Greetings from our new Chair
“It is a great honour to become the new Chair of the EES. My name is Leire Olabarria. I hold a DPhil in Egyptology from the University of Oxford, and I am currently an Associate Professor in Egyptology at the University of Birmingham, where I am very fortunate to share my passion for anything Egyptian with all my students. I am also an active researcher who publishes on kinship, memory, gender, and reception. For many years I have admired the formidable work done by the EES to promote Egyptian heritage and make Egyptology more inclusive and self-critical, so to be able to contribute to this mission in my new role is a dream come true!
Campbell has done an amazing job leading the EES through a very difficult and uncertain time. The successive lockdowns of the covid pandemic drove the EES to expand their provision of online courses and materials, hence becoming more open and accessible than ever before. During Campbell’s watch, the EES has also been successful in an extremely competitive National Lottery bid that will make it possible to redevelop and radically transform the London premises. Doughty Mews will become even more of a hub not only for EES members, but also for the local communities in the area. It is no understatement to say that Campbell leaves very big shoes to fill in, but I am very grateful for the opportunity to take on this challenge. Campbell and I have already been working very closely over the last few months to ensure a smooth transition and the seamless continuity of all of these exciting projects.
As much as has been achieved in the last few years, we have transformational times ahead of us for British Egyptology. We will continue to expand our online activities during the extraordinary redevelopment of the London premises. Our collections will remain at the heart of our future endeavours, and we will focus on growing our active research projects. We will also continue to work very closely with our Egyptian colleagues, and we have plans to expand our activities in Cairo significantly.
The EES still has a lot of work to do, but we are very lucky to have a committed membership that truly believes in our vision. Thank you to all the members for your continued support over the years. None of this would be possible without you.”
And some parting words from our outgoing Chair, Dr Campbell Price:
"I have found the past four years as EES Chair an extraordinary privilege because of the insight it has afforded me into the workings and ambition of the organisation. I join with all my fellow Board members in wishing Leire every success in taking on this most rewarding role and its exciting future!"