Arabian Ambassadors visit the University

They were welcomed at the Faculty of Middle Eastern and Asian Studies by Professor Yasir Suleiman, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Sa’id Professor of Modern Arabic Studies.

Following a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor, at which they discussed ways to encourage more students from the Arab League countries to apply to Cambridge, they attended a lunch at Corpus Christi College hosted by the Master, Stuart Laing, the former Ambassador to Kuwait, and his wife Sibella.

In the afternoon the delegation was welcomed to the University Library by Librarian Anne Jarvis to view examples of the extensive collection of Islamic and Middle Eastern manuscripts.

Their day ended with a trip to the West Cambridge Site, the University’s developing science and technology campus, to visit the Institute for Manufacturing which has recently moved into a brand new state of the art £15 million building there. The Ambassadors were briefed on the work of the IfM.

An Arab League spokesman said: “The Arab Ambassadors’ Council were honoured to visit the University of Cambridge on Monday 6th July 09 and to congratulate the university for its 800 year history and its reputation as a great pillar for education in the world. The Council had a great and successful visit, where issues of mutual interest were discussed.”

Countries represented on the visit were Kuwait, Oman, Syria, Qatar, Algeria, Yemen, Sudan, Lebanon, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

The Arab League, officially called the League of Arab States, is a regional organization of Arab states in Southwest Asia, and North and Northeast Africa. It was formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945.

The main goal of the league is to "draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries."

The picture shows the Vice-Chancellor exchanging gifts with His Excellency Mr Khalid Duwaisan GCVO, Ambassador of the State of Kuwait, who led the delegation, watched by Her Excellency Mrs Inaam Osseiran, Ambassador of Lebanon.