‘Allahu Akbar, praise be to God.’ ‘The crescent and the cross stand united.’ ‘Down with colonialism.’ ‘Oh dear, oh dear, may the Brits disappear.’ And finally, ‘The people want the regime to fall.’ These are chants that have echoed across the ages, etched into the collective memory of a nation by the revolutions that shaped its history. But does history recount the aftermath of revolutions with the same fervour?

It does not. The victor of a revolution, much like the victor of a war, monopolises the writing of history, blinded by the intoxication of triumph. This euphoria often obscures truths and hinders preparation for the challenges ahead. Are we, then, ready for what follows this historic event?

Perhaps, and we pray so. Optimism stems from a unique characteristic of this revolution, distinguishing it from its predecessors, such as the Urabi revolt of 1881. This revolution is a pure expression of the people’s will. It was not led or supported by the military; there is no new Urabi, Saad Zaghloul, or Gamal Abdel Nasser in its ranks. It is not a revolution against an occupier but a decentralised mass uprising. Millions chose to risk death in Tahrir Square, facing rubber bullets, live ammunition, and Molotov cocktails, for a single right: freedom. This makes it truly different.

Yet this uniqueness does not guarantee that the revolution will stay on the correct path. The surrounding circumstances, however, suggest that this is one of those rare revolutions where nations are reborn, forged by their own hands on a foundation of ‘bread, freedom, and human dignity.’ Its weapon is peaceful resilience, mature and aware of the difference between toppling a regime and the superficial political manoeuvres Mubarak futilely attempted in his three speeches.

But all this is insufficient for the current stage. It is not enough to nurture the newborn freedom of a revolution still in its fragile infancy.

Undoubtedly, hundreds of valid ideas among thousands of flawed ones will be written, debated, analysed, theorised, and even fought over to support and preserve the revolution’s achievements. Yet what is most certain is that Egypt is now in dire need of everyone capable of offering their expertise during this critical moment, to stabilise and activate these gains across all fronts. Egypt is rich with intellectual and scientific talent, much of which has found a home in the libraries and laboratories of the world. No matter how simplistic it sounds, didn’t we boast before the revolution about the 800,000 Egyptian scientists living abroad, raising Egypt’s stature? If that number is accurate, the fledgling state only needs to figure out how to work with 1% of them, alongside the millions of other skilled professionals overseas. The time has come for the state to prioritise science, scholars, and experts, alongside the ordinary citizens for whom the revolution was fought.

Those leading—or about to lead—this stage must revisit the books and try to rebuild what the so-called ‘advanced world’ terms human capital. India, for instance, despite its political, social, and religious complexities and deep poverty in the late 1980s, transformed into one of the world’s high-tech economic engines at breakneck speed. Its formula was surprisingly simple, based on two principles.

First, recognising its financial inability to fund a comprehensive educational reform programme from preschool to university, as logic might dictate—a process requiring an entire generation—India focused its investment on higher education alone. For a brief period, it wagered that this economic return would fund subsequent reforms in primary education.

Second, it issued what some called a ‘national call’ to its scientists and skilled professionals abroad, urging them to return and aid their homeland. While the call had a dramatic tone, it was pragmatic in its execution, offering them salaries comparable to those in the West, along with a promise that their ideas and innovations would not be buried in bureaucratic drawers.

In just a few years, India overcame immense challenges. Can Egypt achieve a similar leap now that it has shed its heaviest burdens?

This article is originally published by AlBorsa in Arabic and later AI-translated by South Push.