Why did you choose UBC Forestry?
I am originally from Egypt, near Alexandria, and attended the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria. I earned my master’s degree in 1966, studying under the first Egyptian forester. I was a teaching instructor at the same school and for three years listened to his fascinating stories of the west coast of North America and was inspired to learn more. So, I applied to a number of schools and received three offers from North America– one from Syracuse, one from Toronto and one from UBC in Vancouver. I knew UBC was where I wanted to be and with my professor’s recommendations, applied to study silviculture under Phil Haddock. Well, I arrived in Vancouver and Phil took one look at
me and decided I wasn’t too promising a student. So he sent me on to a young professor, Oscar Sziklai. To cut a long story short, I don’t think Oscar thought much of me either and was ready to get rid of me within my first year, but I refused to fail. I did not want to go back to Egypt as a failure. I shifted my focus from silviculture to forest genetics and worked hard to get on Oscar’s good side.
What path did you follow after graduation?
Immediately after graduation I was appointed as the tree breeder for the Canadian Forest Service in Alberta. Just as I was getting ready to make my move to Alberta, the Trudeau government came into power and instituted a hiring freeze. So I never did get started in that role but Oscar Sziklai, who had since warmed to me, was able to secure a fellowship for me as a researcher working on the Island, up north and throughout the interior. During that work, I was generously supported by Gerry Burch, who funded me for three years through BC Forest Products. Under Gerry’s guidance I tried my best to be a field forester. After a brief stint in Manitoba (much too cold there for an Egyptian) I returned to UBC as a post-doctoral fellow, then decided to return home to Alexandria. It was very hard at that time to be an Egyptian working in the BC forest sector. Where you came from really counted and I had difficulty being accepted. On returning to Egypt I simultaneously taught at the University of Alexandria and acted as an international forestry consultant. I enjoyed teaching but the students in Alexandria did not have a real passion for forestry – they had an interest in planting trees, not managing and stewarding the land – so I moved on to the American University in Cairo where I was the Director of Research and Development Centre for integrated land management including agriculture, forestry and socioeconomics. The Centre was funded by IDRC of Canada and The Ford Foundation, among others. Then the UN came calling. I was appointed Regional Forester for the Near East and Northern Africa, followed by what was supposed to be a one year secondment to Rome to work in the cabinet of the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Well, one year turned into three years, after which I was appointed Assistant Director-General of FAO and Head of the Forestry Department, or ‘Chief Forester of the World’ as some people like to think of it. This was the top position I could have ever hoped for and I could not turn it down. I asked the Director-General if he knew what he was doing, appointing me to this role and he said “Don’t worry about what I’m doing, just worry about what you’re going to do!”
I remember that some of FAO member countries were not happy having an Egyptian leading the Forestry Department. But I worked hard and some years later at my retirement party I learned that the same members who so vocally rejected my appointment were the first to commend my work to the Director-General after my first year on the job.
What have you been up to since retirement?
I returned to BC to be with my family. We lived in Victoria and I tried golf, like a typical retiree. Then I received an invitation to come back to UBC as an adjunct professor. For two years I commuted between Victoria and Vancouver until we moved to Vancouver three years ago – I’m too old for such a long commute! My position at UBC keeps me busy with teaching, lecturing, co-supervising post-grads, helping in the development of a master’s degree in international forestry and building the International Partnership for Forestry Education but I’m also very busy with my work outside academia. I consult to the World Bank and the International Tropical Timber Organization among others. I’m a member of the Board of Trustees for the World Agroforestry Centre in Kenya and have just been named Chairman of the Board for the Centre for International Forestry Research in Indonesia And on top of all this, I’m retired!
Do you have any fond memories of your time at UBC?
I came to Vancouver during a very culturally and politically exciting time. It was the late ‘60s, early ‘70s, when the hippie movement was sweeping the west coast. Coming from Egypt, I had never seen a man
with long hair! I remember how we forestry students made good friends with the students in the Faculty of Education (where all the girls were), the building of the E monument on Main Mall and the rivalry that followed with the Engineers, leading up to the day they got their revenge for some prank or another by compressing the Forestry truck down to the size of a small cube and leaving it out front of the MacMillan building. I also remember playing touch football out front of the Bio Sciences building with the likes of David Suzuki.
If you weren’t in your current role, what profession would you most like to try?
My family wouldn’t have approved but I would have liked to have been a cartoonist. When I retired a few years ago, I was hoping to go to school to take art classes, but I’ve been too busy!
What is the toughest business or professional decision you’ve had to make?
The toughest decision was making the move from academia to the UN, but I realized that academia is for life, no one could take that from me. If I didn’t snap up the opportunity at the UN I may not have had another chance. I’m very happy to be able to say I was in charge of the Forestry Department of FAO for eight years. I also had some tough decisions to make once I got into the UN. I found it tough to fire under performing people but I believed then and still believe now that if you as a manager are not able to undertake and implement such decisions you are bringing your entire team down and should move out.
What do you aspire to 10 years from now?
I’m more static than dynamic now but as long as I’m on my feet I’d like to be working! I have a vision for UBC and the Faculty of Forestry and that is we should be contributing more and more knowledge to BC while increasing our presence internationally. I hope to help achieve this over the next few years.
Do you have any advice for students considering enrolling in forestry?
Students need to realize that forestry is a global issue and profession. By studying in the Faculty of Forestry you are arming yourself with the knowledge to become a true global citizen. Don’t worry about the job situation in BC or Canada; you will be able to work anywhere in the world with a degree from UBC Forestry. UBC helped me open a lot of doors. Saying you are a forester from BC carries a lot of cachet abroad so be proud.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Yes, one funny story that I remember from my early days as a student at UBC. I sat down in Professor Krajina’s class next to a young lady. We struck up a conversation and she asked me “Where are you from?” I told her I was from Egypt so she asked “What are you studying?” I replied I was enrolled for a PhD in the Faculty of Forestry and I would teach forestry upon returning home. Her response was “That’s funny.” I asked her why that was funny and with a straight face she said “Well, to me teaching forestry in Egypt is like teaching birth control to a nun. Neither will ever use it so what’s the point.”
That was 1967!
From Branchlines February 2011