Emir of Qatar donates $1 million during his visit to medical college

The Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, greets a severely burned patient from the World Trade Center disaster at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Burn Center Oct. 1. With the emir, from his left, are New York-Presbyterian President Herbert Pardes, Weill Cornell Medical College Dean Antonio Gotto and Cornell President Hunter Rawlings. Janet Charles

Reaffirming a unique example of international cooperation between an American medical school and a Middle Eastern country, His Highness the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, visited New York Weill Cornell Medical Center Oct. 1 and extended condolences for the World Trade Center terrorist attack. The emir also made a donation of $1 million to the medical center's burn unit, where the most severely injured patients from the disaster are being cared for.

"I find it very diffiŒcult to address you here without referring to the matter that is on everyone's mind, surely the tragedy that befell New York and Washington, D.C.," the emir said in Arabic. "I would like to extend to all of you my personal condolences and those of the people of the State of Qatar on the tragic event and the immense losses as a result. As you know, we are against all forms of terrorism."

The emir reaffirmed the plan announced earlier this year in which Cornell and Weill Cornell will establish the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, a branch of the New York institution. "This education will be provided in a democratic manner to students who will be chosen on the basis of open competition without any discrimination," the emir said.

He continued: "Our cooperation with American universities will not end here, but we are looking forward to, and planning for, obtaining similar assistance from other distinguished American universities for the purpose of creating various institutions in different fields of knowledge."

Introducing the emir, President Hunter Rawlings noted that the commitment to opening a branch of the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar "is a first, not only for his country and ours, but also for universities worldwide." He said, "We welcome him with open arms, and we thank him for his expression of concern."

Also welcoming the emir were Sanford Weill, chairman of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell Medical College; Dr. Antonio M. Gotto Jr., dean of the medical college; and Dr. Herbert Pardes, president and chief executive of New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

The emir toured the burn unit, the largest and most advanced burn center in the country. He was shown a hydrotherapy room, where patients are cleansed of burned skin, and he visited with a recovering patient.

President Bush is scheduled to welcome the emir to the White House for a working visit today (Oct. 4). The United States and Qatar share a broad range of common interests in the Middle East.