Thursday 16 November 2017

UK diplomats back at historic Old City consulate for first diplomatic reception since return to Tripoli


British diplomats, headed by Ambassador Peter Millett, were back at the historic British consulate in Tripoli Old City to host a reception for Libyan students who have been awarded Chevening scholarships to undertake postgraduate study in Britain.
The building, just behind the Gurgi Mosque by the Marcus Aurelius Arch and formally now known as the Nweji Cultural House, served as the British consulate from 1744 until 1940 when Italy came out in support of Nazi Germany, declared war on the UK and expelled British diplomats.
Monday’s reception, the first hosted by the British since the embassy returned to the capital, honoured students who have been awarded the scholarship between 2014 and 2016 as well as the 11 Libyans have been awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarships to study in the UK this year.
“Chevening scholarships are a vital way for Libyans to study in the United Kingdom and return to Libya with new skills and experiences that will help to promote economic reform to the benefit of all Libyans, Millett said at the reception, at which the new 11 Libyan scholars were presented certificates to mark their award.
Applicants who applied for the next academic year will be shortlisted in for interviews by the British embassy between January and early February. The results will be announced next June.
Applications for the award in order to study in the UK in 2019/202 will open in August 2018.

Tuesday 7 March 2017

Conference on protecting and promoting Libya’s archaeological treasures

A part of this week’s festival on Libyan culture and civil life, “Min Ajl Libya” (For Libya) being organised by the French embassies to Libya and Tunisia, the head of the Louvre museum in Paris, Jean-Luc Martinez, is host a roundtable on the country’s classical period heritage this Saturday.
The event, entitled “A Journey Across Time” and which will take place on Saturday morning at the French Institute in Tunis, seeks to discover ancient Libya as well as look at conservation issues. It is being organised by the French Archaeological Mission to Libya.
Speakers will include a number of archaeologists and historians, including the head of the mission, Vincent Michel, professor of archaeology at the university of Poitiers, plus Ahmed Hossein Abdulkarim, head of the department of antiquities to Beida-Cyrene since 2014. Also attending is Mustafa Turjman, director of archaeological research at the department of antiquities in Tripoli. He has a particular focus on education, protecting historical sites and promoting Libyan heritage.
Continuing the theme of preservation is Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, who supervised and coordinated the cultural programme of UNESCO in Libya in both 2011 and 2013-2014. Among others speaking is Khaled Elhaddar, assistant professor in classical archaeology at the University of Benghazi and a doctoral student at the University of Poitiers.


Libya’s archaeological treasures are seen as under threat, not least due to a complete lack of funding. But there have also been unscrupulous developers encroaching on archaeological sites plus there is the fear that although the so-called Islamic State has been defeated in Sirte, Islamists might still try and destroy them, as has been the case in Syria and Iraq. One of the biggest threats, though, comes from petty criminals looking to make a quick profit and potentially causing devastating damage to sites in the process.
The Min Ajl Libya festival is on 11 and 12 March at the French Institute and in addition to the antiquities roundtable will include another on contemporary Libya as well as an exhibition of works by Libyan artists, meetings with Libyan writers and poets, concerts and Libyan food.
The Louvre is expected to hold an exhibition of Libyan antiquities next year.


For more information please go to the following links:
http://www.institutfrancais-tunisie.com/?q=node%2F13654
https://www.facebook.com/events/1858430677776288/
https://twitter.com/IFTunisie