Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University

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"Bridging the understanding between East and West is important for peace and tolerance..."
~ Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal

Fragment of a Velvet Yastik (cushion cover) w/ cintamani motif
Western Turkey, Turkey
2nd quarter of 16th century
Ottoman Empire, 680-1342/1281-1924 AD
Cut, voided silk velvet with brocaded silver thread (cut at both ends)
98 cm. x 78 cm., actual
Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Edwin Binney, 3rd Collection of Turkish Art at the Harvard University Art Museums, 1985.295

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal visits Harvard University

His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal attended an inaugural ceremony and reception for the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at Loeb House. The event formally recognized the prince’s generous contribution of $20 million (USD), given in 2006, to further the study of Islam in schools and departments across Harvard University. Attendees included Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, his wife Princess Ameerah, Kingdom Foundation Executive Manager Muna AbuSulayman, University Provost Steve Hyman, University Marshall Jackie O’Neil, Vice Provost for International Affairs Jorge Dominguez, Program Director Roy Mottahedeh, Harvard Divinity School Dean William Graham, and related faculty from around the university.

In recent years, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal has made similar contributions to Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and the universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh in the U.K. with the intent of promoting peaceful understanding and scholarly discourse across religious and political boundaries.