In today's world, America's soft power is commonly thought to reside in the global popularity of Hollywood movies, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Starbucks.
The soft power of science has the potential to reshape global diplomacy.
Egypt has great potential because of the latent power of its human capital.
In adapting to life in the melting pot of America, I discovered that the same soft power of science has a huge influence in building bridges between cultures and religions - and has the potential to do so with the Muslim world.
I'd rather have the influence than the power, and the influence to me is to build institutions of independence and democracy, to regain for Egypt prestige in education and science and technology.
Mubarak came to power as a hero who fought bravely in Egypt's wars and headed the nation's air force.