Prof. Ossama Talaat

The General Authority for the National Library and Archives, Egypt

Professor Osama Talaat currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of The Egyptian National Library and Archives, the authority that brings together Egypt’s national library and national archives. In this capacity, he oversees numerous tasks related to the preservation, conservation, and digitization of the cultural, intellectual, and documentary heritage, both manuscript and printed, held by the National Library and Archives.

He is originally a Professor of Islamic and Coptic Archaeology and Civilization at the Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, and an expert in tangible cultural heritage. He previously served as Head of the Islamic, Coptic, and Jewish Antiquities Sector at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the sector responsible for managing, preserving, and restoring all archaeological buildings.

He was also previously assigned to perform the duties of Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Culture, alongside his work as an Associate Researcher at the French Institute for Oriental Archaeology in Cairo and as a Tangible Cultural Heritage Consultant at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

He graduated from the Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, in 1986 and was appointed as a teaching assistant there. He progressed through the academic ranks as a faculty member until attaining the rank of Professor. He also served as Head of the Department of Islamic and Coptic Archaeology at the faculty, followed by Vice Dean for Graduate Studies and Research.