Together with the University of Zurich, the Embassy of Switzerland in Egypt organized on 13 February a Symposium on Mummy Studies at the Egyptian Museum in Downtown Cairo in celebration of 30 years of scientific and academic collaboration between the Swiss Mummy Project (SMP) and Egyptian partners. The event, which was held under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, took place in the presence of Ambassador-Designate Dr. Andreas Baum, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Mohamed Ismail, as well as high level representatives of the University of Zurich. It brought together key figures from the Egyptian government, as well as prominent archaeologists.
The highlight of the evening was the keynote address by renowned Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass, whose insights into Egypt’s ancient treasures were nothing short of inspiring! This was followed by lectures from distinguished experts including the co-founders of the Swiss Mummy Project, Prof. Dr. Dr. Frank Rühli and Dr. Thomas Böni of the University of Zurich. Other notable speakers included Prof. Dr. Yehia Gad, Emeritus Professor of Molecular Genetics at the National Research Centre and Scientific Supervisor of ancient DNA lab at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, as well as Prof. Dr. Salima Ikram, Distinguished University Professor, Department of Sociology, Egyptology and Anthropology at the American University in Cairo.
Established in 1995 at the University of Zurich, the SMP pioneered biomedical mummy research, significantly advancing the understanding of ancient Egyptian mummies through innovative research, capacity-building initiatives and global public outreach. The Symposium also served as an opportunity to reflect on the long standing partnership between Swiss and Egyptian researchers, and to explore the potential for future collaborations in Egyptology and scientific research.
