DOHA, Qatar-Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar is pleased to announce a leadership symposium and evening gala as part of inaugural celebrations being hosted by Qatar Foundation March 9 and 10, 2005. The inaugural celebrations honor the opening of Carnegie Mellon Qatar, the first international branch campus of one of the world's top-ranking universities.

The March 9 symposium will bring together a panel of distinguished Carnegie Mellon experts in computer science and business with Qatar's top business leaders. The delegates at the symposium, all world leaders in their fields, will share with business leaders in Qatar their latest research and insights in presentations and discussions, offering unparalleled access to the latest thinking and developments in business management and computer science.

"We hope that by bringing together the best minds in IT and industry under one roof, both on the Carnegie Mellon side and from Doha's leadership base, the knowledge that is shared will create the kind of collaborative, interdisciplinary programming and research center that is the hallmark of our university," said Charles E. Thorpe, Ph.D., dean of Carnegie Mellon Qatar. The symposium will be followed on March 10 by an evening gala, graced by the presence of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, chair of Qatar Foundation.

A musical performance of "Fanfare for the Future: Celebrating the Vision of Education City" will premiere at the evening gala. The music has been composed especially for H.H. Sheikha Mozah by Alan Fletcher, D.M.A., professor and head of Carnegie Mellon's School of Music.

"The inaugural gala pays tribute to the far-sighted vision of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah and recognizes the honor bestowed on Carnegie Mellon in being invited to join with other institutions at Education City to create a world-class center for education and learning," said Jared L. Cohon, Ph.D., president of Carnegie Mellon. "We share with Her Highness the firm belief that knowledge can bridge cultures and promote peace and prosperity."

"Qatar is finding its own path toward sustainable development, democracy and the preservation of its cultural integrity," said Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned. "The responsibility we have placed on educational institutions in Qatar is great, because we comprehend that education plays a critical role in engineering the future of our society."

Carnegie Mellon Qatar will announce the donation of a faculty-endowed chair by the Qatar Foundation at the inaugural gala. Endowed chairs are the highest honor a university can bestow on its faculty. The Mozah Bint Nasser Chair of Computer Science and Robotics will be bestowed upon Raj Reddy, Ph.D., the Simon University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics at Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science.

Carnegie Mellon's international initiatives are designed to enhance education on the world stage, and specifically at Education City, by bringing to Doha its distinctive programs in computer science and business. Founded in 1900 by philanthropist and industrialist Andrew Carnegie, Carnegie Mellon is one of the world's leading private research universities. It is regularly ranked among the world's leading universities in independent surveys (such as U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine and Business Week). Carnegie Mellon's campus in Doha offers students the same education as in the U.S., equipping them to make a positive contribution to Qatar's development by empowering them to create and implement solutions to today's and tomorrow's complex, real-world problems.

"With its excellent programs in computer science and business administration, Carnegie Mellon University is certain to make a great contribution to Education City, to Qatar and the Gulf region," said Charles E. Young, Ph.D., president of Qatar Foundation.

About Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar:
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar is the first international branch campus operated by Carnegie Mellon University, a private American research university with a distinctive mix of programs in computer science, robotics, engineering, the sciences, business, public policy, fine arts and the humanities. In August 2004 Carnegie Mellon Qatar began offering its internationally recognized undergraduate programs in business and computer science at the invitation of the Qatar Foundation. Joining Texas A&M University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Weill Cornell Medical College, Carnegie Mellon plans to open a new facility on the Education City campus in 2007. More information can be found at www.qatar.cmu.edu.