Japanese

On May 28, 2025, Hiroshima University (HU) invited Professor Khaled El-Enany, former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt and current candidate for the post of UNESCO Director General, to its campus to hold a commemorative lecture. About 80 students, faculty, and staff of HU gathered at the venue and listened intently to his lecture.

Since the official launch of his candidacy in April 2023, Prof. El-Enany has made over 55 visits to countries around the world with the support of the African Union and the Arab League, engaging in extensive dialogue with government officials, civil society, young people, academic and cultural institutions, and UNESCO stakeholders. Through this dialogue, he has created a vision of “UNESCO for the people.” This vision is based on inclusivity, practicality, and solidarity, and represents a new role of UNESCO in confronting the diverse challenges of the 21st century.

This visit to Japan was part of a campaign for such global dialogue, and HU, the sole national comprehensive research university located in the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima, was chosen as the Japanese site for the lecture. Japan is the 55th country Prof. El-Enany has visited on his campaign. Prior to his lecture, he visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Prof. El-Enany commented, "I had known about the events in Hiroshima through images and books, but by actually seeing and feeling them on the ground, I could realize the importance of peace even more deeply.”

In his lecture, Prof. El-Enany spoke on the theme of “UNESCO in Ancient Egypt”, passionately sharing how the values of peace, education, science, culture, and diversity, rooted in ancient civilizations, are connected to the mission of modern UNESCO.

At the beginning of the lecture, Prof. El-Enany introduced the background of UNESCO's establishment in 1945 and its founding philosophy that "war is born in the hearts of human beings, and peace must also be built in the hearts of human beings.” He said UNESCO's origins in building peace through education, science, and culture resonate with the spirit of ancient Egypt. Through the goddess Maat, who symbolizes truth, justice, and order, and the world's oldest peace treaty, he spoke of the ancient Egyptian view of ethics and peace as a legacy of knowledge that is relevant today.

Prof. El-Enany also introduced a wide range of advanced intellectual activities in ancient Egypt, including education, science and technology, medicine, architecture, and astronomy. In B.C. Egypt, an educational system for reading and writing was already in place, and children acquired knowledge through daily training. It was also emphasized that people with special physical needs, women, and foreigners were respected and given roles as members of society. Prof. El-Enany said these ancient traditions of knowledge and inclusion are deeply connected to the “sustainable peace” philosophy that UNESCO is striving for today.

In his lecture, Prof. El-Enany also mentioned his UNESCO Director General's election campaign that has been underway since 2023. He introduced the slogan “UNESCO for the People” and the key policies of the organization: rebuilding peace through education, strengthening international collaboration, diversifying the funding base, and depoliticizing and rebranding UNESCO. Noting in particular that 57% of UNESCO's activities are devoted to education, he stressed the importance of promoting girls' education and global citizenship education and securing funding through partnerships with the private sector. He pointed out that none of the 11 previous Director Generals were from Arab countries, noting that if elected, he would be the first Director General from an Arab country and the second from Africa. He expressed his willingness to reflect cultural diversity in the leadership of UNESCO.

During the Q&A session, a student asked what he would most like to focus on if he became UNESCO Director General. First of all, Prof. El-Enany cited the strengthening of political ties with member countries, and spoke of a policy of emphasizing cooperation not only at the headquarters in Paris, but also at the level of the capitals of each country. He then indicated that peace education is his top priority, and that he intends to work on creating an educational environment to convey the values of human rights, global citizenship, and sustainable development to children.

Prof. El-Enany concluded his lecture with the powerful statement that “education is the power that transcends hatred and is the root of peace,” offering the possibility of a future in which the power of education and culture can overcome divisions. His lecture was a valuable opportunity to organically link the legacy of ancient Egyptian knowledge with the mission of UNESCO today, and to reconsider the meaning of peace from an international perspective.