Prior to his keynote address at the Prime Ministry later on Friday, Zewail was invited to a dinner at Bahçeşehir University on Thursday attended by dozens of academics, journalists and other prominent guests.
Speaking during the dinner, Zewail said he would discuss why he does not believe in the clash of civilizations in his Friday night speech called the “The Future of Our World.” Stressing that although not everything is perfect, Zewail said everyone must at least be optimistic about the future of the world. Zewail’s speech was expected to cover current scientific developments, science policy, America’s vision for science, East-West relations and the Islamic world.
Zewail supports the idea that the US should wield its soft power through science while engaging with Muslims. In his Monday op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, Zewail said Muslim-majority countries such as Malaysia, Turkey and Qatar are making significant strides in educational, technical and economic development.
