His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifah Al-Thani visits a patient in the Burn Center who suffered serious burns in the attack on the World Trade Center. With the Emir are (from left) Dr. Herbert Pardes, president of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital; Dean Antonio Gotto; and Cornell University President Hunter Rawlings.
His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifah Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, made a special visit to Weill Cornell Medical College on Monday, Oct. 1, to express his personal condolences to the people of New York for the immense loss of life following the terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center.
Welcoming His Highness to the Weill Cornell campus were Hunter Rawlings, Cornell University president; Dr. Antonio Gotto, dean of the Medical College; Sanford Weill, chairman of the Board of Overseers for Weill Medical College and Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University; and Dr. Herbert Pardes, president of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
His Highness addressed members of the Board of Overseers, faculty and staff, and visited staff and patients in the Burn Center, which has treated more than 20 severely burned victims of the World Trade Center disaster. The Emir also presented a gift of $1 million for the Burn Center, which played such a critical role in the treatment of victims of the disaster.
The Emir of the State of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifah Al-Thani, visited Weill Medical College on Monday, Oct. 1, to offer his personal condolences to the people of New York on the immense loss of life in the terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center. The Emir also announced a gift of $1 million to benefit the Medical Center's Burn Center, which has treated severely burned victims of the disaster. Welcoming the Emir to Weill Cornell were (from left) Sanford Weill, chairman of Weill Cornell's Board of Overseers; Dr. Antonio Gotto, dean of the Medical College; and Cornell University President Hunter Rawlings.
"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," said His Highness.
Speaking about the agreement between the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and Cornell University to establish the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, which was announced in April, the Emir said: "We in the State of Qatar are happy with the cultural cooperation with this historic institution working in the realm of knowledge and education, with which we have undertaken to cooperate to establish a medical school in the State of Qatar based on Cornell University's traditions in terms of the quality and standard of education.
"This education will in turn be provided in a democratic manner to students who will be chosen on the basis of open competition without any discrimination. Moreover, acceptance to the school will not be restricted to Qatari students, but will extend to include other students both from inside and outside the region. Our cooperation with American universities will not end here, but we are looking forward to, and planning for, obtaining other similar assistance from other distinguished American universities for the purpose of creating various institutions in different fields of knowledge."
During his visit to New York, the Emir also met with Mayor Giuliani and made gifts totaling $2 million to World Trade Center disaster relief funds. On Tuesday, Oct. 2, he visited ground zero and met with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. On Thursday, he will meet with President George W. Bush.