Ambassador Bernard Savage, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission for GCC States based in Saudi Arabia, discussed the GCC-EU Research program at the GRC and ways of future cooperation, including the EU’s support for the Executive Learning Program on the EU that the center is scheduled to conduct in September.
A distance-learning student delegation pursuing a course in Gulf politics from the University of Southern Denmark made an informational visit to the center. The group, consisting of 36 professionals associated with different vocations and disciplines, was headed by Dr Lars Erslev Andersen, Associate Professor at the Department of Middle East Studies, and Soren Hove, a PhD scholar and resident at the Centre for Contemporary Middle East Studies at the university. The group is likely to use GRC resources to further their academic pursuits. The visit was the second interaction with the university after Dr. Martin Hvidt spent time at the GRC as part of a research fellowship in January.
A four-member Angolan delegation headed by Deputy Minister for Geology and Minerals Dr. Mankenda Ambroise visited the center to receive a regional briefing. Among the others were Consul-General Rui Jorge Carneiro Manguiera and President of the Angolan National Private Investment Agency Carlos Antonio Fernandes. The officials expressed interest in exploring ways to establish institutional cooperation with GRC-like organizations in Angola.
1-Professor of Political Science at Zayed University in the UAE Nasser Abed, Assistant to the President of Brigham Young University in Hawaii, USA, Dr. Gerrit Gong and Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Zayed University Jeffrey Belnap held introductory talks with GRC on possible cooperation in the future.
2-Director-General of Al-Arabiya Abdul Rahman Rashed held talks on cooperation between the TV channel and GRC, particularly in the field of content enhancement for both institutions.
1-Dr.Theodore W. Karasik, a political scientist and expert on Iraq, Gulf national security and terrorism at Rand Corporation, California, was on a research visit specifically related to tribal politics in the region, which is part of an ongoing research project.
2-Director of Middle East Forum at the New-York based Council on Foreign Relations Judith Kipper held discussions on establishing relations, including the possible visit of President of the Council Richard Haass to GRC.
1-Director of United Nations University/International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU/INWEH) Dr. Ralph J. Daley and Assistant Director of Program Development at UNU/INWEH Dr. Zafar Adeel held talks with GRC to finalize details of joint projects.
2-Military Adviser at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo Major General (Retd.) Dr Mohamed Kadry Said, Head of Political Affairs at the Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi Isabelle Martin, Policy Adviser for the Strategic Policy and Planning at the Canadian Privy Council Office Dr. Peter Jones, former Moroccan member of parliament and representative from the Centre Tariq ibn Zyad in Rabat Hassan Benaddi, Head of the Department for the Middle East in the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rasmus Grue Christensen and Director-General of the Institute diplomatique et des Relations Internationales in Algiers M. Smail Benamara were engaged in discussions with GRC to form a Consortium of research institutes. The objective is to jointly conduct three major conferences in 2005 to consider the creation of a Framework for Regional Co-operation and Security in the Middle East and North Africa. The project is supported by the Canadian and Danish governments.
