid”. The Talk is part of the series “Development Forum” organized fortnightly by the center. It starts at 6 PM.

C. Public Lectures:

1- Professor Rushdie Sa’eid. A New Project for the Development of Egypt, March 9.

2- Ibrahim Hilmi Abdel-Rahman: a Role Model.
Speakers: Professors. Abdel-Meguid Farrag, Mustapha Kamal Tolba and Dr.Ali Soliman, successively Former dean, Institute of Statistics, Cairo University, Former director of United Nations Environment Program, and Under-Secretary of the Ministry of International Cooperation, April 6.

3- Osama Anwar Okasha (writer) and Professor Ra’ouf Abbas (Historian, vice-Dean, Faculty of Arts, Cairo University) : Television Drama and the Writing of History, April 13.

4- Professor Bahgat Korany, Professor of Political Science, University of Montreal. The Present Arab Predicament,. April 20.

5- Dr. Basma Kudman - Darwish. Professor at the University of Paris, Fellow at the French Institute of International Relations. The Arab State and the Islamist Movements, May 4.

Correspondence:
Address: Center for the Study of Developing Countries,
Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University.

Center's direct Phone No. : 5705542 - 5728055 - 5728116
Fax Number : 5705542 - 5711020