Naguib Kanawati, Distinguished Professor of Egyptology in the Department of Ancient History and Director of the Australian Centre for Egyptology, is an Egyptologist with a special interest in the Old and Middle Kingdoms. He graduated BA in History and Archaeology and MA in Egyptology at the University of Alexandria, Egypt and obtained his PhD in Egyptology from Macquarie University. After six years of teaching Near-Eastern History at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, he came to Macquarie University in 1980 as Lecturer, and in 1990 was appointed to a Personal Chair in Egyptology. In 1981 he established the Rundle Foundation for Egyptian Archaeology (now with 500 members) and in 1989 he established the Australian Centre for Egyptology and remains its Director. Kanawati was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and of the Royal Society of New South Wales. In 2003 he received the Centenary Medal "for services to the Australian society and the humanities in the study of archaeology", and in 2007 he received the Order of Australia.