CAIRO: In what he considers a part of his wider efforts "to build bridges and promote better understanding between West and Islamic World, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud inaugurated a hall under his name at the American University in Cairo (AUC) Monday. The hall houses the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Center for American Studies. The prince expressed his admiration of AUC's new campus which he described as "not only a symbol of AUC's success but also Egypt's success. He said he is proud to be part of this story on behalf of many Saudis. "It is of my earnest hope that this new physical setting which bears my name will prove to be a venue for learning and will be a suitable environment for the highest level of research and scholarly activities, Alsaud said. AUC President David Arnold introduced his royal highness saying that "In a region that continues to suffer from conflict, Prince Alwaleed made [a commitment] to educate future generations in humanities and social sciences, [in line with] AUC's aim to become a model of academic excellence and a catalyst for social development in Egypt and the Arab World. The Prince's Center for American Studies is a part of a global network of institutions mutual understanding and respect between Islam and the West. "Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation helps reframe perceptions of Islam in the West through dialogue, forums and educational centers in order to promote a better understanding between the different faiths and world views, said AUC Provost Lisa Anderson. The Prince noted the importance of American Studies and how here in the region we need to understand it better, given its role in the Middle East and its crucial role in the peace process. "Despite our [belief] of the contrary, we in the Arab World have only a limited knowledge of the US, even though a number of us have studied in the US, while there we have not probed deeply into its history, culture and immutable forces which make that dynamic society click [as we were too] absorbed in our respective studies, he said. Prince Alwaleed stressed on the need to study this "rapidly changing society, pointing out that no one would have predicted 30 years ago that Hispanics would be the largest ethnic group, the majority members of the Supreme Council would be Catholic, for the President to be an African American and for this wealthy nation to be the biggest debtor country on Earth. The Prince Alwaleed Center in the Middle East is located at AUC and the American University in Beirut. There are other centers in a number of sites in Europe and the US including Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University and the The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University. "We have embraced the mission of the Prince Alwaleed's centers, said Provost Anderson. "Here at AUC we have served as a portal, as a bridge and sometimes even as a two-way mirror between the US and Arab World - a fundamental if not a definitional feature in our foundation for more than 90, she said, noting that there is plenty more to do to foster mutual understanding between Egypt and the United States and between Islam and the West.
